In+Motion_Spring 2014

A PUBLICATION BY LEA+ELLIOTT TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANTS

SPRING 2014

Major Washington, D.C. Metrorail Extension Set to Open

Washington, D.C. Metrorail’s new Spring Hill Station in Tysons Corner, Virginia Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

“...Lea+Elliott’s knowledge of the FTA’s New Starts process, their knowledge of transit systems and their experience with Dulles International Airport have provided the Airports Authority with outstanding resources which have greatly benefitted the Project,” said Airports Authority Project Director Charles S. Carnaggio. The first half of one of the nation’s largest infrastructure projects is nearing completion, and construction has begun on its second half. After decades of planning and five years of construction, Phase 1 of the $6+ billion Metrorail Silver Line extension will soon be carrying riders. The project has already spurred significant economic development near the new stations and when fully constructed, it will provide dependable transportation in the corridor connecting Washington, D.C. and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. In all, the Silver Line will add 11 new stations and will increase the 106-mile Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) rail transit system by approximately 25%. Phase 1 included construction

Lea+Elliott provides FTA coordination and preparation of federal reports and plans; monitors property acquisition and environmental compliance; participates in Value Engineering and cost reduction efforts; contributes to development of the Design-Build solicitation documents and contracts, particularly in the areas of systems and project development; evaluates contractor bids and provides contractor oversight; conducts Systems Design Reviews; supports the integration of the project with the existing WMATA operation, control, and maintenance infrastructure; and oversees Testing and Commissioning activities. continued on p 2

In this issue... Major Washington D.C. Metrorail Extension

In+Progress

Qatar’s First APM System

Honolulu Rail Transit Project Progresses

of about half of the 23-mile-long trackway, the procurement of 64 railcars, five new stations and expansion of an existing Metrorail maintenance facility. As an integral part of the project team,

Lea+Elliott Supports Transportation YOU

President’s Column

Meet the Staff

In Motion

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Washington D.C. Metrorail Extension continued from p 1

Phase 2 includes the remaining 11+ miles of guideway, the procurement of an additional 64 railcars, six new stations, five new parking structures, and a new Metrorail operations and maintenance facility. The line, systems and stations are being designed and built by Capital Rail Constructors (CRC), the joint venture of Clark Construction Group and Kiewit Infrastructure South. A second contract will be awarded later this year for the design and construction of the new operations and maintenance facility. In an unusual division of responsibilities, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is leading this Design-Build transit project while the transit agency, WMATA, is an active supporting partner and the ultimate owner and operator. Phase 1 runs from a newly constructed junction with WMATA’s Orange Line near West Falls Church Station, through the commercial center of Tysons Corner where four of the stops are located, to its terminus at the Wiehle-Reston East Station. It was designed and constructed by Dulles Transit Partners, LLC, (DTP), made up of Bechtel and URS. Phase 2 will continue from there and travel farther west, through Dulles International Airport and on to eastern Loudoun County near Route 772. When finished in 2018, the system will offer one-seat rides between Washington, D.C. and the Airport – fulfilling a vision that has been long held and faced many challenges. More information is available at WMATA’s Silver Line website at http://silverlinemetro.com. Two years after completion of the main terminal at Dulles International Airport in 1962, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completed a Master Plan for the Airport that recommended reservation of the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway for a future transit line. Time passed, and serious plans for the rail system started about 25 years ago, involving

Lea+Elliott leads Dulles Metrorail’s effort toward LEED certification

The WMATA Board passed a resolution that new facilities, including stations, would have a goal of seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. While other types of transit facilities have achieved LEED certification, there are few examples of buildings similar to the six Dulles Metrorail Phase 2 stations which have done so. The Metrorail stations are primarily unenclosed structures with limited conditioned spaces. This characteristic combined with cost and schedule impacts to the project will make LEED certification a challenge. Lea+Elliott Transit Planner Brian Lutenegger, AICP, LEED Green Associate is coordinating the efforts to determine whether LEED is suitable for the design of the stations as well as whether it fits into the time and schedule constraints of the project. He has looked at the specific LEED requirements as they relate to the station design, worked with the Design-Build contractor on this issue, and is responsible for coordinating meetings between key project decision makers as well as with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to move the process forward. He has also edited LEED specification sections for the Project’s Yard and Shop facility, where certain buildings will be required to achieve LEED Silver and is being procured under a separate Design-Build contract. Whether LEED is feasible and ultimately achievable for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project still remains to be seen due to the unique design characteristics of the station facilities. If it is successful, the Metrorail stations could serve as a model for transit agencies in other jurisdictions. However, regardless of the outcome, it is clear that green design principles are of increasing importance to transit facilities as well as across the building industry as a whole. LEED is a green building standard offered by the USGBC which both new and existing buildings may seek to achieve. It considers factors such as site location, energy and water consumption, and construction materials utilized in determining whether a building meets its standards. After meeting specific program requirements and prerequisites, a project earns LEED certification at a specific level based on the number of points it is able to earn off a list of options. LEED is becoming increasingly popular among both commercial and residential buildings. For more information on LEED, visit www.usgbc.org

