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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0101.052 1998-2000 Viewpoint • 99 ,t,RH I6 z e "Highway des pro ,By JOSEPHINE L. KELIIPIO roadway that would relieve traffic speeding vehicles. Consultants Cam' = , C-AIu.Kai` Subdivision on Drive. This is-why-only a have taken a "Wait and see" 03u'j I Y u kAb'e.Wong, Hawaii's administra- 50- foot -wide corridor was reserved approach in deciding whether to tor for the Federal Highway for it through Alii Kai when the install a much - needed traffic light Administration (FHWA) recently subdivision was first developed at the entrance to Kahakai told me that the FHWA cares about more than 30 years ago. However, Elementary School. Memories of community concerns and wants to as a result of the highway's the 10 -year old Waianae student, build highways compatible with expanded role of becoming a major who lost his life to a speeding vehi- affected neighborhoods. Wong fur- passageway for cars traveling cle on a four -lane highway last ther stated that FHWA always between Kailua and South Kona, it December, make it painfully clear 1/ makes exceptions to its policies has now grown into a 100 -foot- that Alii Kai residents and children I ' L ' Y f AM �J✓' when properly justified. wide mega- monster that will liter - will be sacrificing their safety and 1 1, This is great news because it ally "squeeze" its double -wide their quality of life for the sake of A means that we have an opportunity . body through the Alii Kai neigh - an unsafe highway. A two -lane, n to re- design Alii Highway into the , borhood. meandering, landscaped parkway, ✓1 best roadway possible for Kona. A Imagine the unrelenting traffic designed to control speeding and neighborhood - friendly, two -lane, "noise as four lanes of highway pass provide safe pedestrian walkways q meandering, landscaped parkway, ` within 25 feet or less of many bor- away from traffic, would be a more 3 I I.9 I with walkways and bike lanes dering homes, causing property sensible, compatible and desirable 1 located safely away from moving values - which have already fallen alternative for this high- density vehicles could become a reality - to plummet further. In order to urban area. A parkway with more once traffic projections are re-done comply with FHWA noise abate- mauka makai connections like to show that future traffic will be ment standards, engineers are lean- Lako Street's makai connection to shared equally between both Alii ing toward plans to erect 13 -foot- