Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for High-
Capacity Transit Improvements in the Leeward Corridor of Honolulu, HI
[Federal Register: March 15, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 50)]
[Notices]
[Page 12254-12257]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15mr07-124]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for High-
Capacity Transit Improvements in the Leeward Corridor of Honolulu, HI
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS).
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the City and
County of Honolulu, Department of Transportation Services (DTS) intend
to prepare an EIS on a proposal by the City and County of Honolulu to
implement a fixed-guideway transit system in the corridor between
Kapolei and the University of Hawai[revaps]i at M[amacr]noa with a
branch to Waik[imacr]k[imacr]. Alternatives proposed to be considered
in the draft
[[Page 12255]]
EIS include No Build and two Fixed Guideway Transit alternatives.
The EIS will be prepared to satisfy the requirements of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and its implementing
regulations. The FTA and DTS request public and interagency input on
the purpose and need to be addressed by the project, the alternatives
to be considered in the EIS, and the environmental and community
impacts to be evaluated.
DATES: Scoping Comments Due Date: Written comments on the scope of the
NEPA review, including the project's purpose and need, the alternatives
to be considered, and the related impacts to be assessed, should be
sent to DTS by April 12, 2007. See ADDRESSES below.
Scoping Meetings: Meetings to accept comments on the scope of the
EIS will be held on March 28 and 29, 2007 at the locations given in
ADDRESSES below. On March 28, 2007, the public scoping meeting will
begin at 6:30 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m. or until all who wish to
provide oral comments have been given the opportunity. The meeting on
March 29, 2007 will begin at 5 p.m. and continue until 8 p.m. or until
all who wish to provide oral comments have been given the opportunity.
The locations are accessible to people with disabilities. A court
reporter will record oral comments. Forms will be provided on which to
submit written comments. Project staff will be available at the meeting
to informally discuss the EIS scope and the proposed project.
Governmental agencies will be invited to a separate scoping meeting to
be held during business hours. Further project information will be
available at the scoping meetings and may also be obtained by calling
(808) 566-2299, by downloading from http://www.honolulutransit.org, 
or by e-mailing info@honolulutransit.gov.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS, including the
project's purpose and need, the alternatives to be considered, and the
related impacts to be assessed, should be sent to the Department of
Transportation Services, City and County of Honolulu, 650 South King
Street, 3rd Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813, Attention: Honolulu High-
Capacity Transit Corridor Project, or by the Internet at
http://www.honolulutransit.org.
The scoping meetings will be held at Kapolei Hale at 1000 Uluohia
Street, Kapolei, HI 96707 on March 28, 2007 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
and at McKinley High School at 1039 South King Street, Honolulu, HI
9814 on March 29, 2007 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Donna Turchie, Federal Transit
Administration, Region IX, 201 Mission Street, Room 1650, San
Francisco, CA 94105, Phone: (415) 744-2737, Fax: (415) 744-2726.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On December 7, 2005, FTA and DTS issued a notice of intent to
prepare an Alternatives analysis followed by a separate EIS. The TS has
now completed the planning alternatives analysis and, together with FTA,
is proceeding with the NEPA review initiated through this scoping notice.
The planning Alternatives analysis, conducted in accordance with 49
United States Code (U.S.C.) 5309 as amended by the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU) (Pub. L. 109-59, 119 Stat. 1144), evaluated transit
alternatives in the corridor from Kapolei to the University of Hawai`i
at M[amacr]noa and to Waik[imacr]k[imacr]. Four alternatives were
studied, including No build, Transportation system Management, Bus
operating in a Managed Lane, and Fixed Guideway Transit. Fixed Guideway
Transit was selected as the Locally Preferred Alternative. The planning
Alternatives Analysis is available on the project's Web site at http://
www.honolulutransit.org. The Honolulu City Council has established
a fixed-guideway transit system connecting Kapolei and University of
Hawai`i at M[amacr]noa, with a branch to Waik[imacr]k[imacr], as the
locally preferred alternative. the O`ahu Metropolitan Planning
Organization (OMPO) has included construction of rail transit system
between Kapolei and the University of Hawai`i at M[amacr]noa and
Waik[imacr]k[imacr]
in the 2030 O`ahu Regional Transportation Plan,
April 2006.
II. Scoping
The FTA and DTS invite all interested individuals and
organizations, and Federal, State, and local governmental agencies and
Native Hawaiian organizations, to comment on the project's purpose and
need, the alternatives to be considered in the EIS, and the impacts to
be evaluated. During the scoping process, comments on the proposed
statement of purpose and need should address its completeness and
adequacy. Comments on the alternatives should propose alternatives that
would satisfy the purpose and need at less cost or with greater
effectiveness or less environmental or community impact and were not
previously studied and eliminated for good cause. At this time,
comments should focus on the scope of the NEPA review and should not
state a preference for a particular alternative. The best opportunity
for that type of input will be after the release of the draft EIS.
Following the scoping process, public outreach activities with
interested parties or groups will continue throughout the duration of work
on the EIS. The project Web site, http://www.honolulutransit.org,
will be updated periodically to reflect the status of the project.
