Minutes of the
Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Tuesday, July 13, 2004, 10:00 a.m.
State Office Tower, Room 204
235 South Beretania Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

Member(s) Absent: Randolph Hara (DPP), Steven Wong (FAA (ex-officio))

Guests Present: Patrick Tom (DOT), Rae Gee (DTS), Mike Leidemann (Honolulu Advertiser)

Staff Present: Gordon Lum, Shevaun Low, Laureen Brennan, Lori Arakaki, Pamela Toyooka, and Michelle Kurisu

The meeting was called to order at 11:03 a.m. by Chair Toru Hamayasu. A quorum was present.

The meeting agenda was taken out of order.

I.     MINUTES OF THE MAY 13, 2004 MEETING

James Burke moved and Ray Sakai seconded that the minutes of the May 13, 2004 meeting be approved as circulated. The minutes were unanimously approved.

II.    FYs 2004-2006 TIP AMENDMENT #7
Handout(s): TIP Congestion Mitigation Projects Evaluation Sheet

Gordon Lum said that the Department of Transportation Services (DTS) was requesting that the fiscal years (FYs) 2004-2006 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) be amended to include the Dillingham Boulevard Transit Improvements in FY 2005 at a total cost of $4.32 million. The project would construct seven new bus pullouts on Dillingham Boulevard between Puuhale Road and North King Street, including Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, utility and driveway adjustments, and landscaping. Amendment #7 would also delete Project C20 – Rehabilitation of Streets Unit 5A (Beretania Street between King and Alapai Streets).

Shevaun Low said that the project within TIP Amendment #7 has been evaluated using the criteria set by TAC. It had also undergone technical analysis for:

• ORTP:  This project is not inconsistent with the Transportation for Oahu Plan 2025 (Oahu Regional Transportation Plan)
  
• ITS:  The Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) ad hoc Task Force will be meeting on Monday July 19 and will be evaluating Amendment #7 for consistency with the Oahu Regional ITS Architecture (ORITSA); a preliminary review by the OMPO staff expects that Amendment #7 will be consistent with the ORITSA. Significant findings, if any, will be presented to the Policy Committee.
  
• T6/EJ:  The FYs 2004-2006 TIP Amendment #7 is consistent with the Environmental Justice analysis results previously provided to TAC for the FYs 2004-2006 TIP.

Mr. Lum said that the project evaluation results were given to TAC for their information. It would also be presented to the Policy Committee.

Chair Hamayasu described the project to the members.

Dr. Panos Prevedouros asked if the pull-outs would be of standard length. Chair Hamayasu said that they would use the design standards for length wherever possible, but that some would be shorter.

Dr. Prevedouros asked if there were any unresolved issues with the neighborhoods. Chair Hamayasu said that DTS would need to take some property (2-3 feet) in some areas. Five trees would be removed and replaced with 11 new trees, planted in different locations.

Jonathan Young asked how this additional project would be accommodated in the fiscal constraint. Patrick Tom, of the Department of Transportation (DOT), confirmed that the Statewide TIP (STIP) would remain constrained.

Dick Poirier moved that the TAC recommend that the Policy Committee approve TIP Amendment #7. The motion was approved unanimously.

[11:19 Glenn Yasui arrived]

III.     ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Chair Hamayasu opened the floor for nominations for the office of TAC Chair for FY 2005. Mr. Poirier nominated Glenn Yasui for Chair. There being no other nominations, Mr. Yasui was selected by acclamation.

Mr. Yasui assumed the position of Chair.

Chair Yasui opened the floor for nominations for the office of TAC Vice Chair for FY 2005. Mr. Poirier nominated Mr. Hamayasu for Vice Chair. There being no other nominations, Mr. Hamayasu was selected by acclamation.

IV.     ALLOCATION OF 2030 SOCIO-ECONOMIC FORECAST FOR REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN

Ms. Low said that the socio-economic projections by traffic analysis zones (TAZ) were expected to be presented at this meeting. However, the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) had not made a final decision on which set of numbers to release (the sets of numbers vary based on different assumptions and methodology). DPP was expected to meet internally and make a decision later this week. Once the decision was made, the numbers would be released and presented to the TAC. OMPO staff was recommending that this meeting be continued in order facilitate meeting again. If continued, the meeting could be expected to reconvene the week of July 26th or August 2nd, depending on when DPP made its decision and OMPO received the projections for distribution to the TAC members.

Mr. Lum stated that, procedurally, recessing the meeting and having a meeting continuation would be more advantageous than adjourning the meeting and calling a new meeting. Pamela Toyooka asked that those guests who want to be notified of the continuation sign up with her.

Chair Yasui recessed the meeting at 11:24 a.m.

______________________________________________

Continuation of TAC Meeting
August 9, 2004, 12:00 noon
DOT Conference Room
869 Punchbowl Street, Fifth Floor
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Member(s) Absent: James Burke, DTS

Guests Present: Steve Young (DPP), Mike Leidemann (Honolulu Advertiser)

Staff Present: Gordon Lum, Shevaun Low, Laureen Brennan, Lori Arakaki, Pamela Toyooka, and Michelle Kurisu

The meeting was reconvened at 12:00 noon by Chair Yasui. A quorum was present.

