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COMM. 10 COMM. I I p~COtANc=
Murashige, Laura ; , ;•a t._L_
From: Bob Ward [rgward007@hawaii.rr.com] 6 {i~ 9 11
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 8:14 PM
To: Council Testimony I'tt<t1~i
Cc: Council Member Yoshimoto; Council Member Yagong; Council Menb 6nishi;,Council
Member Naeole; Council Member Ikeda; Council Member Hoffmann; Council Member
Greenwell; Council Member Ford; Council Member Enriques
Subject: Bill 1 & 2
Attachments: CC-Bill 1 & 2.doc
Aloha Councilmembers,
Please consider my testimony that favors prioritizing long overdue safety
improvements along the entire Ali' i Drive Corridor.
Thank you,
Bob Ward
Testimony
HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL
BILLS 1 & 2 - Ali'i Drive Crosswalks -January 5, 2009
Thank you to Chair Yoshimoto and fellow Councilmembers for this chance to provide testimony
on safety improvements on Ali) Drive. I have previously testified in favor of general safety
improvements along Ali'i Drive as well as the crosswalks. Since- retiring from a career as a
transportation engineer, I now serve as the interim Chair of the Hawai'i County Transportation
Commission and as Vice-President of Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawai'i (PATH).
Taking a piecemeal approach to safety by focusing upon a single location is generally not the
most effective way to improve safety along the entire corridor. In 2004 the County approved bond
funds for the entire Ali'i Drive, for improvements that are still awaiting design. In 2007 and 2008 Ali'i
Drive improvements, including Bike Lanes and walkways (that can be combined in an emergency to
provide an additional evacuation lane!) were a top priority of Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee
as presented in the 2007 Annual Report. In fact, Ali'i Drive was identified in the County Bike Plan as the
top priority for West Hawai'i back in 1979!
These proposed locations (like several others along Ali'i Drive) remain problematic due to high
pedestrian and bicyclist use and a lack of adequate facilities for safe and efficient pedestrian
circulation. We must consider how pedestrians can safely use the crosswalks where parking restrictions
are rarely enforced and often obstructs both pedestrian access to the proposed crosswalks and the
motorists' view. We need to integrate these crosswalks into the Kona CDP - Official Pedestrian and Bike
Network and transit stops. However, we should keep in mind that these two locations might not be the
most crucial locations along Ali'i Drive.
Comm. No. ~d • Z
Ref. Tot satdd wfs:
Ref. Date X 7
1/6/2009
i
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Since the proposed Bills do not quantify why only these sites were selected, I would recommend
that we prioritize the entire Ali'i Drive corridor for long overdue improvements. Wes Thompson &
Assoc. has already completed the survey of the route and is preparing as-built drawings. CH2MHill was
contracted to complete a transportation analysis of the corridor. As a component of the Ala Kahakai
National Historic Trail, Ali'i Drive remains one of the roads with the highest use by pedestrians and
bicyclists on the entire island and is the only link between thousands of residences, shoreline accesses,
and four County Beach Parks.
Thank You,
Bob Ward
Member - Kona Traffic Safety Committee - Ali'i Drive Sub Committee
Interim Chairman - Hawai'i County Transportation Commission
Vice-President - Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawai'i (PATH)
1/6/2009