[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 80 (Tuesday, April 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22670-22672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10554]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement on Transportation Improvements in
the Primary Transportation Corridor of the City and County of Honolulu,
Hawaii
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), in cooperation with
the City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services
(DTS), intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for
proposed transportation improvements in the Primary Transportation
Corridor of the City and County of Honolulu. The transportation
improvements are being defined in conjunction with a Major Investment
Study (MIS), which will include the NEPA scoping process and the
selection of alternatives to be addressed in the EIS. The EIS will
evaluate a no-build condition, transportation system management, and
bus rapid transit and light rail transit options, plus any additional
alternatives that emerge from the scoping process. Scoping will be
accomplished through correspondence and discussions with interested
persons, organizations, and federal, State and local agencies, and
through a public meeting.
DATES: Comments Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives
and impacts to be considered should be sent to Ms. Cheryl D. Soon at
the address in the ADDRESSE section by May 24, 1999.
Scoping Meeting: DTS will conduct a public scoping meeting on
Tuesday, May 11, 1999 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Washington
Middle School Cafeteria, 1633 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope should be sent to Ms.
Cheryl D. Soon, Director, Department of Transportation Services, City
and County of Honolulu, 711 Kapiotani Boulevard, Suite 1200, Honolulu,
Hawaii 96813. The scoping meeting will be at the location stated above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CO0NTACT: Mr. Robert E. Horn, Director, Office
of Planning and Program Development, Federal Transit Administration,
Region IX, (415) 744-3133.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 22671]]
I. Scoping
The FTA and DTS invite written comments on the scope of the study
until May 24, 1999.
During scoping, comments should focus on identifying specific
social, economic, or environmental impacts to be evaluated and
suggesting alternatives that are less costly or less environmentally
damaging, which achieve similar objectives. Comments should focus on
the issues and alternatives for analysis, and not on a preference for a
particular alternative individual preference for a particular
alternative should be communicated during the comment period for the
Draft EIS. If you wish to be placed on the mailing list to receive
further information as the project continues, contact Ms. Cheryl D.
Soon (see ADDRESSES above). A scoping packet describing the
alternatives proposed is available from Mr. Kenneth Hamayasu at (808)
527-6978. This packet will also be sent to federal, state, and local
agencies that may have an interest in the scope of the study.
DTS will invite federal, State, and local agencies and the public
to attend the scoping meeting described previously (see DATES above).
The roles of the Federal Highway Administration and other agencies will
be decided during scoping. The meeting will be advertised in MidWeek.
Comnments will be invited on the alternatives to be addressed and the
environmental, social, and economic impacts to be analyzed. People with
special needs should call Ms. Jovie Yoshioka at 808-531-7094. The
building used for the scoping meeting is accessible to persons with
disabilities.
II. Description of Study Area and its Transportation Needs
The Primary Transportation Corridor is located in the City and
County of Honolulu along the southern coast of the island of Oahu. It
extends from Kapolei on the west end of the island, past Pearl Harbor,
Honolulu International Airport, and downtown Honolulu to the University
of Hawaii at Manoa (UH). The east-west length of the Corridor is
approximately 23 miles. The north-south width is no more than four
miles because the Koolau Mountain Range bounds much of the Corridor to
the north and the coastline bounds the Corridor to the south. The
Corridor includes the highest density and largest employment areas on
the island and in the State. The western portion of the Corridor is
less dense, but is designated as the ``Secondary Urban Center'' by the
State and City and County to encourage well planned residential and
employment growth at a single location outside the Primary Urban
Center.
Freeways, highways, streets and a 525-vehicle bus system are
currently the basic transportation components responsible for the
movement of people and goods on Oahu. All types of vehicles, such as
public and private transit services, bicycles and pedestrians, utilize
the existing roadway network. The bus system, called TheBus, provides
islandwide coverage on 80 routes, and carries approximately 80 million
passengers annually.