Chair Yasui reported that the Lunalilo on/off-ramp demonstration project was underway and seemed to be working well. DOT planned to keep the demonstration project in effect longer this time in order to test its effects on freeway traffic.

Dr. Prevedouros said that the white delineators seemed to work better than the cones, and that emergency vehicles were able to use the ramp. In addition, there didn’t seem to be any unusual impacts on the surrounding streets.

IV.     ALLOCATION OF 2030 SOCIO-ECONOMIC FORECAST FOR REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN
Handout: 2030 Land Use Forecast

Ms. Low summarized the status of the ORTP and said that the land use forecast was needed as an input to the OMPO travel demand forecasting model. The purpose of the presentation today was to provide the TAC members with the data that would be used to develop the baseline and future year forecasts and to ask for their comments. Ms. Low introduced Steve Young of DPP.

Mr. S. Young reviewed the process he used to develop the forecast and distributed copies of the forecast by development plan areas for the members to review. He asked that they submit their comments to OMPO within the next two weeks.

Mr. Poirier asked if TAC could reconvene to discuss the comments. The members agreed to reconvene August 26th at 12:00 noon.

The meeting was recessed at 1:07 p.m.

______________________________________________

Continuation of TAC Meeting
August 26, 2004, 12:00 Noon
DOT Conference Room
869 Punchbowl Street, Fifth Floor
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Member(s) Absent: Steven Wong (FAA (ex-officio))

Guests Present: Steve Young (DPP), C.S. Papacostas (HTLAP/UH)

Staff Present: Gordon Lum, Shevaun Low, Lori Arakaki, Laureen Brennan, Pamela Toyooka

The meeting was reconvened at 12:02 p.m. by Chair Yasui. A quorum was present.

Mr. Lum welcomed Clyde Earl to the TAC. He noted that Mr. Earl replaces Paul Steffens as the DTS TAC representative.

IV.     ALLOCATION OF 2030 SOCIO-ECONOMIC FORECAST FOR REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN
Handout: Response to Comments on 2030 DPP Land Use Forecast

Mr. S. Young presented the DPP responses to the comments on the socio-economic forecast distributed at the August 26, 2004 continuation meeting that had been submitted to OMPO prior to the continuation of the TAC meeting.

Mr. Lum noted that the real value of the DPP forecast is not to provide an absolute prediction of the future, but allow for the testing of scenarios based upon the adopted development policies of the City and County; the population and economic projections for Oahu prepared by Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT); and the socioeconomic data from the Year 2000 Census. Absolute precision in predicting the future land use scenario in 2030 is not possible. It should also be noted that the ORTP, and the corresponding socioeconomic data, will be updated every five years.

In response to the comment that the forecast lacks a reality check, Mr. S. Young said that DPP did not analyze every project as a developer would. He said that a key component of the DPP model is a “chatter file” of all known proposed projects in which some developer has expressed an interest. This provides a feasibility check.

Mr. S. Young noted that the issues of high-tech, tourism, and inflation fall within the purview of DBEDT’s projections.

In response to a question from Mr. J. Young, Mr. S. Young noted that the General Plan of the City and County calls for full development of the Primary Urban Center (PUC) and encourages development in Ewa and Central Oahu. Most development in recent years has been in Ewa and Central Oahu. The current effort is directed at reversing that pattern, so that it is conceivable that the PUC might experience more growth than is shown in the forecast.

Randolph Hara said that this forecast will be updated every five years and historical data is always included in each projection.

Dr. Prevedouros suggested improving the process for developing socioeconomic forecasts, as forecasts are a result of art and science. As such, Dr. Prevedouros felt that more art needed to be included in the forecast and suggested that a panel be formed (i.e., Delphi method) to provide additional input into the assumptions used in the model.

In response, John Mapes agreed that having additional input from outside sources could be helpful and that DBEDT may consider this in their next forecast.

Mr. Lum said that TAC was not being asked to approve the forecast and that the input given by the TAC members will be considered prior to the forecast being finalized.

Vice Chair Hamayasu stated that he was reluctant to support a new adjustment of the numbers to show growth in the PUC because of the historical trend of growth in Ewa and Central Oahu. For the purposes of the 2030 ORTP, Vice Chair Hamayasu asserted that the 2030 forecast developed by DPP is sufficient.

Chair Yasui asked if development plan areas were being forecast at their highest and best use. Mr. S. Young responded that the highest and best use was addressed to the extent that a plan calls for a specific land use. The forecast is consistent with the City’s development and sustainable community plans. Chair Yasui said that it was important for DOT to know what the ultimate use will be for areas because of the length of time it takes for DOT to develop the infrastructure to support it.

Mr. Lum concluded the discussion by stating that, based on the TAC comments received, DPP will finalize the 2030 forecast and transmit the forecast to OMPO’s consultant by traffic analysis zone. Mr. Lum noted that the ORTP consultant was also working on the development of the ORTP Community Outreach Program and that TAC members should have received a copy of the COP for informational purposes.

V.     OTHER BUSINESS

Mr. Lum said that the next Policy Committee meeting would be on September 2, 2004. The agenda included the ORTP status and Community Outreach Program (COP), election of officers, and a presentation by DOT on the estimate of federal funds for Oahu.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:33 p.m.