2009-02-AU Limited Scope Performance Audit of the Highway Fund

Home

Chapter 5: ROAD SAFETY proven safety measures at those intersections and roadway segments with the highest traffic crash rates, and defines timelines for reaching measurable objectives. An effective plan should be a dynamic document with an ongoing process for updating the plan, and should incorporate a process for implementing the plan and measuring progress towards achieving plan goals. As discussed in Chapter 4, the County and State have a shared responsibility for roadway issues on Hawai'i Island, creating the need to coordinate planning and implementation. The State has a Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Although the County does not yet have a plan, any future plans should complement and augment the State's plan. The County does have a Hawai'i County Highway Safety Council authorized by section 286 -6, HRS, to advise the Mayor on matters relating to highway safety, with the Chairperson also serving on the Governor's Highway Safety Council. However, this safety council has lacked sufficient current road safety information from the County, such as a Hawai'i County Transportation Safety Plan and current summarized crash data, to enable it to effectively advise the Mayor. The Traffic and Highway Maintenance Divisions have endeavored to improve the overall safety of the County's roadway transportation system, specifically the Traffic Division has implemented effective low -cost safety improvements at intersections (such as zigzag awareness striping and four -way stop signs) and the Highway Maintenance Division has applied rough road surface to slippery- when -wet roads to increase traction. However, their efforts are hindered by the County's and DPW s failure to develop a road safety planning process, an island -wide strategic Transportation Safety Plan, and adequate coordination of road safety related operations. Improved guidance and oversight of their respective divisions and departments by the DPW and County Administrations are necessary to develop and implement an overall safety plan encompassing multiple departments and divisions. Ideally, the Mayor and County Council would work together with the Governor, State Legislature, Hawaii Department of Transportation, and other agencies and organizations responsible for planning, funding, implementing, enforcing, and reporting on progress towards improving safety of public roads. As stated above, DPW has not developed a comprehensive strategic plan — one that includes all County roads — to improve road safety and meet its stated mission for the Highway Fund. Additionally, although the Traffic Division has measurable objectives for traffic controls and has reduced traffic crashes at some intersections, the Division lacks sufficient program measures indicating reductions in traffic crashes by traffic volume. While the Traffic Division is attempting to identify and remediate locations with safety issues, DPW Administration has not created the standard 26