HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 056 Draft 01 2012-2014 OJ�tV OF„_..,,
COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII
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RESOLUTION NO. 56 13
A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL NO. 377, WHICH
AUTHORIZES THE ISSUANCE OF $25,000,000 OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS
TO IMPROVE SAFETY, RELIEVE CONGESTION, AND ADDRESS FUTURE
TRAFFIC INCREASES FOR HIGHWAY 130,ALSO KNOWN AS THE KEA'AU-
PAHOA ROAD.
WHEREAS, the State Department of Transportation has proposed critical improvements
along Highway 130, also known as the Kea`au-Pahoa Road; and
WHEREAS, Puna is the fastest-growing district in the State, and the Kea`au-Pahoa Road
is the only route in and out of this area with most of the residents driving to Hilo or Pahoa for
work, school, or personal matters; and
WHEREAS, the Kea`au-Pahoa Road is currently over capacity and experiencing heavy
delays and traffic congestion; and
WHEREAS, the lack of appropriate traffic controls on the Kea`au-Pahoa Road forces
drivers to make dangerous left turns during the peak morning and afternoon rush hours; and
WHEREAS, Kea`au-Pahoa Road includes three intersections that rank among the most
dangerous in the State with some of the highest crash rates according to the State Department of
Transportation's 2008 "Five Percent Report"to the Federal Highways Administration; and
WHEREAS, according to the Final Environmental Assessment (FEA) for the Kea`au-
Pahoa Improvements project completed in 2011, a total of 411 crashes, 10 fatalities and 435
injuries were reported from 2004 to 2007, with most of those crashes located at intersections and
66 percent of those crashes resulting in injuries; and
WHEREAS, the FEA recommends widening the Kea`au-Pahoa Road to four lanes
between Kea'au Bypass and the Pahoa-Kapoho Road; and
WHEREAS, the Puna Regional Circulation Plan (PRCP) has projected the Puna district
population to double by the year 2030 and also recommends widening the Kea`au-Pahoa Road to
four lanes; and
WHEREAS, both the Puna Community Development Plan and the PRCP have listed the
urgent need for safety and capacity improvements along the Kea`au-Pahoa Road due to the lack
of emergency bypass routes, the high motor vehicle fatality rate, the rapid growth and lack of
provisions for equal access to transportation, the need to expand the mass transit system, and to
provide bikeways and safe pedestrian travel; and
WHEREAS, the Kea`au-Pahoa Road improvements are urgently needed to improve
safety, provide increased mobility, reduce highway congestion, increase the use of alternative
travel modes, address projected future traffic increases, and to ensure the highway is always
available as the primary route for emergency first responders and civil defense evacuations; now
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that it
hereby supports passage of Senate Bill No. 377, which authorizes the issuance of$25,000,000 of
general obligation bonds for the widening and other improvements to Highway 130, also known
as the Kea`au-Pahoa Road.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor is urged to make the improvements
to the Kea`au-Pahoa Road a high priority.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Department of Transportation is urged to
secure additional funding from the Federal Highways Administration to support the
improvements to the Kea`au-Pahoa Road.
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BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall transmit a copy of this
resolution to the Honorable Governor Neil Abercrombie, the Honorable Senate President Donna
Mercado Kim, the Honorable Speaker of the House of Representative Joe Souki, the Honorable
Senator Gilbert Kahele, the Honorable Senator Russell Ruderman, the Honorable Senator Josh
Green, the Honorable Senator Malama Solomon, the Honorable Representative Mark
Nakashima, the Honorable Representative Clift Tsuji, the Honorable Representative Richard
Onishi, the Honorable Representative Faye Hanohano, the Honorable Representative Denny
Coffman, the Honorable Representative Nicole Lowen, the Honorable Representative Cindy
Evans, and the Honorable Mayor William P. Kenoi.
Dated at Kona , Hawai`i, this 20th day of February , 2013.
INTRODUCED BY:
CO CIL "m B R, C• .' Y OF HAWAII
COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE
County of Hawai`i AYES NOES ABS EX
Hilo, Hawai`i EOFF X
FORD X
I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by ILAGAN X
the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the KANUHA X
County of Hawaii on February 20, 2013
KERN X
ONISHI X
ATTEST: POINDEXTER X
WILLE X
34643t
YOSHIMOTO X
r .`1 9 0 0 0
' �.• Reference: C-126/Waived GREDC
COUNTY CLERK CHAIRP 41.131r &PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO. 56 1.3
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