HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0508.004 1996-1998 TESTIMONY ON TRANSIT AND BIKEWAY PLANNING - RON REILLY
12/2/97
I support planning to reserve and develop dedicated transit corridors that will
accommodate transit vehicles and bikeways. Dedicated transit corridors should
be identified, and perhaps even acquired and set aside for future use. They could
be used for buses now and fixed rail later on..
An example of such a dedicated corridor would be one connecting Hilo and
Hawaiian Paradise Park, perhaps along the old railroad alignment.
The [STEA legislation has attempted to change our former transportation emphasis
which has been to spend 100% of our transportation dollars on more and more
highways for more and more private autos (often single occupancy vehicles).
ISTEA requires transit and other modes (bicycles) to be considered however it
does not mandate their inclusion.
At present, on the Big Island there are at least five on-going opportunities for this
council either collectively, or as individuals, to influence a spending process that is
over 99% focused on traditional highway building to accommodate cars.
Opportunity 1.
The Big Island Long Range Transportation Plan through 2020 is being drafted
right now by the Statewide Transportation Planning Office consultant and should
be ready for public information meetings in January 1998. From the perspective
of the Citizens Advisory Committee it appears that the transit and bicycles will be
a very weak component of this document, which will be almost exclusively
concerned with highway congestion and improving highway capacity and level-of
-service by adding additional traffic lanes.
Opportunity 2.
The current draft of the Statewide Transportation Program (STIP) list, which
contains the only_proiects that are eligible for federal funding proposes the
following:
FY 1998 - $46,238,000 for highways, $155,000 for transit, $0 for bikes
FY 1999 - $31,970,000 for highways, $155,000 for transit, $0 for bikes
FY 2000 - $51,310,000 for highways, $155,000 for transit, $0 for bikes
3-YEAR TOTAL $129,518,000 for Mghways, $465,000 for transit, $0 for bikes
I.E 99.64% FOR HIGHWAYS
Y ~ 0.36% FOR TRANSIT
0.00% FOR BIKEWAYS Oco~ ~ . O~
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RON REILLY TESTIMONY 12/2/97
page 2
Opportunity 3.
The Statewide Transportation Planning Office plans to have an RFP out by early
1998 for a comprehensive statewide Transit Plan which will include all the
counties with their individual transit components.
Opportunity 4.
The pending revision of the Hawaii County General Plan. Here we have the
opportunity to link land-use issues with transportation issues (for the first time)
and educate the public about the real costs of real transportation alternatives.
Opporturnity 5.
Include in the next FY98 budget funds for the County Planning Department to put
ow an RFP that would revise and up-date the 1979 Hawaii County Bike Plan.