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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0399.000 2008-2010 J YOSHIMOTO ~~ir os q~ Phone: (808) 961-8272 Chair & Presiding Officer Fax: (808) 961-8912 bldg. Council District 3 Email. jyoshimmoQaco.hawaii.hi.us Mailing Address: Business Address: (Former County Building) nr*Hia~ 333 Kilauea Ave., 2"a Fir. 25 Aupuni Street Ben Franklin Building Hilo, Hawaii 96720 HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL Hilo, Hawaii 96720 COUNTY OF HAWAII nA ~J l [^.l- L MEMORANDUM C d a TO: Brenda Ford, Chair Public Works and Intergovernmental Relations Committee 140 FROM: J Yoshimoto, Chair co Hawaii County Council DATE: June 9, 2009 SUBJECT: Mamalahoa Highway Bypass 60-Day Report Pursuant to Ordinance No. 08-58, Section 2, Condition M.4.f and Ordinance No. 08-59, Section 2, Condition LA. f, "upon the opening of Haleki `i Street for use by the general public as a public vehicular thoroughfare between the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass and the Mamalahoa Highway, a 180-day test period shall commence. After the first sixty (60) days have elapsed within the 180-day test period, the Director of Public Works shall submit a report to the County Council evaluating the effectiveness of the mitigation measures and provide recommendations for additional mitigation deemed necessary as the result of the test. The County Council shall take appropriate action in determining the continued use of Haleki `i Street as a public vehicle thoroughfare. " Attached is a 60-day report from the Department of Public Works evaluating the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass from March 10, 2009 to May 9, 2009. Please agendize this report for the next scheduled Public Works and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. At this point, the Council will need to discuss what action, if any, is necessary in regards to the continued use of Haleki`i Street as a public vehicle thoroughfare. J Y/dwe An. Comm. No. _ 399 Ref. To: W12 Ref. Date_ Hawai `i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer William P. Kenai. Warren H. W. Lee Mayor Director William T. Takaba Managing Director County of Hawaii DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS ` Aupuni Center 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 7 Hilo, Hawaii 96720A224 - (808) 961-8321 - Fax (808) 961-8630 y. www.co.hawaii.hi.us -LV June 3, 2009 'i-r; C,] N HONORABLE J YOSHIMOTO, COUNCIL CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL 333 KILAUEA AVENUE BEN FRANKLIN BUILDILNG, 2"n FLOOR HILO, HAWAII 96720 AND JOHN DEFRIES 1250 OCEANSIDE PARTNERS 78-6831 ALIT DRIVE SUITE K-15 KAI-LUA, KONA, 96740 SUBJECT: MAMALAHOA HIGHWAY BYPASS SIXTY (60) DAY REPORT This is the 60-day report to the Hawai'i County Council and 1250 Oceanside Partners, developer of Hokuli a from Public Works to evaluate the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass from March 10 to May 9, 2009. The evaluation is a requirement of the Hawai'i County Council, and 1250 Oceanside Partners. It is part of the 180-day trial to determine if the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass should remain open for limited public use. Mamalahoa Highway Bypass is a 3.45-mile long road in Kona. 1250 Oceanside Partners, developer of Hokuli a, own it. Under a grant of easement with the County of Hawaii, the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass connects to the 4,000-foot long Hale-ki'i Street extension. It opened to the public on March 10, to one- way southbound travel, providing an alternate route for residents who live in Ke-ala-ke-kua and beyond South Kona. The limited use of the Bypass is on a 180-day trial. The Mamalahoa Highway Bypass is open between the hours of 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays, excluding holidays. Vehicles with a gross vehicular weight rating of 3 tons or more, bikes, pedestrians, scooters or mopeds are not permitted. Traffic evaluation criteria Based on traffic studies conducted for Ali'i Drive in 2006 and '07, the County assessed that 33 percent of traffic traveling on Hwy 11would be diverted to the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass, reducing traffic queues through Honalo Junction and Kainaliu Town. After several months, motorists would decide the route. The number of vehicles using the Bypass should decrease. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Letter to Council Chair J Yoshimoto and John DeFries, 1250 Oceanside Partners Page 2 June 3, 2009 Prior to opening the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass, delays at Honalo Junction and Hwy I1were created by the stop and go, to allow vehicles to merge onto Hwy 11. Each merge added time, multiplied by the number of stops, equaled long lines of vehicles adding 30 minutes or more to travel time. Motorists use the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass • March 10-20 an average of 563 vehicles entered the Bypass • March 23-April 3 an average of 455 vehicles entered the Bypass • April 6- May 8 an average of 431 vehicles entered the Bypass Kainaliu crawl vanishes Mamalahoa Highway Bypass provides an alternate route for residents living in South Kona and beyond. Travel through Honalo Junction and into Kainaliu improved. The 30-minute wait is gone. Prior to opening the Bypass, Hwy 11 through Honalo Junction was the only route to Ke-ala-ke-kua and beyond