Minutes of the
Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

March 4, 2005 10:00 a.m.
Department of Transportation Fifth Floor Conference Room
869 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

Member(s) Absent: Bruce Turner (ex-officio, FHWA)

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

The meeting was called to order at 10:05 a.m. by Chair Glenn Yasui. A quorum was present.

I.     MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 18, 2004 MEETING

It was moved and seconded that the minutes of the November 18, 2004 meeting be approved as circulated. The minutes were unanimously approved.

[Clarification: The October 27, 2004 minutes were approved at the end of the November 18, 2004 meeting.]

II.     OAHU REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN (ORTP) – YEAR 2030 BASELINE CONDITIONS

Shevaun Low, ORTP Project Manager, introduced Dick Kaku of Kaku Associates. Mr. Kaku gave a PowerPoint presentation describing the analysis that was done using the Year 2030 socioeconomic data and baseline transit and highway networks.

In remarks that followed the presentation:

• Randolph Hara suggested that a map used during the presentation, which show the AM peak travel times to Downtown Honolulu, be included in the deliverable. Mr. Kaku said that the maps will be included in Deliverable 6.5.

• Mr. Hara also asked if the consultant felt that the agencies had enough information to submit projects that would address the congested areas. Mr. Kaku said that, in his opinion, the agencies have enough information to submit projects, and noted that the 2030 baseline analysis presented to TAC only confirms what the agencies already know.

• Mr. Hara noted that the screenline for the trans-Koolau corridor was not congested on the 2030 baseline map. This surprised him, as the Pali Highway seemed congested to him today. Mr. Kaku explained that the screenline analyses do not concentrate on individual facilities. Within a screenline, facilities with excess capacities can reduce the impact of overloaded facilities. Because there is excess capacity on H-3, the screenline shows the corridor as being less congested. He referred to the map showing locations of significant AM peak congestion which identified Pali Highway as an area of congestion.

• Ronald Tsuzuki asked if the consultant will be screening the projects before they are presented at the March 29th Policy Committee meeting. Mr. Kaku responded that the Policy Committee will receive a list of all of the projects proposed. Mr. Kaku noted that, before the April 7th TAC meeting, the consultant team will have completed the initial screening of all proposed projects. At the April 7th TAC meeting, the following will be presented to TAC: a complete list of projects; a list of screened projects; and a preliminary cut at the strategic groups that will be evaluated.

• Chair Yasui noted that there was no screenline across the north-south roads in the Ewa area, and suggested a screenline that crosses Fort Weaver Road, North South Road, Fort Barrette Road, and Kalaeloa Boulevard. Mr. Kaku said that he would look into the possibility of placing a screenline in that area.

• Dick Poirier noted that, in his opinion, the travel times disagree with his experience; he stated that the morning commute from Mililani Mauka to Downtown Honolulu in 2005 takes longer than 60 minutes. Mr. Poirier suggested additional analysis is needed that would show how long it will actually take in 2030 to get to Downtown Honolulu from Mililani Mauka, for example, if nothing is done. Mr. Kaku said that that the forecasting model is intended to be used to do regional comparisons, such as that between the Year 2000 and Year 2030 baseline. The focus of the analysis should not be on the absolute travel times that the model produces, but rather, on the relative impact – meaning that the greater net effect of travel time increase/decrease is important from a comparative perspective. Mr. Kaku noted that it could be that the commute between some areas, like Mililani Mauka to Downtown Honolulu in the Year 2005, has passed the 60-minute threshold since the Year 2000. Mr. Lum also added that the reported AM peak travel times refer to a two-hour period. During that period, it is possible for the worst travel time to exceed 60 minutes. However, when combined with travel times for the entire two-hour period, the average could be about 60 minutes.

• Dr. C.S. Papacostas noted that the model results for existing conditions should pass the common sense test in order to achieve public acceptance; he suggested that an explanation of the model’s purpose be included in the report. Mr. Kaku said that the Year 2000 is the year in which existing conditions are identified. Mr. Kaku added that the model is intended to be used at the regional level, and noted that there will be localized areas that may be inconsistent with actual experience. Mr. Lum agreed with Mr. Kaku that the model’s main usefulness was not in providing absolute forecasts, but to uniformly compare different scenarios.

• Kathy Sokugawa requested that the maps showing the AM peak travel times to Downtown and locations of significant AM peak congestion be mailed to TAC members. Gordon Lum agreed.

• CC Curry asked that the project that she submitted, a HandiVan dedicated to travel in the Ewa area, be considered as a regional project.

III.     OTHER BUSINESS

Mr. Lum asked the Department of Transportation (DOT) for a status report on the FYs 2006 2008 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Patrick Tom said that the development of the new STIP was underway. A letter calling for projects was in the DOT Director’s office awaiting his signature. Brennon Morioka, DOT Deputy Director, noted that the letter had been signed. Mr. Tom said that the deadline for submitting projects would be March 28 – in order to allow DOT to expand its public participation process. The schedule calls for a constrained STIP to be sent to the federal agencies for approval by September 1.

Chair Yasui said that a Sub-Statewide Transportation Advisory Committee (Sub-STAC) meeting would be held soon to determine the allocations for the counties. He would bring an STIP schedule to the next TAC meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:17 a.m.