[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]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-M