HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0806.004 2004-2006
TESTIMONY OF JOHN HARRIS IN SUPPORT OF
RESOLUTION 31106---May 2, 2006
My name is John Harris. My wife and I are Hawaii County residents, and our
address is 78-6920 Alii Drive, #331. I am the chair of the Traffic Subcommittee of the
Keauhou Outreach Group. My testimony this morning is in support of the adoption of
Resolution 311 06 by the Hawaii County Council.
Resolution 31106, if adopted, directs the Department of Public Works to
expedite the planning and design of necessary vehicular and pedestrian safety
improvements on the portion of Alii Drive from one block north of its intersection with
the Kamehameha III Road extending south for about one mile to the intersection of Alii
Drive with phase 1 of the Hokulia Bypass road.
Throughout its history, this segment of Alii Drive in Keauhou has served
primarily as a local road, but this circumstance will change dramatically when the
Hokulia Bypass road is opened to the public. It will change even more when the first
phase of the Alii Parkway between Keauhou and Lako Street is completed. In the five
years that the Keauhou community has been studying traffic issues pertaining to Alii
Drive, we have seen estimates that half or more of the vehicles now using Mamalahoa
Highway through Kainaliu and Honalo will move on to Alii Drive in Keauhou via the
Bypass road. Even now, the traffic volumes on Alii Drive have increased noticeably with
the successful opening of the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa and the expansion of
business and recreational activity in the Keauhou Bay area.
The upshot of all of this is that what has been primarily a local street is about to
become an essential part of a major arterial roadway in West Hawaii, and at no time has
this segment of AM Drive been included in any impact studies prepared in connection
with the either the Byass Road or the Alii Parkway.
This situation presents serious vehicular and pedestrian safety issues not only for
those of us who live in Keauhou, but for our many visitors and the members of the
Hawaii County community as a whole. And that is what resolution 311 06 is designed to
address.
In particular, the main issues we see are the following:
1. All of the entrances on Alii Drive have very limited sight distances in both
directions due to curves or hills, or both, except the Kona County Club's main
entrance which is pretty good when looking north, but very poor when
looking south. With high volumes of traffic on AM Drive, anyone attempting
to exit from one of these entrance ways (or from Kaleiopapa or Kaluna
Streets) will be at a significant risk for a serious accident. The Kaleiopapa
Street intersection will be particularly troublesome because it too has very
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limited sight distances and often carries heavy traffic generated by events at
the Sheraton. Also, there are number of vehicles pulling boats on trailers
turning onto Alii Drive from Kaleiopapa Street.
2. During all hours of the day, but especially at the time of the morning rush
hour, there are many people who walk, run or bike along the shoulders of AM
Drive. With high volumes of traffic on Alii Drive, the risk that a vehicle on
the road may collide with a pedestrian or biker will increase markedly.
3. Speeding on Alii Drive (including drag racing in the wee hours of the
morning) is a problem now, but it will increase exponentially with the opening
of the Bypass road unless law enforcement efforts are stepped up greatly. We
all know, that the Police Department is stretched very thin, and that there is a
limit to how much of the Department's attention can be focused on one place.
4. It is inevitable that the traffic signal at the intersection of Alii Drive and the
Kamehameha III Road will cause congestion, as do all of the traffic lights on
the Queen Ka'humanu Highway. We are bound to have a "Keauhou crawl",
either in place of or in addition to the Kainaliu crawl. The Keauhou crawl will
make it very difficult to turn on to Alii Drive from Kaleiopapa Street, the
Kona Country Club or from a condominium entrance. What is often a
challenge now, will become a near impossibility in the future.
To address these issues, the Keauhou community has developed a set of proposals
that, if put in place, will help mitigate the adverse effects of turning our segment of Alii
Drive into a key part of a major arterial highway. These are referenced in Resolution 311
06 and they include:
1. Installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Alii Drive and Kaleiopapa
Street. This will greatly aid guests and employees at the Sheraton and other
Keauhou Bay establishments in turning safely onto Alii Drive. It will also be
of great benefit to Keauhou Bay users who are leaving the Bay pulling boat
trailers
2. Construction of a dedicated walking and bike path on the mauka side of AM
Drive that will serve to separate pedestrians and bikers from vehicular traffic
on the arterial road.
3. Construction of turn in/turn out pocket lanes in front of each entrance on AM
Drive, and at Kaluna Street, or construction of a two-way center lane on Alii
Drve between the Kamehameha III Road and intersection of Alii Drive with
the Hokulia Bypass road. Either approach would greatly enhance the safety of
those turning onto Alii Drive while keeping Alii Drive traffic flowing as
smoothly as possible.
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4. Construction of traffic calming devices that will allow Alii Drive traffic to
move unimpeded at the posted speed limit while discouraging those who
would otherwise indulge in speeding.
We also believe that serious consideration should be given to reducing the speed
limit on Alii Drive through Keauhou to 25 miles per hour. The current speed limit in the
area south of the Kamehameha III Road is 35.
As we remarked to the members of the Committee on Public Works and
Intergoernmental Relations we are pleased that the County Council is considering
Resolution 31106. We urge adoption of the resolution and thank Councilwoman Isbell
for her considerable help in moving this matter along.
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