WMATA Metrorail map showing Phases 1 and 2 of the Silver Line Image courtesy of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

continued on p 3

In Motion

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countless participants and enduring numerous and varied forms of scrutiny. Lea+Elliott is proud to have been a part of this project since 2006, when the Airports Authority took the lead role on the project. “We have been fortunate to have Lea+Elliott participate in the Dulles Metrorail Extension as a member of the PMSS team. Their knowledge of the FTA’s New Starts process, their knowledge of transit systems and their experience with Dulles International Airport have provided the Airports Authority with outstanding resources which have greatly benefitted the project,” said Carnaggio. One of Lea+Elliott’s first tasks as a member of the Program Management Support Services (PMSS) team was to help the Airports Authority prepare the application to qualify as a Project Sponsor in the eyes of

Main Terminal at Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia, designed by Eero Saarinen Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

Efforts to secure approximately $1.9 billion in low-interest federal loans for Phase 2 got a major boost in late February when the U.S. Department of Transportation formally invited the Airports Authority to apply for a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan. The U.S. Department of Transportation is expected to render its decision later this year. Lea+Elliott Senior Associate Michele Jacobson, AICP is serving as the firm’s project manager for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) – a critical step towards obtaining federal transit funds. Once the Airports Authority was deemed by FTA as eligible to be the Project’s Sponsor, Lea+Elliott then helped to prepare the successful applications to obtain $900 million in New Starts funds and approval to enter Final Design of Phase 1. Since then, a team from Lea+Elliott has worked on both phases, under two successive PMSS contracts led by Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.

Washington D.C. Metrorail’s Tysons Corner Station Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

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Rail Access coming to DFW Airport DALLAS/FORT WORTH - Work in three of the original four terminals is ongoing at DFW International Airport on the $2.3 billion Terminal Renewal and Improvement Program (TRIP). As part of the TRIP Program Management team, Lea+Elliott is managing all activities taking place on the landside of the terminals, including a new light rail station at Terminal A which will serve as the terminus for Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) Orange Line. This new front door to the airport for transit passengers is nearing completion and adds DFW to the list of airports in the United States with direct rail access. DFW designed and constructed the rail station which is situated directly underneath the Skylink APM guideway. Another project that is nearing completion of the second phase is the Terminal A Enhanced Parking Structure (EPS). This new parking facility features fully flat plate parking in lieu of the previous ramped parking structures, a parking guidance system which provides customers with real-time information regarding available parking, security enhancements, elevators, enhanced lighting and increased vehicle clearances. When complete, the EPS will have over 7,600 parking spaces (a 50% increase over what existed previously). Phase 2 of the EPS will be completed in May 2014; at this time, parking capacity will be equivalent to what existed prior to construction (5,000 spaces).

Chicago Airport’s ATS Expansion & Modernization CHICAGO – O’Hare’s 20-year-old ATS system is undergoing major expansion and modernization. The Airport Transit System (“the ATS”) is a landside automated people mover (APM) that has been serving all four passenger terminals and Economy Parking Lot E at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport since 1993. The ATS Expansion and Modernization Project coincides with the implementation of the future Joint Use Facility, which will open in the last quarter of 2016. The facility will accommodate a new ATS station, dedicated levels for consolidated rental car operations, and dedicated levels for public parking. It will also accommodate a bus shuttle center below the ATS station, a Kiss ‘n’ Fly area, and a cell phone parking lot. Dedicated walk paths to/from Metra’s O’Hare Transfer Station will also be provided through the facility. Demonstrating the City of Chicago’s enduring commitment to sustainability, implementation of the Joint Use Facility will ultimately replace all rental car buses on the airport roadways with transportation of those passengers on the ATS. This sustainable improvement alone will approximately double ridership on the ATS overnight, and require extension of the system from the current terminus at Lot E to Lot F, replacement and expansion of the ATS fleet, and modernization of certain other subsystems, including but not limited to replacement of the automatic train control (ATC) system and expansion of the maintenance and storage facility (MSF). Lea+Elliott’s experience with the ATS stretches back to the late 1980s and early 1990s when we provided oversight of the

