In+Motion_Spring 2014

Honolulu Rail Transit Moving Full Steam Ahead

HONOLULU - After decades of planning, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) is now moving forward with significant construction work for its $5.2 billion rail transit project. The Honolulu Rail Transit Project is one of the largest rail transit projects and also the first completely driverless metro system in the United States. The Project includes a 20-mile, elevated, driverless metro transit line that will serve 21 stations between Kapolei and Waipahu on the west side of O’ahu to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Honolulu International Airport, Honolulu’s downtown business district, and the Ala Moana Shopping Center terminal, a major transit hub near Waikiki. On Feb.18, 2014, HART overcame the last legal challenges that allowed the project to continue moving forward. On this date, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected NEPA and Section 4(f)

A vehicle replica is on exhibit at Kapolei Hale in O’ahu

For many years, the Lea+Elliott team has played an important role in assisting HART with the planning and design of the Honolulu Rail Transit Project. Lea+Elliott was recently awarded a new contract to provide continued design and construction management oversight for the Core Systems Design-Build- Operate-Maintain (DBOM) Contract. “Having worked on the Honolulu Rail Transit Project since its inception, we are excited to have this tremendous opportunity to continue assisting HART and see this Project through to its completion,” said Lea+Elliott Principal and Project Manager Huy Huynh, P.E. . Under the new contract, Lea+Elliott will assist HART in the oversight of the DBOM Contractor’s design and construction scope of work. In addition, Lea+Elliott will support HART through system testing,

challenges to the project. On the same day, the District Court for the District of Hawaii dissolved a temporary injunction on construction in the downtown Honolulu portion of the Project. These events allow the first 10-mile segment of the Honolulu Rail Transit Project to have a scheduled opening for passenger service in 2017. The complete 20-mile alignment is scheduled to open in 2019. “Lea+Elliott has been instrumental in the areas of Core Systems and its interface with Fixed Facilities—helping HART to advance the HRT system into construction. Going forward, we will continue to count on Lea+Elliott staff’s expertise and assistance to review final designs and oversee system testing and commissioning,” said HART Deputy Director of Systems Rainer Hombach.

commissioning, passenger service start-up, and pre- revenue operations and maintenance activities. Lea+Elliott and its Honolulu-based team are excited to be part of the first driverless Metro rail system in the United States and look forward to bringing a new level of efficient transit mobility to the people of the island of O’ahu.

Honolulu-based Lea+Elliott team with HART Core Systems Management (from left to right): Rod Falvey, Ed Sorensen, Peter Chu, Paul Trahey, Jeff Siehien (HART), Nicolas Gutierrez, Huy Huynh, Rainer Hombach (HART), Yuko Taroski, Eric Phillips, and Steve Beebe.

In Motion

6