E- 313 VOL. 1 LEBANESE REPUBLIC COUNCILFOR DEVELOPMENTAND RECONSTRUCTION Public Disclosure Authorized BEIRUT URBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT Public Disclosure Authorized ENVI ONMENTAL ASSESS MENT we _--A I ->L a Public Disclosure Authorized Executive Summary May 2000 Public Disclosure Authorized pJji|team INTERNATIONAL l__|_engineering & management consultants www.team-international .com The Beirut Urban Transport Project (BUTP) PreparatoryStudy has been carried out for the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) by the consultingfirm TEAM Intemational, and has been financed by the LebaneseGovernment. TEAMlntemational u il www.tearn-inteniational.com P.O.B 14-5303.Beirut-Lebanon Tel: 961-1-840227- Fax: 961-1-826593 LEBANESE REPUBLIC COUNCILFOR DEVELOPMENTAND RECONSTRUCTION BEIRUT URBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT EN mSESMN rr. MM200 t ea m I NTERN AT ION AIL engineering & management consultants www.teamr-international.corn BEIRUTURBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT - PREPARATORYSTUDY EAEXECUTIVE SUMMARY TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..... ......................... .................... i LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS................................................. i INTRODUCTION......... ..... .... .. .. ....... EA OBJECTIVES .2 EA SCOPEOF WORK .2 EA PROCEDURESAND GUIDELINES .2 PROPOSED PROJECT COMPONENTS .3 POLICIES, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK ............................................... 7 TRANSPORTSECTOR RELATED POLICIES .7 POTENTIAL IMPACTS. ................... ,,... .................................. 10 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES. .. ............. ........... 10 THENO-ACTION ALTERNATiVE.11 STRATEGICALTERNATIVES ............................................................................. 13 PROPOSED PROJECT COMPONENTALTERNATIVES . ................................ 14 ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATIONPLAN .. .................................22 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT . ........................... 26 POLICYFOR URBAN AIR QuALITY.26 TRAINuG REQUIREMENTS.26 MONITORING PLAN ..................... 28 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ................................. .30 FIRSTNATIONAL CONSULTATION MEETING .30 LOCAL PUBLIC CONSULTATIONMEETING .30 SECOND NAnONAL CONSULTATIONMEETING .31 6&10Deil,verable23exec sum Jarw*y 20 BEIRUr URBANTRANSPORT PROJECr - PREPARATORYSTUDY EA EXECUrIVrESUMMARY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authorswish to expresstheir sincere gratitudeto the office of the Boardof the Councilof Developmentand Reconstructionand the World Bank staff for their assistance during the preparationof this EnvironmentalAssessment. 6JDelive 23ie.s- Januay 2"00 BEIRUT URBANTRANSPORT PROJECT - PREPARATORYSTUDY EA EXECUTIVESUMMARY LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AUB American University of Beirut BCD Beirut Central District BUA Beirut Urban Agglomeration BTX Benzene, Toluene and Xylene BUA Beirut Urban Agglomeration BUTP Beirut Urban Transport Project CDR Council for Development and Reconstruction CEGP Conseil Executif des Grands Projets CEGPVB Conseil Executif des Grands Projets de la Ville de Beyrouth CNG Compressed Natural Gas CO Carbon Monoxide COD Chemical Oxygen Demand CS Coastal Suburbs Cr Chromium Cu Copper DOA Department of Antiquities EA External Area EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EERC Environmental Engineering Research Center ERM Environmental Resource Management FYRR First Year Rate of Return FHWA Federal Highway Administration GBA Greater Beirut Area GBATP Greater Beirut Area Transportation Plan LAP Immediate Action Plan IRR Internal rate of Return HOV High Occupancy Vehicles LOS Level-of-Service MB Municipal Beirut MOC Ministry of Culture MOE Ministry of Environment MOMRA Ministry of Municipalities & Rural Affairs MOPW Ministry of Public Works MoI Ministry of Information MOI Ministry of Interior 6400Dej,lbL 23/e,c.s j Janu&e200 BEIRUTURBAN TRANSPORTPROJECr - PREPARATORYSTUDY EA EXECUTTVESUMMARY MOT Ministry of Transport MOF Ministry of Finance MS Mountain Suburbs NS Near Suburbs NPV Net Present Value NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide NOx Nitrogen Oxides OCFTC Office des Chemins de Fer et des Transports en Commun 03 Ozone Pb Lead ROW Right of Way SO2 Sulphur Dioxide STEAM Surface Transportation Efficiency Analysis Model TMO Traffic Management Organization TSP Total Suspended Particulates VMT Vehicular miles of travel VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds VOR Vehicle Registration Office Zn Zinc Leq Equivalent noise level Lmax Maximum noise level Lmin Minimum noise level m meter(s) mm millimeter(s) mg/l milligrams per liter m/s meter per second m3/y meters cube per year km(s) kilometer(s) vpd vehicle per day kph kilometer per hour SKDev-bl. 23/ um Jau 2000 i BEIRUTrURBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT - PREPARATORYSTUDY EA EXECUlMVESUMMARY INTRODUCTION An environmental assessment (EA) was conducted by TEAM International for the proposed Beirut Urban Transport Project (BUTP). The proposed project is being sponsored and implemented by the Lebanese Government through the Council of Development and Reconstruction (CDR). The CDR is seeking to finance the proposed project through a loan from the World Bank. The environmental procedures of the World Bank mandate preparation of an EA as an integral element of the project preparation and design process. The Consultant has prepared an Environmental Assessment for the proposed project consistent with the requirements for a CategoryA project under the procedures of the World Bank. The BUTP is a sequel of the Greater Beirut Area Transportation Plan (GBATP) which was completed in 1995 for the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) by the Joint Venture of TEAM International, IAURIF, and SOFRETU. Based on extensive survey work and modeling, GBATP established a transport plan with short-tern and long-term recommendations. The measures proposed for the short-term were entitled the Immediate Action Plan (LAP). IAP aims at restoring tolerable traffic conditions. The BUTP is actually an elaboration of the IAP. For the long-term (horizon 2015) two contrasted scenarios were tested. The first prioritizes road network development, while the second integrates the construction of a rapid mass transit system in the dense areas of the agglomeration. The two scenarios have been extensively tested and an optimal scenario was defined. Computer simulations demonstrate that in the absence of a modem mass transit system, meeting future transport needs of the Greater Beirut Area (GBA) will remain an illusion. GBATP long-term proposals include a mass transit network that provides all inhabitants of the dense agglomeration with a mass transit line on its own right-of-way less than 1 km from home. This translates to: A commuter rail link (38 Km), two metro lines (32 Km), three bus lines on dedicated roadways, a complementary bus network, and mltimodal exchange facilities.The proposed mass transit investmenthas been estimated at US $ 2.5 billion. The GBATP long-term road network includes a network 248 Km long. It includes the Ring Road (Peripherique) located at the limits of the urban agglomerationextending from Khaldeh to Antelias (18 Km), five long distance motorways linking Beirut to the rest of the country, seven urban penetrators ensuring the primary linking of the urban agglomeration with the Ring Road, a network of expressways (23 Km) and modem boulevards (122 Km) ensuring the secondary servicing of Greater Beirut Area. Half of the proposed road network is composed of already existing roads or an upgrade of existing ones. The investment cost of the long-term road network has been evaluated at US $ 4 billion. The proposed Beirut Urban Transport Project (BUTP) would provide the fundamental urban transport apparatus needed to address the extremely diverse and complex transport issues the city faces, and support selected immediate actions of the GBATP. There are several key issues which must be immediately addressed to improve the operational and economic efficiency of the GBA urban transport system including: 64ODebvcrabwblIeDe. sum Muv 2000 BEIRUT URBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT - PREPARATORY STULDY EA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY o Traffic Management; O Network Capacity; and o Parking Provision and Controls. While transport planning and public transport are beyond the scope of the BUTP, the proposed operation would serve as the foundationtowards that purpose. EA Objectives The objectives of the EA include providing a sound basis for decision-making about the design of the project components that takes environmental considerations into account. ensuring that the project is implemented with full awareness of environmental factors, inforning the public when and how the project implementationmay affect their environment, and facilitatiQgthe public participation in the decision-makingprocess. EA Scope of Work The scope of work of the EA included the definition of current policies, legal and administrative framework related to the transport sector in Lebanon; the definition of existing environmental conditions in the GBA; the identification and analysis of potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures; the definition and analysis of potential alternatives; the development of environmental monitoring and management plans; and the solicitation of public participationregarding the entire project. EA Procedures and Guidelines Since there are currently no approved EnvironmentalAssessment procedures in Lebanon, the study has been conducted in accordance to with the provisions of World Bank Operational Directive 4.01, "Environmental Assessment." The proposed Project has been subject to an environmental screening process by the Govermnent of Lebanon and the World Bank and placed in Category