PUBLIC FORUM ON RAIL Option 2A: Street Level Rail from Middle Street · PUBLIC FORUM ON RAIL Option...

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PUBLICFORUMONRAILOption2A:StreetLevelRailfromMiddleStreet

Friday,July14,4-6pmCapitolAuditorium

Agenda

1. WelcomebySenatorGilRiviere

2. ScottWilson,AIAAshorthistoryofHART’s“Option2A”Introductionofforumspeakers

3. VukanR.Vuchic,PhD“Theworld–widerevolutioninlightrail”

4. DouglasA.Tilden,FAIA“ChangesnecessarytoconvertHARTstationsforlowplatformcarsandstreetleveloperationfromMiddleStreet”

5. GaryAndrishak“Thepotentialforanurbantransitsystemandmorepedestrian-friendlyurbandesignwithstreetlevelrail”

6. ScottWilson,AIASummation

7. AudienceQ&AModeratedbyScottWilson

SpeakerBios

VukanR.Vuchic,PhDDr.VuchicisEmeritusProfessorofTransportationSystemsEngineeringandofCityandRegionalPlanningattheUniversityofPennsylvaniainPhiladelphia.Since1967helecturedatPenn,andatmorethan100otheruniversities.Hisresearch,focusingmostlyonurbantransportationengineering,planningandpolicies,hasbeenpublishedinhisthree“TransitTrilogy”books:UrbanTransitSystemsandTechnology,UrbanTransitOperations,PlanningandEconomicsandTransportationforLivableCities,andinover150papersandreports.HehasbeenconsultanttoUSDepartmentofTransportation,citiesofBelgrade,Beijing,Lima,Moscow,Naples,NewYork,Perth,Philadelphia,Rome,Singaporeandothers.

Duringhiscareerandafterhisretirementin2010ProfessorVuchichasobtainedmanyawards,includingthefirstLehnerMedalinGermany,LifetimeofAcademicDistinctionAwardfromAPTA,twoHonoraryDoctoratesfromuniversitiesinFranceandCanada,andmembershipsinAcademiesofSciencesinSerbiaandRussia.DouglasA.Tilden,FAIADistinguished45-yearcareerdesigningrailtransitstationsthroughouttheUnitedStates(e.g.Chicago,NewYorkCity,WashingtonD.C.,Miami),aswellastheRepublicofKorea,Taiwan,andGreece.In2007,Mr.TildenwaschiefarchitectforInfraConsult,aprincipalconsultanttotheHonoluluAreaRapidTransit(HART).In2008hereturnedtotheEastCoasttoserveasthechiefarchitectforthenewLongIslandRailRoadterminalnowunderconstructionunderGrandCentralTerminal,andnowworksasanindependenttransitconsultant.GaryAndrishakMorethan35yearsintheplanninganddesigncommunity,specializinginland-useplanningandtransitplanning,fromthestandpointofproducingurbanmasterplansconcentratingonlivabilityandpedestrian-orientedneighborhoods.CurrentprojectsincludePlanning/UrbanDesignleadforthelightrailtransitcorridorinCalgary,CanadaandplannedCaliforniaHigh-SpeedRailAuthorityrailsystemfromSanDiegotoSanFrancisco.ScottWilson,AIAScottWilsonhasbeenpartoftheAIAHonolulueffortstoresearchrailtransitsince2009.HewasChairoftheAIATransitTaskForcefrom2009-2012andChairoftheAIARegional&UrbanDesignCommitteefrom2011-2016.OwnerandSoleProprietorofScottR.WilsonAIAsince1993,specializinginresidentialandsmallcommercialprojects,licensedinHawaii,CaliforniaandMaine.ProfessionaldegreesinArchitecture(B.Arch,UniversityofHawaiiatManoaa,1984)andRegional&UrbanPlanning(ProfessionalCertificate,DURP,UniversityofHawaiiManoa,1999).FormerProjectArchitectatTRBHawaii,Long&AssociatesInc.,andOnumaDesignOffice(Yokohama,Japan).President-electandPresidentofHonoluluChapter,AmericanInstituteofArchitects,2014-2015.

FAQsWhatisSalvagetheRailproposing?ModifytheHARTrailprojecttoallowstreetleveloperationforthefinalfivemilesfromMiddleStreetthroughDowntownHonolulu.Why?ModifyingtheHARTprojecttoallowstreetleveloperationforthefinalfivemileswillsavemoney($3Bormore),willsavetime(completedin2021vs.2025)andwillprovideamuchmoreenvironmentallyacceptablesystemDowntownthatcanbemoreeasilyextended(suchastoWaikikiandUHManoa).Wherewouldthestreetlevelstationsgo?Anywhere.Astreetlevelstationisnobiggerinsizethanabusstop.Astreetlevelsystemishighlyflexible,requiringonlyacanopyforrainshelterandsmallticketmachineonanexistingsidewalk.Stopscanalsobemovedoraddedatverylittleexpense.WhataboutAccessibility?AlltrainswouldbeADAcompliantandwouldnotneedelevators,whicharepronetobreakingdowninHonolulu’stropicalclimate.Wouldatwolevelsystembeslowedtothespeedofautomobiletraffic?No.TheMiddleStreet-to-Downtownsegmentwouldbeslowerby2-3minutes(dependingonlengthoffinalroute).Signalsynchronizationcanbeusedsothatthestreetleveltrainscanmaintain30-mile-per-hourspeedthroughdowntown,nearlythesamespeedaselevatedrail.Managedlanes(fortrainsandbussesonly)keeptrainsrunningindependentofautomobiletrafficspeeds,andalsogreatlyincreasesafety.Whataboutridershipcapacity?Makingatechnicalchangetocardesigntohave3insteadof4carspertraincanbemadeupforbyincreasingfrequencyatpeaktimestoevery5insteadof6minutes.AroutethroughdowntownHonoluluwoulddeliverriderstotheirplacesofwork.Insteadofjustacommuterrail,itwouldbeatrueurbantransitsystem,attractingadditionalriderswhowanttotravelthroughthecitycenter’sintenseemploymentareas.VeryfewcommutersfromWestOahuhaveanenddestinationofthefewstopsplannedalongNimitzHighwayorAlaMoanaCenter.

