2008-05-08 TPUNAcdp - Laserfiche WebLink

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expand and diversify the park system because many of the subdivisions didn’t make provisions for parks and yet there’s a growing population in them. The final theme was transportation; and this really was the top issue identified in the smaller group meetings. And under this theme is traffic demand management, which means ways to reduce the need to commute or to have single occupancy commuting by using van pools and mass transit, and also telecommuting as an option for people who work remotely. Mass transit, the roadway network, which is presently disconnected in many places in Puna, the highways for which there are just a few principal highways that carry most of the traffic, and they’re dangerous in many places. And then finally nonmotorized travel and scenic byways, nonmotorized being both walking and bicycling primarily, and horseback riding. The key actions in the transportation thing, under this transportation theme include emphasizing those transportation demand measures, increasing highway safety and emphasizing that over the efficiency of travel on the highways. Improving the network connectivity, that means that the roads there now disconnected would provide continuous routes so that people don’t have to make circuitous travel routes. And then a very strong point is to improve mass transit services through a hub and spoke system in Puna, in the Puna district to encourage people to use that mode of travel. And then finally although a very big issue is the alternate routes, particular the PMAR or the Puna Makai Alternate Route that you’ve probably heard about for many years. But, anyway, that’s also designated on this plan. A route for that or an alignment for that has been proposed, although the specific alignment would have to be determined through the environmental impact statement process to look at alternative routes. The final section of the plan deals with implementation, and this is the area that many people may be confused with the regulatory part of the plan that is actually guidelines. It consists of guidelines for, suggested guidelines for the biosphere reserve buffer zone and the grading controls that would be adopted later by ordinance. There are also guidelines for the formation and location of village centers, using the floating zone concept. There are maps for these various village centers. And as I’ve mentioned earlier there are various sizes and types. And then finally there is an implementation table that lists the organizations, mostly agencies but sometimes nonprofit or nongovernmental organizations, responsible for carrying out the actions, and also timeframe for carrying out each of the actions, and then an estimate of the cost for the major infrastructure improvements that are suggested in the Plan. And that’s the end of the presentation. It just covers the surface. WATANABE: Okay. Well, thank you, Mr. Whalen. Let me, see, Mr. Olson, would you like to add anything to this? OLSON: Yes, good evening and thank you for having this meeting out in Puna where residents can get to it. This has been a two-year long process for the community and for the Steering Committee; and I can tell you that while we’ve held a lot of many meetings and the hours have been long, it really has been a good process 4