Stantec has been selected by the city and county of Honolulu to lead a comprehensive operations analysis for Oahu Transit Services.
The seven-year, $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,” said Sasha Pejcic, project manager and Stantec’s Transit Advisory lead. “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,” said Jon Nouchi, acting director of the city and county of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services. “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,” said Brian Norris, senior vice president, Transportation at Stantec. “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.”
