One of the last remaining segments of Houston-area freeway without dedicated HOV lanes could get them sooner than expected, pending some shuffling of money and approval from regional officials.

Interstate 10 between the 610 Loop and Taylor Street could have the lanes to speed buses and carpools between downtown and the Uptown area within the decade, offering commuters relief from what transit officials have called one of the worst chokepoints for park and ride service in the region.

For many commuters, the end of the line for eastbound carpool and transit lanes is a muddled mess as buses and others are forced back into the general purpose lanes just inside Loop 610, creating dreaded bottlenecks during peak morning and evening commutes.

“It all just stops right there,” said David Oxley, who commutes from Katy to downtown, often via the managed lanes outside Loop 610.

Oxley said he is supportive of anything that benefits transit and drivers at the same time.

“It’s not one side or the other,” he said. “It shouldn’t be a fight.”

Officials with Metropolitan Transit Authority are open to many options, so long as they improve mobility in the region.

“Metro will study how adding carpoolers will impact the flow and speed of traffic,” CEO Tom Lambert said. “But, fundamentally, we believe any mobility plan should take into account all modes of travel.”

The project, sponsored by Metropolitan Transit Authority, is the only major project slated for addition to the 10-year transportation plan developed by the Houston-Galveston Area Council. The agency acts as the pass-through for federal money, and projects that receive the money must be in the agency’s transportation plans.

A final decision on the project is scheduled for March, following public comment and approval from two regional council boards. If the project is accelerated, construction on the lanes is expected to begin around 2021. Public meetings to discuss the projects and other long-range plans start next week.

The lanes are part of a larger effort by Metro to develop a $448 million bus rapid transit project from around Metro’s Northwest Transit Center near Loop 610 and I-10 to downtown Houston via the existing HOV ramp into the city’s center. A link also would be made to the planned high-speed rail station for the proposed Texas Bullet Train, likely to stop at current Northwest Mall site.

“Riders will get a one seat ride between Uptown and downtown, a much-needed connection that does not exist right now,” Lambert said.

METRO’S LONG RANGE PLAN: Mix of transit, services a nod to differing Houston-area demands

Buses would circulate on the route similar to a light rail line, stopping at large platforms where passengers can enter and exit. The proposed project, part of Metro’s long-range plan that also is awaiting approval later this year, would have seven stops, including one at the Shepherd-Durham area along I-10 and another at Studemont.

The portion of the project H-GAC is being asked to fund is $168.6 million for additional lanes along I-10, open only to transit buses and carpools. The lanes would allow direct access from the transit center to the center lanes of the freeway, as well as allow park and ride buses from farther west to stay in the managed lanes or carpool lanes to and from downtown.

The project scored the best out of 193 submitted by area officials for the regional plan. It’s approval is part of an annual process in which regional planners estimate how much money remains uncommitted in the existing 10-year plan and then seek out submissions from local governments and agencies for approved projects that can be accelerated and developed in the coming years.

Competition for the added money is fierce. Proposals submitted by local governments, agencies and management districts for this round totaled some $2.9 billion in federal funds.

That’s roughly $2 billion more than what planners expect to have for new projects.

HOV LANES ON U.S. 290: Metro approves $1.6 million for carpool lane signs, striping

Using a scoring system approved by regional elected officials, planners whittled the number of projects to the 31 they think have the highest return on investment, receiving a score of 150 or higher out of a possible 200. Metro’s plan for I-10, on a weighted scale, was the only project to score a 200. Three other projects among the 193 submission scored above 180.

Planners also deviated from the scores and funding requests in two cases. A Metro plan to spend $90 million rebuilding bus stops and sidewalks to make the region totally accessible for disabled and elderly users scored highly, but was too costly, said Alan Clark, director of transportation planning for H-GAC. Regional planners instead proposed $30 million.

Transportation plan meetings Regional officials will host the follow meetings to discuss the changes to the ten-year transportation and the long range 2045 Regional Transportation Plan. Thursday, Jan. 24 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Friendswood City Hall 910 South Friendswood Drive Tuesday, Jan. 29 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Liberty City Hall 1829 Sam Houston St. Tuesday, Feb. 5 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Kingdom City Houston 2100 Eldridge Parkway, Houston Thursday, Feb. 7 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Tomball City Hall 401 Market St. Tuesday, Feb. 12 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Houston-Galveston Area Council Offices 3555 Timmons Lane Source: Houston-Galveston Area Council

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“We might make a down payment on that project,” Clark said, adding that if the projects are successful, more funding could follow in future years.

Plans also call for spending $18 million on a replacement automobile bridge from Galveston Island to Pelican Island, even though the proposal scored far lower than many other maintenance projects that were denied funding.

“The special consideration is warranted,” said Galveston County Engineer Michael Shannon. “It is a one way in, and the only access to that island.”

dug.begley@chron.com

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