ATS contractor for the City of Chicago during the original implementation of the system. Since then, Lea+Elliott has undertaken numerous ATS- and O’Hare APM-related tasks, and proudly continues our role of assisting the City with the current ATS Expansion and Modernization Project. Lea+Elliott is excited to support the City of Chicago on this important project, and looks forward to maintaining our longstanding relationship with the City by continuing to assist with the ATS and other O’Hare APM-related work. The ATS operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Aerial of the DART station at the north end of DFW Airport Image courtesy of DFW Airport

In Motion

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Qatar’s First APM System

DOHA, QATAR - The new Hamad International Airport (HIA) which serves Doha, the capital of the State of Qatar, is on track to begin operations of the country’s first Automated People Mover (APM) system. When complete, HIA will be one of the elite, progressive, and state-of-the-art airports in the region. One of the main features of the HOK terminal design is the stylish, futuristic looking APM which operates on the mezzanine level above adjacent airline gates where passengers wait to board planes. Passengers can look up and watch the APM silently glide by on the elevated guideway.

Hamad International Airport APM System

testing started in September 2013 and is currently about 60% complete. Operating system testing & commissioning activities started in January 2014, and completion is expected later this year. Lea+Elliott’s Principal-in-Charge Harley Moore , Project Manager Gregory Love , and Site Manager Garrett Williams make up the Lea+Elliott team on this project with support from other Lea+Elliott staff. Since 2003, our involvement on this project and our close coordination with NDIA Steering Committee, HOK and Doppelmayr have proven invaluable. Lea+Elliott continues to work diligently to help bring to fruition Qatar’s first APM system.

The APM Alignment The APM is comprised of two independent single-lane shuttle systems, each about 2,300-feet long, stretching the entire length of Concourse C. The two APM stations are located at the north-end (North Node) and at the south-end (South Node) of Concourse C. Each system operates with a 5-car train traveling at a maximum speed of 28 mph. The APM shuttles both secure and non-secure passengers between separate platforms at these stations. At the end of each system, just north of the North Node station, are two maintenance facilities – one for each shuttle. The APM Trains Doppelmayr Cable Company (DCC) of Austria is the prime contractor responsible for the APM system design, trains and other system equipment; system installation, testing and commissioning; and then operations and maintenance. The trains were assembled and factory-tested in Switzerland. The cars were assembled into trains in the maintenance facilities. Each train was then moved onto the guideway in Concourse C for further inspections and testing. Lea+Elliott’s Role Lea+Elliott, as a subcontractor first to Bechtel and now to HOK, the terminal’s designer, has been responsible for the APM planning, preliminary engineering, procurement documents, assistance with supplier and technology selection, design reviews, and manufacturing and factory testing oversight. We currently provide daily oversight of the APM system installation and system testing and commissioning activities. Post installation check-out

North Node

South Node

APM System Alignment Image courtesy of HOK

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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.

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Lea+Elliott Supports Transportation YOU

President’s Column

Lea+Elliott and Southwest Airlines have committed significant support for WTS International’s Transportation YOU program. “Transportation YOU was created in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation several years ago and has since gained recognition in the industry as an impactful program to get young women interested in STEM (science, technology, engineerng and math) studies and make them aware of the career opportunities in transportation,” said President and CEO of WTS International Marcia Ferranto. Lea+Elliott has committed scholarships for Transportation YOU’s flagship event, the Transportation YOU DC.Youth Summit, through its corporate scholarship program to subsidize the full DC Youth Summit program for several of the young attendees. Southwest has committed to providing travel to help more young women travel to the DC Youth Summit. The Summit is an opportunity for select Transportation YOU participants from across the country and their mentors to gather in Washington, D.C. to experience once in a lifetime tours, meet with U.S. DOT administrators, and participate in fun challenges and learning experiences. Lea+Elliott Chairman Diane Woodend Jones, AIA, AICP, LEED AP was instrumental in securing the company’s support for the Program. “Lea+Elliott is a long-time sponsor of WTS, and we are proud to step up our support in a way that will attract more young women to the transportation field, “ she said. “The Transportation YOU DC Youth Summit is part industry tour, part field experience, part project training, and 100% about making connections. It’s an incredible opportunity for girls with an appreciation for science, technology, engineering, or math, and we’re proud to help some who may not otherwise be able to come.” WTS International is an association that encourages the global advancement of women in transportation. For more information about Transportation YOU, visit www.TransportationYOU.org