Additional Opportunities for public participation will be announced
through mailings, notices, advertisements, and press releases. those
wishing to be placed on the project mailing list may do so by
registering on the Web site at http://www.honolulutransit.org,
or by calling (808) 566-2299.
III. Description of Study Area
The proposed project study area is the travel corridor between
Kapolei and the University of Hawai`i at Manoa (UH Manoa)
and Waikaki. this narrow, linear corridor is confined by
the Wai`anae and Ko`olau mountain ranges to the north (mauka direction)
and the ocean to the south (makai direction). The corridor includes the
majority of housing and employment on O`ahu. The 2000 census indicates
that 876,200 people live on O`ahu. Of this number, over 552,000 people,
or 63 percent, live within the corridor between Kapolei and
M[amacr]noa/Waik[imacr]k[imacr]. This area is projected to absorb 69
percent of the population growth projected to occur on O`ahu between
2000 and 2030, resulting in an expected corridor population of 776,000
by 2030. Over the next twenty-three years, the `Ewa/Kapolei area is
projected to have the highest rate of housing and employment growth on
O`ahu. The `Ewa/Kapolei area is developing as a ``second city'' to
complement downtown Honolulu. The housing and employment growth in `Ewa
is identified in the General Plan for the City and County of Honolulu.
IV. Purpose and Need
The purpose of the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project
is to provide high-capacity, high-speed transit in the highly congested
east-west transportation corridor between Kapolei and the University of
Hawai`i at M[amacr]noa, as specified in the 2030 O`ahu Regional
Transportation Plan (ORTP). The project is intended to provide faster,
more reliable public transportation services in the corridor than those
currently operating in mixed-flow traffic, to
[[Page 12256]]
provide basic mobility in areas of the corridor where people of limited
income live, and to serve rapidly developing areas of the corridor. The
project would also provide an alternative to provide automobile travel
and improve transit linkages within the corridor. Implementation of the
project, in conjunction with other improvements included in the ORTP,
would moderate anticipated traffic congestion in the corridor. The
project also supports the goals of the O`ahu General Plan and the ORTP
by serving areas designated for urban growth.
The existing transportation in infrastructure in the corridor
between Kapolei and UH Manoa is overburdened handling current levels of
travel demand. Motorists and transit users experience substantial
traffic congestion and delay at most times of the day, both on weekdays
and on weekends. Average weekly peak-period speeds on the H-1 Freeway
are currently less than 20 mph in many places and will degrade even
further by 2030. Transit vehicles are caught in the same congestion.
Travelers on O`ahu's roadways currently experience 51,000 vehicle hours
of delay, a measure of how much time is lost daily by travelers stuck
in traffic, on a typical weekday. This measure of delay is projected to
increase to more than 71,000 daily vehicle hours of delay by 2030,
assuming implementation of all the planned improvements listed in the
ORTP (except for a fixed guideway system). Without these improvements,
ORTP indicates that daily vehicle-hours of delay could increase to as
much as 326,000 vehicle hours.
Currently, motorists traveling from West O`ahu to Downtown Honolulu
experience highly congested traffic conditions during the a.m. peak
period. By 2030, after including all of the planned roadway
improvements in the ORTP, the level of congestion and travel time are
projected to increase further. Average bus speeds in the corridor have
been decreasing steadily as congestion has increased. ``TheBus'' travel
times are projected to increase substantially through 2030. Within the
urban core, most major arterial streets will experience increasing
peak-period congestion, including Ala Moana Boulevard, Dillingham
Boulevard, Kalakaua Avenue, Kapi`olani Boulevard, King Street, and
Nimitz Highway. Expansion of the roadway system between Kapolei and UH
Manoa is constrained by physical barriers and by dense urban
neighborhoods that abut many existing roadways. Given the current and
increasing levels of congestion, a need exists to offer an alternative
way to travel within the corridor independent of current and projected
highway congestion.
As roadways become more congested, they become more susceptible to
substantial delays caused by incidents, such as traffic accidents or
heavy rain. Even a single driver unexpectedly braking can have a ripple
effect delaying hundreds of cars. Because of the operating conditions
in the study corridor, current travel times are not reliable for either
transit or automobile trips. To get to their destination on time,
travelers must allow extra time in their schedules to account for the
uncertainty of travel time. This lack of predictability is inefficient
and results in lost productivity. Because the bus system primarily
operates in mixed-traffic, transit users experience the same level of
travel time uncertainty as automobile users. A need exists to reduce
transit travel times and provide a more reliable transit system.
