Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for High-Capacity Transit Improvements in the Leeward Corridor of Honolulu, HI, 12254-12257 [07-1237]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 50 (Thursday, March 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12254-12257]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1237]


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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 https://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 https://
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 https://
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, https://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 https://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 M[amacr]noa (UH M[amacr]noa) 
and Waik[amacr]k[imacr]. 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

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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 
https://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]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-M