Isn’tittoolate?Haveallthecontractsbeenawarded?No.Thecontractforthetrainsandrunningthemfor20yearshasbeenawardedtoAnsaldo.Thosetrainscanbemodifiedtorunonbothelevatedandstreetlevel.Intermsofconstruction,onlytheguidewayandstationsuptoMiddleStreethavebeenawarded.WillwelosefederalfundingbymakingachangetostreetlevelthroughDowntown?No.TheFTAhasalreadylistedstreetlevelrailasanacceptableoptiontocompletetheroutetodowntown.TheRecoveryPlansenttoHARTofficialsbytheFTAinJune2016listssixoptionsforcompletioninordertoreceive$1.55Binfederalfunding.TheFTAdoesnotdictatewhatrailtechnologyisused.Option2AintheRecoveryPlanreads,“BuildtoMiddleStreetasplannedandcontinuewithat-graderailsystem.”InSeptember2016theFTAclarifiedthattheroutecouldextendtoDowntown(AlohaTower)ataminimuminordertoqualifyforfederalfunding.Withanymajorchangeinroute,asupplementtotheEnvironmentalImpactStatement(EIS)isneeded.However,thisdoesnottakethesameamountoftimeasafullEIS.Forexample,inMarch2010,thecitychangedtherouteoftherailattheairportbecauseitwastooclosetotherunways.TheEISwasmodifiedinamatterof3monthsandtherevisedEISwassubmittedinJune.Eventakingthetimetomaketechnicaladjustmentsandputnewplansinplace,theprojectcouldbecompleted4yearsfasterbecauseofthespeedwithwhichstreetlevelrailtrackscanbelaid.Willstreetlevelrailhavemoreconstructionimpactsdowntown?No,theconstructionimpactswouldbefarless.Tolayasetoftracksconstructionwouldbe14inchesdeepby8feetwide,whichisthesamedepthasnormalroadconstruction.Thiswouldnotrequirepurchaseofanyadditionalland.Existingstreetscouldbeused.Becausethesestreetshavealreadybeenexcavated,theissueofnewarcheologicalfindsisnotapplicable.Streetlevelrailstationsarenotbiggerthanabusstop,requiringonlyacanopyforrainshelterandsmallticketmachineonanexistingsidewalk.

Incontrast,buildingelevatedrailthroughdowntownHonoluluwouldcreateenormousconstructionimpactssinceentireroadwayswillneedtobecutopentopourundergroundspreadfoundationstosupporttheweightoftheelevatedguideway.Constructingthefootball-fieldsizedstationsplannedforelevatedrailwouldcreateimmensedisruptiontonearbystructures,trafficandbusinessesdowntown.

Whycan’televatedrailbeextendedbeyondAlaMoanaCenter?Thecostwouldbetooprohibitive.CurrentHARTplanscallfortheelevatedrailtodeadendatKonaStreet.Anextensionwouldrequireanoverpass90feetintheairovertheoldNordstrombuildinginthemall.Whataboutimpactsontrafficandexistingroads?Minimal.TheimpactwouldbenodifferentthanthecurrentbikelaneonKingStreet—thelanewouldbehighlighted,andyouwouldstillhavecrosstraffic.Theroutescanbesplitontoadjacentstreets—onlyasinglelaneusedonKingandBeretaniaStreets,forexample.Bussescouldalsosharethesamelane.Isitsafe?Lightrailisusedsafelythroughouttheworld.Itisnotanewtechnology.38citiesareusingstreetlevelrailintheUSalone.Unfortunately,alltransittypescarrysomerisk–includingwalking,biking,personalautomobilesandbustransit.Trainsareaspredictableasitgetsinurbantransportation.They’relarge,don’tswerve,meetcarefullydesignedsafetystandards,andthey’realldrivenbytrainedprofessionaldrivers.Alotoftimeandthoughtgoesintolightrailstationdesignandsafetyprocedures.Light-railtransitissafe—aslongaseveryoneobeyswarningsignsandcomplieswithbarriers.

Seamlesstransitionfromstreetleveltoelevated(Waipahu)

Formoreinformation:www.SalvageTheRail.org