South Kona. Residents and developer define success Residents were asked to develop a monitoring plan with evaluation criteria to determine their definition of success. The definition of success was the focus of monthly meetings with 1250 Oceanside Partners, Kona Scenic and Ke-au-hou Resort residents, and at Earth Day in April. A survey is online at the County website under Mamalahoa Bypass. For three residents on Hale-ki'i, success meant no accidents or traffic congestion on Hale-ki i allowing them to back out of their driveways, and they are happy this is the situation. E-mails received from commuters living in Ke-ala-ke-kua and beyond expressed their appreciation for shorter drive times and Kona Scenic residents expressed this as well. For five Kona Scenic subdivision residents, the safety improvements have decreased their quality of life. The increased traction on the downhill lanes of Manawa, Hale-ki i and Nape streets to prevent vehicles from crashing into homes has amplified the noise to the neighborhood. The pedestrian signal situated between the Court Building and Mamao Street is shining directly into a home. We have adjusted two of the three lights to remove the glare. Residents point out, drivers under utilize the mini circles by driving around them at Mamao and Muli Streets and Hale-ki'i and Manawa. Signage should help correct this displaying the correct approaches to a mini circle. Ke-au-hou Resort residents are pleasantly pleased with the improvements made to the area with no traffic congestion at Ka-mehameha III and at Ka-lei-o- papa. Their definition of success was no traffic backing up at Ka- mehameha III and at Ka-lei-o- papa and no speeding, or increase in noise. Speeding and noise are still concerns along AIN Drive between Ka-mehameha III and Ka-lei-o- papa. For Hokuli'a residents, success is easy access during the hours the Bypass is open to the public. 1250 Oceanside Partners see the community benefit provided by the alternate route. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Letter to Council Chair J Yoshimoto and John DeFries, 1250 Oceanside Partners Page 3 June 3, 2009 Daily operations Special off duty police officers and Public Works employees control traffic to enforce the conditions of the grant of easement from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Vehicles, bikes and pedestrians not permitted on the Bypass are turned around. On holidays, a special off duty officer at the Ali'i Gate reminds motorists the Bypass is closed. Message boards, radio ads, and news releases also inform the public of the holiday closure. Public Works pays $916.35 a day to operate the Bypass, and $112.00 for a special duty officer only on holidays. It will cost $76,505.05 to operate the Bypass until the 180-day trial concludes on Friday, September 4, 2009. Safety Improvements Prior to opening the Bypass, the County of Hawai'i completed safety improvements along Ali'i drive, in Kona Scenic subdivision and on Highway 11. Traffic, Engineering and Highways implemented these measures. It was to facilitate travel only for additional southbound traffic, and were requirements of Ordinance No 08-58, 08-59, and 08-64. The cost of these safety improvements is $1,899,822.40 and includes a comprehensive general liability insurance required by the developer. The safety measures to lessen the impacts from additional traffic were concerns of residents along Ali'i drive, and Kuakini Hwy and from Ke-au-hou Resort and Kona Scenic subdivision. Planned safety improvements Additional safety requirements in Ordinance, 08.58 and 08.59 are estimated to cost $5 million. They include traffic signals along AIN Drive, installing smart signs between Ke-au-hou and Kai- lua Village, a pedestrian path mauka of AIN Drive between Ka-mehameha III and the northwestern end of the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass, and resolving bike, pedestrian and right-of-way encroachments on AIN Drive. Recommendations Public Works recommends continued use of the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass limited to one way, southbound travel with no changes to the conditions of the Grant of Easement Agreement for the duration of the Agreement. A review of the planned safety improvements described in Ordinance 08.58 and 08.59 tl n 2 e. reduction in daily operation cost. RR NH . W. LEE, P.E. DIRECTOR cc: Highways Division Traffic Division County of tlawai' i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. • Bypass Road ® GUARD STATION last stop for bikes, Kailua-Kona scooters (unifier 5 horsepower), mopeds, pedestrians, or vehicles with a gross vehicular weight rating of 3 tons or more „s 3 d~ 45MPH aI'~~5 `~y,~y Kealaola Road Reduce Speed to 255MPH Haieki'i St, Begin No traffic. north Bound travel _ Northern section ','/'j?~ IIIIIillllllllll southern section (not built) Na PWO po`a Jaocttiotf nNt1711111tlIlANlll jl Public Works will be asked to judge the success of the Mamalahoa Bypass in May r t and again in September. Here is your opportunity to present your thoughts on the bypass. Below are is a question to get you started, and list your comments. With the opening of the Mamalahoa VIP Bypass, how much time have you saved on TRAFFIC ONEMAY Matta afternoon travel? suuTNROUND TRAVEL ONLY . Your comments: MaIT.Wh R Eypma Please fax to 961-8630 or e-mail your comments to nwhittinoton(c),co.hawaii.N.us by aI,dim~n syi.a ® nff.Cirde o sr~twrn, Friday, May 1, 2009.