III. Alternatives
The alternatives under consideration include a No-Build
Alternative, an Enhanced Bus/Transportation System Management (TSM)
Alternative, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Alternative, and a Light Rail
Transit (LRT) Alternative with several alignment options. These
alternatives will be developed further during the preparation of the
Draft EIS.
No-Build Alternative
The No-Build Alternative will include existing transit and highway
facilities and committed transportation projects to the year 2020.
Committed projects are those programmed in the Oahu Regional
Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) Amendment No. 3, FY 1998-FY 2000.
Highway components in the No-Build Alternative will also be included in
the build alternative. The No-Build Alternative's transit components
will include a bus transit system structured generally the same as the
current system, but with an increase in fleet size to accommodate
growth so that service frequencies would be the same as today.
Enhanced Bus/Transportation System Management (TSM) Alternative
The Enhanced Bus/TSM Alternative would provide a restructured bus
system based on a hub-and-spoke route network, and low-cost capital
improvements on existing roadway facilities, such as bus prioritization
at signalized intersections, bus bypass lanes at spot locations, and
semi-exclusive bus lanes on certain arterial street segments.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Alternative
The BRT Alternative would consist of a hub-and-spoke transit system
modified to focus service on additional transit facilities that provide
priority treatments for transit. The transit facilities include
expansion of the existing zipper lane on the H-1 Freeway that would
include PM contraflow operations; semi-exclusive bus lanes on major
arterial roadways; redesigned ramps; transit centers at strategic
locations; and an LRT or electrically-powered bus line from Downtown
Honolulu to Waikiki.
Light Rail Transit (LRT) Alternative
An LRT alternative being considered would include an LRT line from
Pearl City to the UH via Kamehameha Highway, Middle Street, King
Street, Kapiolani Boulevard, and University Avenue. An alternative to
this line would use Salt Lake Boulevard, Puuloa Road, Kamehameha
Highway, Dillingham Boulevard and King Street. A possible third LRT
alternative would utilize the same alignment as the first LRT option,
except the limits would be from Middle Street to UH. In addition, all
the LRT alternatives would include many of the transit priority
treatments of the BRT alternative, such as the expansion of the H-1
zipper lane.
Highway Elements
Some of the build alternatives could include a Sand Island Bypass
and a Nimitz Parkway, projects intended to connect Honolulu with the
ocean. The relationship of these projects with the transit project will
be explored during scoping, in cooperation with FHWA and the State of
Hawaii Department of Transportation.
IV. Probable Effects
Issues and impacts to be considered during the study include
potential changes to: the physical environment (air quality, noise,
water quality, aesthetics, etc.); the social environment (land use,
development, neighborhoods, etc.); parklands and historic resources;
transportation system performance; capital, and operating and
maintenance costs; and financial resources available and financial
impact on the City and County. Portions of the Corridor are listed on
the National Register of Historic Places, so potential impacts on
standing structures and historic districts (i.e., noise, vibration,
aesthetics, etc.) will be important. Vehicular/pedestrian circulation,
parking and in-street operation of buses and streetcars are key
considerations.
Evaluation criteria will include consideration of the local goals
and objectives established for the study, measures of effectiveness
identified during scoping, and criteria established by FTA for ``New
Start'' transit projects.
V. FTA Procedures
The Draft EIS for the Primary Corridor Transportation Project will
be prepared simultaneously with conceptual engineering for the
alternatives. The Draft EIS/conceptual engineering
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process will assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of
the proposed alternatives while refining their design to minimize and
mitigate any adverse impacts. After its publication, the Draft EIS will
be available for public and agency review and comment, and a public
hearing will be held. Based on the Draft EIS and comments received, the
City will select a preferred alternative to be further detailed in the
Final EIS. The Final EIS will be based on information resulting from
preliminary engineering.
Issued on: April 21, 1999.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-10554 Filed 4-26-99; 8:45 am]
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