HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0843.015 2020-2022 POP`
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To: To the Honorable Susan Lee Loy, Chair
Honorable Matt Keneali'i-Kleinfelder,Vice Chair
Members of the Hawaii County Council Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit
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From: Jahkotta Lewis, East Hawaii Island Community Coordinator
Date: July 5, 2022
Re: Hawaii Public Health Institute testimony supporting Comm. 843, which requests an update
from the Department of Public Works regarding the Waidnuenue Avenue Rehabilitation
Project
Aloha kakou,
My name is Jahkotta Lewis, and I am the East Hawaii Island Healthy Eating Active Living(HEAL)
Coordinator at the Hawaii Public Health Institute(HIPHI). HIPHI is a statewide nonprofit public health
organization that focuses on creating bridges between community partners from government and health
care so that all relevant stakeholders throughout the Hawaiian Islands are involved in decisions related to
public health policy,programs, and investments. HIPHI's HEAL initiative works in tandem with Hawaii
Island coalitions to cultivate a healthier Hawaii Island community. We believe in lifting up community
members to achieve positive health outcomes and we do it by collaborating with partners across a wide
range of sectors and Hawaii Island districts to nurture safe, accessible, and equitable active spaces to
maintain a healthy lifestyle.
I want to begin this testimony by offering a sincere thank you for the work you do for Hawaii county and
to express my appreciation in being able to provide testimony related to Comm. 843. HIPHI believes that
there are critical updates needed from the Department of Public Works relating to the implementation of
the County of Hawaii Complete Streets Design Manual and the award-winning Vision Zero Master Plan.
The Complete Streets initiative on Hawaii Island originated in the May 6, 2009 SB 718 bill which
required that all state and county roads implement complete streets initiatives.Two years later in 2011,
Hawaii County passed a resolution promising a Complete Streets policy,while in 2020, approved
resolution 779 sought to move forward with the Complete Streets Design Manual. That same year, the
County convened a Vision Zero Master Plan which functioned as an interdepartmental task force
responsible for working with external stakeholders.
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Throughout the process, HIPHI's East Hawaii HEAL program supported the goals of Resolution 779 as
the increase in multimodal transportation infrastructure would provide safe and accessible travel options
for Hawaii county people,thus creating healthy and equitable mobility for all. The goals in the Complete
Street Manual and the Vision Zero Master Plan specifically address transparency and community
engagement as focal points,yet the Vision Zero Task Force has not met since 2420, and community
outreach efforts initiated by the County have been minimal.
Additionally, current road improvements have not implemented the bikeways or road diets detailed in the
Complete Streets Road Design Manual and the Vision Zero Master Plan. Furthermore,the community
engagement element of these plans was not initiated during the resurfacing work completed for Kilauea
Avenue, Waianuenue Avenue, and Alii Drive,nor were the recommended connecting bike paths
constructed. Stakeholders have yet to see any public announcements from the County asking for
community input on Keawe and Kalaniana`ole Street nor has there been conversations discussing the
construction of pedestrian and bicycling facilities.
Why haven't the multi-modal elements of the Complete Streets and Vision Zero Master Plans been
implemented?When will the County follow through with the promises made in these plans?The planning
and resources that were spent for the Complete Streets and the Vision Zero Master Plan took over a
decade to complete, and the dynamic and safe modal experiences they would provide Hawaii County
residents, especially school-age children and pedestrians,would be immeasurably vital for community
health.The absence of bike lanes and other safety multi-modal transportation components along
Waianuenue Avenue is particularly concerning, given that several schools along that stretch of road see a
high level of pedestrian traffic daily.
Many stakeholders, including HIPHI, supported the Complete Streets and Vision Zero Master Plan and
viewed their multi-modal components as essential. HIPHI still supports this work and hopes that the
County will execute these plans in their entirety without further delay, starting with the Waianuenue
Avenue Rehabilitation Project. We hope that these issues would be addressed in the Department of Public
Works' update to the Council.
Sincerely,
Jahkotta Lewis
East Hawaii Heal Coordinator
Hawaii Public Health Institute.
808-989-7645