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Kona County Council Office
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From: Ted Baldau <alanui@ilhawaii.net> � rr,r
To: cckona@lnterpac.net
Subject: Alii Highway
Date: Thursday, January 07, 1999 10:24 AM
To All Memebers of the Hawaii County Council:
I am sending this letter to voice my serious concern as to the future of the Alii
Highway I commute to Kailua from Keauhou Mauka during the working week and
witness the traffic line at the Queen Kaahumanu Highway and Lako Street intersection
on a daily basis. After 7:15 A.M. it is not unusual for the queue to extend to the
Sunset area and to experience a delay of Over 5 minutes as my fellow northbound
travelers try to make it to work also. Cars attempting to gain access to the Highway
from Seaview Circle (I believe also slated for a traffic Tight) and the Sunset area
;including the commercial areas mauka of the highway)have difficulty doing so and
also experience delays. In the terminalogy of traffic engineers this section of
Queen K Highway operates at a level of service "F" at this time of the day. This is
the lowest level of service and is described as "forced flow, low operating speeds.
volumes below capacity, queues formed ". No project in this County would be approved
Pr a traffic analysis showed ft would create this level of service on a major
highway. This is the current state of affairs every weekday morning. The traffic
volume headed north Into Kona will only increase. Oceanside 1250 will soon be a
really. Only a short time ago the County was petloning the State to change
extensive land areas from State land use designation Agricultural to Urban in the
Ka!ua Kona area. And where is the afforadable land where the workers of tomorrow
live. South Kona. Pick up a paper and look at land prices. The Alii Highway is a
much needed alternative north -south route intd and out of the growing Kailua area.
Look around at other communities and islands. Look at Maui. The Napili Highway which
bypassed the communities north of the Kaanapali resort restored the coastal road
through Honokawai, Kahane and Napili to a quiet local traffic road. What will become
of Alii Drive? How many future commuters will try to bypass the delays at the
epsting Kamehemeha III Intersection, Lako Street Intersection and future Seav ew
Circle intersection and congest Alii Drive? Safety is already the major issue
facing any project along that route. Look to Kauai. The Kapaa bypass has reduced the
traffic delay through that town enabling North Shore commuters to regain valuable and
precious time from that previously horrendous delay. What of Honalo and Kainaliu
communities when traffic is backed up though their main street on a daily basis?
The residents In the area through which the Alii Highway is planned to run are an
important consideration. Their input should be heard and used to protect their
qualtty of life but not at the expense of another segment of the community. You are
in the difficult and not envious position of providing vision for multitudes. Before
removing the Alii Highway from the future of the millions who would eventually travel
it please remember the future is now. West Hawaii will only have more residents.
Please consider them in your decisions and act to preserve a quality of fife for us
all.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
Sincerely,
Ted Baldau
P.O. Box390625 Kailua -Kona HI 96739 N ®. .
329 Comm.
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