Honolulu Selects Stantec to Lead Transit Operations Analysis
The City and County of Honolulu has selected global design firm Stantec to lead a comprehensive operations analysis for Oahu Transit Services in Honolulu, Hawaii. The 7-year, US$10 million project will study passenger movement to design a bus service that encourages ridership growth and better meets the needs of the growing region. The analysis will help implement a new vision for the city’s multimodal transportation system including the integration of the phased opening of Honolulu’s Rail Transit Project.
“This is an unprecedented opportunity to help the city provide multimodal access and the best service levels possible for locals and visitors alike. This analysis is the culmination of years of work reassessing how people get around the city and will chart a course to achieve a new and better transportation system.”
This project expands on an existing relationship with the City and County of Honolulu. Stantec is currently involved in construction engineering and inspection services on Honolulu’s Rail Transit Project, which is driving economic growth through job creating while reducing the city’s carbon footprint.
Honolulu’s population is expected to grow 10 percent by 2045. An enhanced multimodal transportation system will support growth by connecting people with jobs, healthcare and education; connecting visitors to beaches, hotels, and attractions; and reducing congestion of surface traffic. Seamless integration and transfers across modes is critical for customers using the multimodal transportation system.
“With the planned interim opening of rail in 2021, and the proliferation and success of other shared mobility in recent years, Honolulu is on the cusp of a new era of accessible multimodal mobility. This Comprehensive Operations Analysis represents an opportune starting point to reimagine transit and mobility on the populous island of O'ahu, building on our strong history of transit and land use to create better spaces and sustainable livability for generations to come.”
To complete the multimodal transportation system analysis, Stantec will lead a team of seven firms to manage stakeholder outreach and community input, collect ridership data, develop ridership modeling, provide technical assistance to the city through the entire project lifecycle, and identify data-driven improvements. The analysis will also account for the future integration of zero-emission and battery electric buses. More than 100 Hawaii-based and international experts will contribute to the project, including transit advisory consultants, data scientists, environmental experts, and transit planners. The end result will seamlessly integrate bus, paratransit, active transport, and rail modes.
“Maximizing investment impact is top of mind for transit agencies, particularly with the challenges brought by COVID-19. Pragmatic, data-driven analyses will be an increasingly powerful tool for transit agencies as they look to reclaim and grow their ridership in the coming years.”
Stantec’s transit advisory group consults with transit agencies across the globe to analyze operational and cost efficiency, embrace new technology, enhance accessibility and safety, and to help improve customer loyalty. The team is currently working with Big Blue Bus, which serves Santa Monica and West Los Angeles to transition its fleet to zero-emission buses by 2030. Stantec has completed more than 40 zero-emission bus projects and is working with multiple jurisdictions in the United States, Europe, Canada, and New Zealand to lay the foundation for widespread adoption of the technology.
This article was originally published by Stantec.
