HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0843.003 2020-2022 Tuesday,July 5, 2022
County of Hawaii County Council Committee on Public Works
Re: Complete Streets and the County of Hawaii Street Design Manual ,r
Dear Chair and Committee Members;
Please accept this testimony for my support of the Hawai'i Street Design Manual (the "Manual")and an
action plan to foster healthy choices of outdoor exercise in our community.The inclusion of pathways
for pedestrians and bicyclist as outlined in the Manual will encourage residents and visitors to enjoy our
island that results in Net Zero accidents and fatalities.
The vision outlined is a chicken and egg proposition.There seems to be a perception that few bicycle or
walk so little is done to support that end.Which comes first?
While the Manual is a great guide for new construction, it doesn't address existing road and how they
can and should be modified to support the goals set out. In many cases,the improvements made within
the county are spotty and lack continuity.Where paths and trail exist,they are disjointed and
disconnected for a continuous route.A master plan with realistic goals is needed to address these
existing routes and roads that can be made safe.
I commuted to Hilo for six years on a bicycle.This was a distance of seventeen miles one way, rain or
shine, three to four times a week. Much of this was on the State Highway Belt Road and I realize that
this is beyond the scope but not the influence of this committee to encourage the State DOT to
coordinate and participate in an effort to provide multi-modal pathways.
Planned is a Regional Park below the West Hawai'i Civic Center.This is an opportunity to bring athletes
from around the word to Hawai'i for training year round.A portion of this park could accommodate a
running track and/or a cycling velodrome where local athletes could train off the busy highways as well
as provide young riders and those re-discovering the love of bicycling in a safe environment. Please set a
tone with the Parks Department to endorse a plan that is more that another soccer field and one that
looks to the future of integrating safe cycling with education and safe competition.
I appreciate your attention to this current issue of road improvement on existing roads but please do so
with a view to integrated paths and bikeways. Now is the time for a better plan and a practical Manual
to guide the improvements outlined on our existing streets.Thank you.
Neil Erickson,Architect
Hakalau, Hawaii ,
Comm. No.
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