Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PWMTC 028 2020/11/17 2018-2020 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND MASS TRANSIT DATE: November 17, 2020 Re: Comm. No. 1154/Res. No. 779-20 PLACE: Council Chambers Hilo, Hawai`i TIME: 11:16 a.m. Council Chair and Members Hawai`i County Council Hilo, Hawai`i 96720 Your Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit, to which was referred Resolution No. 779-20, reports as follows: Resolution No. 779-20, introduced by Committee Chair Susan L. K. Lee Loy, via Communication No. 1154 dated October 27, 2020, adopts the County of Hawaii Street Design Manual to guide the implementation of Complete Streets and multimodal design principles for Hawai`i County roadway projects. Attached as Exhibit A to Resolution No. 779-20,the County of Hawai`i Street Design Manual and its appendices provide a toolkit for achieving the goal of safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all, said senior planner and transportation engineer Natasha Soriano. She walked your Committee through a PowerPoint presentation, a copy of which is filed with Communication No. 1154.1. During her presentation, Ms. Soriano said Hawai`i County has led the State in traffic deaths per capita. However,recent policy shifts by the Council including the adoption of Vision Zero helps to support safety and prioritizing vulnerable users. She gave examples of how conversions to Complete Streets could work in Kailua-Kona, Waimea, and Hilo. The design manual establishes a framework to assign priorities to streets depending on their capacity and functions, with language pointing toward multimodal transportation as a goal. Ms. Soriano recounted her progress on the project over the last year and a half with consultant SSFM International, the Department of Public Works (DPW), and the Hawai`i Department of Transportation. Complete Streets can be used for new road construction or renovation of existing roads. End user workshops, and then code and rule changes are anticipated in 2021 following adoption of this resolution. Committee Member Tim Richards complimented Ms. Soriano for the work done on the project. He acknowledged his past criticism of the concept of Complete Streets but appreciated the work that has gone in to the design manual. We design the roads to reduce driving speeds and make them more inviting to non-motorized modes of transportation, he said. Mr. Richards asked about a plan to educate the community. Ms. Soriano said the end user workshops would be part of the education piece, but that would be for developers and consultants, rather than for general public consumption. Going into more modal planning would be another opportunity to get into the public and provide more education about it, while also garnering information about what the community's transportation needs are. PWMTC Report No.: 28 PWMTC-28 Page 2 November 17,2020 Mr. Richards also asked whether equine modes of transportation were in street design for communities such as Waimea. Ms. Soriano said explicit language for that was not included in the manual, but during the next round of community development plans,that might be a consideration. Committee Member Ashley Kierkiewicz noted the absence of the DPW and the Mass Transit Agency in the room, and asked if the intent was to pass a resolution to have an interdepartmental dialogue, and figure out a way the departments could work cohesively to implement the Complete Streets concept. Deputy Planning Director April Surprenant affirmed that is the case, and said Public Works and the Mass Transit Agency have been a part of the process. We want to make sure we are coordinating with DPW and what we're implementing is consistent with what they are implementing in their department, she said. Ms. Kierkiewicz appreciated the coordination and consistency between the two departments. She asked for more details regarding project prioritization. Ms. Soriano said Public Works is still trying to work on prioritization. A lot of the work could be considered safety enhancements, so that's where the prioritization budget could be. Asked about how Complete Streets could unlock federal funding, Ms. Soriano said roads would be eligible for the Transportation Alternatives Program. This would open funding opportunities and direct the County to where they could utilize those funds, and what project to use to apply for those types of funds. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked Ms. Surprenant to envision ways to implement the Complete Streets concept to make Pahoa safer, more walkable, and accessible to those who want to visit. Ms. Surprenant discussed providing ample space for pedestrians. There are quite a lot of pedestrians that traverse the Pahoa Village Road, but they don't have enough safe space. There are many ways to think about the roadway system in the village, and the parking lot behind the former Luquin's Mexican Restaurant site could be a part of a future reimagining of the public space in the town. Committee Member Valerie Poindexter echoed Mr. Richards' comment about space for equine transportation in town, and she thanked Surprenant and Soriano for working with the Department of Transportation. She also acknowledged both the Kenoi and Kim administrations for getting this done. Committee Vice Chair Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder asked whether the design guidelines apply to private streets and signage. Ms. Surprenant said those will be included in the subdivision improvements going forward and would apply even in the case of private roads. Vice Chair Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder noted that the State highways do not comply with the manual. He asked if the resolution is something that"we live by" or merely provides a suggestion. Ms. Surprenant said it depends how the code amendments unfold, and it is intended to be toolbox. It's a tool that shows how different elements can fit together. It is not necessary for every single road in the PWMTC Report No.: 28 PWMTC-28 Page 3 November 17,2020 County to have every single "tool" in the toolbox. Also, while the County does not have jurisdiction over State roadways, there is a lot of relationship building and collaboration between the State and Hawai`i County. Mr. Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder said being more pedestrian-focused is key, as is increasing people's ability to get to and from townships. Committee Member Aaron Chung asked about the specific involvement of DPW, to which Deputy Director Surprenant reaffirmed their commitment from the start. Lastly, Chair Lee Loy voiced her support, saying she appreciated the different road designs, whether urban or rural. Whatever type of road it is, we have a boutique suite of options to choose from that the community can drive. She was also looking forward to the next part, the codification of all of this. The other thing that excites her is that it could be used as a tool to identify roads, and the paving schedule with DPW. That way we can amplify paving our roads while borrowing from the menu and the suite of options that this tool provides, she said. Your Committee is in accord with the purpose and intent of Resolution No. 779-20, and recommends its adoption. ps AYES NOES ABS EX Respectfully submitted, CHUNG X DAVID x COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS EOFF X £ D M' '. ,IT KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER X KIERKIEWICZ X -� LEE LOY XVIIIIWN7vallhA POINDEXTER X I • E ..•Y, 41 AIR RICHARDS X ■ MTC REPOR NO. 28 VILLEGAS X ADOPTED: DEC 2 3 2020