2024-02-27 PL -SMA-2023-000036 Simmy McMichael Opposition Testimony

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Draft Environmental Assessment Kuakini Highway Improvements Project, Phase 2 1.2.4 Enhance Emgraency Access / Evacuation Capac111 �r The town of Kailua-Kona on the Kona namis coast is vulnerable to CO essently available are Ali tal hazards such as Drive, r, ano tropical storms. In the event of an evacuation,d capacity-limited ac ty-the routes limited mauka-makai roads. Ali i Kuakini Highway, Queen Kaahumanu Highway P y o-lane Drive is near sea level, making it vulnerable to flooding. Ali'i Drive also has a narrow, The roximi to the shoreline. configuration with only limited expansion potential due to it a narrow, two-lane configuration. section of Kuakini Highway proposed for widening The limitations of these two main roads out of Kailua-Kona, and the limited number of mauka- makai access points, constrain emergency evacuation. capacty under es and increasing mauka-makai roadway achy of the Widening Kuakini Highway to four Ian separate projects would enhance the emergency access and evacuation cap roadways in Kailua-Kona. 1.3 BASIC TRANSPORTATION ASSUMPTIONS it at all This analysis is based on certain transportation network assumptions. { assumed e exerdeP ion of y are implemented projects in the STIP and other County roadway projects ro eds the proposed project. In particular, it is assumed that the following key roadway projects proceed: to Phase I of Ali`i Highway, which would connect it to Kuakini Highway, is portion ofassumedths be completed before or simultaneous to the completion of the southern p proposed project. Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway Extension, between Malulani Drive and Kuakini Highway, is assumed to be widened by HDOT. Kuakini Highway, south of its intersection with Queen Ka`ahumanu Highway Extension to Kamehameha III Road, is assumed to be widened by HDOT. The roadway network presumed for 2020 is illustrated in Figure 1 1.4 ALTERNATIVES ADDRESSED IN THIS EA Two main alternatives are analvzed in this EA, the No-Build and Build. The proposed project is the Build Alternative. There are two versions of the Build Alternative described below. The preferred version of the Build Altemative has not been selected and would be identified in the i Final EA_ Other alternatives that were considered but rejected are addressed in Section 1.5. 1.4.1 No-Build Alternative The No-Build Alternative assumes that the widening of Kuakini Highway between Hualalai Road and Ali'i Highway would not be accomplished by 2020. The existing two-lane cross-section would remain in the bulk of the project area. However, it is assumed that between now and the year 2020 some intersection improvements, such as additional turn lanes and signalization, would be made to try and respond to demand without widening the entire length of the highway. This alternative assumes implementation of the other roadway construction projects described in Section 1.3. o ua ar�h2o,3 a es t e e o e M o u .