Rail increases revenue - study confirms financial value of Airport- to-City Rail service The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is expanding rail service to Dulles International Airport, which

includes a 23-mile extension of their Metrorail system. Dallas Area Rapid Transit is adding nearly five miles of light rail, which will complete the 22-mile connection from DFW airport to downtown. Why? What’s the motivation? Competitive advantage and economic gain … And here’s how it works. A study was released late last year which was sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association and the U.S. Travel Association. This study, A New Partnership: Rail Transit and Convention Growth , confirms the trends we have been watching. Here are some highlights: • Over the past six years, hotel rates and revenue averaged 10.9% higher in cities with commuter rail service to and from airports. • Hotels within ¼-mile of rail stations achieved even greater gain, with an average of 12.5% higher occupancy and nearly 50% higher (48.6%) average daily room rates. • In the non-recession years, that average hotel rate and revenue increase jumps to 16.9%. The study compared hotel performance in six cities with airport access via rail to popular convention cities without direct airport-to-city rail systems. We were key players on the airport transit projects at five of the six rail-connected airports in the study. We know the reliability of the data. We are seeing the economic growth that follows those air/ transit connections. I invite you to read this new report: ( http://www.apta. com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/ATPA- UST-New-Partnership.pdf ). Then call us. We can help your community take strides toward developing robust rail connections.

Diane Woodend Jones, Vice Chair of WTS International Board Diane was recently re-elected to a second term on the WTS International’s Board of Directors as the incoming Vice Chair. “The new Board of Directors is an incredible group of industry

leaders at the highest levels, and they represent the modes and sectors that make up our membership, which represents every transportation mode and a multitude of disciplines,” said WTS International President and CEO Marcia Ferranto in a press release. The incoming officers and board members will assume their roles at the WTS business meeting on May 16.

Jack Norton

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About Lea+Elliott Lea+Elliott is a transportation consulting firm offering a broad range of planning, engineering, program management, and construction management services for clients worldwide. These services are provided to public transit authorities, airports and private sector owners for new transit systems and the refurbishment of existing systems. We have expertise in all modes of transit, including high-speed and intercity rail, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, automated guideway transit, personal rapid transit, and conventional and advanced technology buses. The firm is especially well known for its creative structuring of procurements for a wide range of delivery options that include DBOM and P3.

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Meet Laura Espinoza

DALLAS/FORT WORTH - It’s tough enough to pick up and move when you’re only 12 years old. It’s worse when you move to a new country where you don’t even know the language … and where bi-lingual classes weren’t offered. That’s just what happened when Laura Espinoza’s family moved to Houston from Mexico. “The language barrier was the hardest hurdle,” she says. “But by coming to America, we definitely had a much better life. It was just a pretty big culture shock for the first few years.”

The tenacity it took for Laura to acculturate and succeed as a pre-teen newbie in America is the same tenacity that has helped her succeed in her career and her life. She graduated from the University of Houston in 1997 with a degree in industrial engineering and immediately began working for Lea+Elliott, implementing Phase 1 of the TerminaLink APM system at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. She ultimately served as the project engineer for the design and implementation of all three phases of the system. Six years into her career, she proudly passed her tests to become a registered professional engineer. After eight years in the workforce, Laura chose to become a stay-at-home mom to her two girls; but after a three-year hiatus, she knew it was time to move back into the professional world. “I wanted my girls to see that women can do engineering and do it well and be successful,” she explains. “I wanted them to see that technical careers are very interesting.” She completed her masters’ degree in industrial engineering, then again approached Lea+Elliott who enthusiastically welcomed her back. Today, she works in the firm’s Dallas/Fort Worth office, honing her expertise in system integration and the implementation of APM technologies. Laura particularly appreciates the professional yet compassionate environment at Lea+Elliott. “They respect that I am a full time parent and a full time professional and offer me the flexibility I need to be successful in both roles,” she adds. And when she fought cancer, she says the firm stood by her and supported her through those tough times as well. Recently, Laura joined the scholarship committee for the DFW Chapter of WTS International. “It’s very rewarding, she says. “I know what it was like when I was in college trying to get money for school. Reading applicants’ stories reminds me of those times. It feels good to be on the other side, helping students to get scholarships today.”

In Motion

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