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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0619.017 1998-2000 n n BENJAMIN J CAVETANO u ~ h, ~ tNro 7~~ (KHEA~K%I 4~ • • 1i • r? I-' ~ 1959 ' 2000• STATE OF HAWAII a rI DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATI~1 I ~ ~ I ~ ~ 2 ~ .~KAZU HAYASHIDA BBB PUNCHBOWL 6TREET WnetiOn HONOLULU, HAWAII BBB13-5087 uaECrOnS 'I BRIAN K MINMI GLENN M OKIMOTO I 200 IN gEPLY REFER TO HWY-PS 2.9582 Mr. Alan M. Okamoto Nakamoto, Okamoto and Yamamoto Attorneys at Law, A Law Corporation 187 Kapiolani Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Deaz Mr Okamoto: Subject: Redesign of Intersection at Keaeu Bypass and Highway 11 This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Apn120, 2000, transmitting an 'Assessment ojthe Traffic Impact Analysis Report (77AR) en County Environmental Report Submitted by W. H Shipman Limited to Hawaii County ojSeptember 27, 1997 (sic)", dated April 15, 2000, by Panos D. Prevedouros, Ph.D. T}us assessment was prepared on behalf of your client, Ulupono Center, LLC, which is developing land southeast of the Keaau Bypass -Volcano Highway (I-IWY-11) intersection We appreciate your interest m this matter and acknowledge the importance of fully understanding the impacts of a proposed development on the State's transportation network In tins regard, we have reviewed the assessment and its findings and conclusions It is our understanding that the key cnticisms razsed with respect to the Shipman TIAR are as follows: 1. Traffic volumes on Volcano Highway and Keaau Bypass. 2 Basis of calculation of Level of Service (LOS) for yeaz 2008. 3 The appropnate growth factor for background trafTic 4 That three nearby intersections should be investigated in addition to the Volcano Highway-Keaau Bypass-Road A intersection Since the submittal of the Shipman TIAR ,there have a number of cntical actions that atTected the TIAR. These include the approval of the Kamehameha Schools campus in the Keaau azea, south of the proposed Keaau Gateway Project on Volcano Highway, the opening of the Keaau Bypass and the adoption of a new Highway Capacity Analysis Methodology Gomm. No. ~ • Ftile No. Ret.lbt P~ Ref. Date' 1 7 1000. , r-~ n Mr Alan M. Okamoto HWY-PS 2.9582 Page 2 pl1G 1120 Accordingly, we have required Shipman to provide us with an addendum to the TIAR for our review. A copy of the TIAR addendum, as well as our assessment and conclusion, as contained in a letter to Council Chamnan James Arakaki, are attached for your information This TIAR addendum address a number of the specific concerns that were raised, including the following: 1 The TIAR included an evaluation of existing traffic conditions at the recently opened Keaau-Pahoa Road, Keaau Bypass and Volcano Highway. This evaluation found that the traffic distribution was much tugher on the Keaau Bypass than predicted in the original Shipman TZAR. The TIAR addendum reflects the actual traffic distnbution at the Keaau Bypass -Volcano Highway intersection. 2. The updated TIAR was revised to include use of Capacity Analysis methodology as contazned in the recently adopted "Highway Capacity Manual", Special Report 209, Traz~sportation Reseazch Boazd, 1997, and the "Highway Capacity Software" (HCS-3), Federal Highways Administration. It is our understanding that the onginal TZAR utilized an older methodology for the Keaau Bypass Project, which was applicable at the lime the TIAR was originally prepared The use of this older methodology would account for the difference in the protected LOS between the original TIAR and lh Prevedouros's assessment 3 The TIAR addendum includes the protected traffic generated by the Kamehameha Schools campus The future traffic forecast was based upon the school reaching its design enrollment of 860 high school students, 596 middle school students and 860 elementary school students, as well as faculty and staff by year 2008 With respect to your comment about the background traffic growth rate, we concur with the findings of the revised TZAR that the protected growth of 2.85% is reasonable This growth factor ~s consistent with the TIARs that have been prepared and approved in the genera] area, including the following protects: • Keaau Bypass Project • Keaau Industnal Subdivision (James McCully) • Kamehameha Schools Keaau Campus • Chnstian Liberty School • Keaau Elementary School • Keaau High School - n ~ Mr. Alan M Okamoto HWY-PS 2.9582 Page 3 PL1G I 12000 More importantly, we believe that the estimated growth rate rs reasonable given the relatively flat growth of regional traffic in and azound the Keaau azea since 1994. In fact the estimated background traffic growth in the Keaau azea has averaged less than 1 % per annum between 1994 and 1998 Please be further informed that should Shipman propose any further development in the Keaau azea, a new TZAR will be requrred for that development 4. With respect to your recommendation that the TIAR be revised to investigate the nearby intersections, we have determined that the distance between these intersections are such that synchronization of signals will not be effective. Accordingly, we have not requested that the TZAR be revised m this regard Agazn, we appreciate your interest in this matter and the efforts you have expended to assist in resolnng the traffic impacts m this azea Agazn, based on the addendum to the TIAR for the Keaau Gateway Project, we are in a much better s~tuat~on to understand and assess the existing and future traffc cond~t~ons m the Keaau azea. Should you have any other questions, please call Ronald F Tsuzuln, Head Planning Engineer, Highways Division, at 587- Very truly yours, HAYASHIDA Director of Transportation c• V~rg~nia Goldstein, Hawaii County Planning Director James Arakalu, Chan, Hawaii County Council