2024-11-06 SK GP Testimony to LPC (Signed)

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Communication No. 2019-10 Waikoloa Subcommittee's Waiko/va Road-Paniolo Avenue Intersection Report 2. Introduction The large majority of Waikoloa Village ("Village") is connected to the rest of Hawaii island by a single road, Paniolo Avenue. Paniolo Avenue intersects with Waikoloa Road about 6 miles mauka of the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway and about 7 miles makai of the Mamalahoa Highway. Paniolo Avenue also continues across Waikoloa Road as Pua Melia Street. Commuters, students, tourists, and others travel in and out of the Village on Paniolo Avenue every day, passing through the intersection with commuters, tourists, trucks, military convoys, and other traffic traveling up and down Waikoloa Road. The Paniolo Avenue-Waikoloa Road intersection has become a busy intersection in the last 15 years. There are stop signs on Paniolo Avenue and Pua Melia Street, and left turn lanes on Waikoloa Road in both directions. There are crosswalks across all roads. However, there are no other traffic control devices installed at the intersection. For several years now, Village residents have raised concerns about vehicle and pedestrian safety at this intersection and various factors, such as increased trucking, have changed the composition of the traffic. Multiple landowners near the intersection were obligated by the County to making capacity and safety improvements to the intersection, but none of these improvements have started. The Waikoloa Subcommittee was asked to investigate and report back to the Action Committee on the reported issues with the intersection, the status of various plans and commitments to improve the intersection, and recommendations on next steps or other actions that can be taken to move forward improvements for the intersection. For brevity, the intersection will be referred to below as the Waikoloa-Paniolo intersection, or just "[the] intersection". 3. Population/Housing/Growth To understand the change in use of the intersection and the future trends, the subcommittee is providing the following analysis of Waikoloa Village population growth and various developments around the Waikoloa Village area. There has been steady growth in population, housing, and commerce in Waikoloa, as anticipated in the SKCDP Pages 89. [Appendix CDP 2.] 3.1. Population Growth in Waikoloa & South Kohala The 2020 US Census is less than one year away, so accurate data on Waikoloa Village's population is not available; however, prior Census data shows that the Village's population grew substantially over the past twenty years, and that the trend continues. July 2017 US Census estimates indicate an 8% increase in Hawaii County's population to 200,381, up from 185,079 in the official 2010 Census. Conservative estimates are that the Village has grown into a town of over 7,000 people. June 18, 2019 Page 3of17