Consistent with the General Plan for the City and County of
Honolulu, the highest population growth rates for the island are
projected in the `Ewa Development Plan area (comprised of the `Ewa,
Kapolei and Makakilo communities), which is expected to grow by 170
percent between 2000 and 2030. This growth represents nearly 50 percent
of the total growth projected for the entire island. The more rural
areas of Wai`anae, Wahiawa, North Shore, Waimanalo, and East Honolulu
will have lower population growth of between zero and 16 percent if
infrastructure policies support the planned growth in the `Ewa
Development Plan area. Kapolei, which is developing as a ``second
city'' to Downtown Honolulu, is projected to grow by nearly 600 percent
is 81,100 people, the `Ewa neighborhhood by 100 percent, and Makakilo
by 125 percent between 2000 and 2030. Accessibility to the overall `Ewa
Development Plan area is currently severely impaired by the congested
roadway network, which will only get worse in the future. This area is
less likely to develop as planned unless it is accessible to Downtown
and other parts of O`ahu; therefore, the `Ewa, Kapolei, and Makakilo
area needs improved accessibility to support its future growth as planned.
Many lower-income and minority workers live in the corridor outside
of the urban core and commute to work in the Primary Urban Center
Development Plan area. Many lower-income workers also rely on transit
because of its affordability. In addition, daily parking costs in
Downtown Honolulu are among the highest in the United States, further
limiting this population's access to Downtown. Improvements to transit
capacity and reliability will serve all transportation system users,
including moderate- and low-income populations.
V. Alternatives
The alternatives proposed for evaluation in the EIS were developed
through a planning Alternatives Analysis that resulted in selection of
a Fixed Guideway Transit Alternative as the locally preferred alternative
(LPA). FTA and DTS propose to consider the following alternatives:
? Future No Build Alternative, which would include existing
transit and highway facilities and planned transportation projects
(excluding the proposed project) anticipated to be operational by the
year 2030. Bus service levels consistent with existing transit service
policies is assumed for all areas within the project corridor under the
Future No Build Alternative.
? Fixed Guideway Alternatives, which would include the
construction and operation of a fixed guideway transit system in the
corridor between Kapolei and UH M[amacr]noa with a branch to
Waik[imacr]k[imacr]. The draft EIS would consider five distinct transit
technologies: Light trail transit, rapid rail transit, rubber-tired
guided vehicles, a magnetic levitation system, and a monorail system.
Comments on reducing the range of technologies under consideration are
encouraged. The draft EIS also would consider two alignment
alternatives. Both alignment alternatives would operate, for the most
part, on a transit-guideway structure elevated above the roadway, with
some sections at grade. Both alignment alternatives generally follow
the route: North-South Road to Farrington Highway/Kamehameha Highway to
Salt Lake Boulevard to Dillingham Boulevard to Nimitz Highway/
Halekauwila Street. Both alignment alternatives would have a future
extension from downtown Honolulu to UH M[amacr]noa with a future branch
to Waik[imacr]k[imacr], and a future extension at the Waianae (western)
end to Kalaeloa Boulevard in Kapolei. The second alignment alternative
would have an additional loop created by a fork in the alignment at
Aloha Stadium to serve Honolulu International Airport that rejoins the
main alignment in the vicinity of the Middle Street Transit Center. The
first construction phase for either of the Fixed Guideway Alternatives
is currently expected to begin in the vicinity of the planned
University of Hawai`i West O`ahu campus and extend to Ala Moana Center
via Salt Lake Boulevard. The Build alternatives also include the
construction of a vehicle maintenance
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facility, transit stations and ancillary facilities such as park-and-
ride lots and traction-power substations, and the modification and
expansion of bus service to maximize overall efficiency of transit
operation.
Other reasonable alternatives suggested during the scoping process
may be added if they were not previously evaluated and eliminated for
good cause on the basis of the Alternatives Analysis and are consistent
with the project's purpose and need. The planning Alternatives Analysis
is available for public and agency review on the project Web site at
http://www.honolulutransit.org. It is also available for inspection
at the project office by calling (808) 566-2299 or by e-mailing
info@honolulutransit.org.
VI. Probable Effects
The EIS will evaluate and fully disclose the environmental
consequences of the construction and operation of a fixed guideway
transit system on O`ahu. The EIS will evaluate the impacts of all
reasonable alternatives on land use, zoning, residential and business
displacements, parklands, economic development, community disruptions,
environmental justice, aesthetics, noise, wildlife, vegetation,
endangered species, farmland, water quality, wetlands, waterways,
floodplains, hazardous waste materials, and cultural, historic, and
archaeological resources. To ensure that all significant issues related
to this proposed action are identified and addressed, scoping comments
and suggestions on more specific issues of environmental or community
impact are invited from all interested parties. Comments and questions
should be directed to the DTS as noted in the ADDRESSES section above.
VII. FTA Procedures
The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and its
implementing regulations by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
(40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and by the FTA and Federal Highway
Administration (``Environmental Impact and Related Procedures'' at 23
CFR part 771). In accordance with FTA regulation and policy, the NEPA
process will also address the requirements of other applicable
environmental laws, regulations, and executive orders, including, but
not limited to: Federal transit laws [49 U.S.C. 5301(e), 5323(b), and
5324(b)], Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act,
Section 4(f) (``Protection of Public Lands'') of the U.S. Department of
Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 303), Section 7 of the Endangered Species
Act, and the Executive Orders on Environmental Justice, Floodplain
Management, and Protection of Wetlands.
Dated: March 12, 2007.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 07-1237 Filed 3-14-07; 8:45 am]
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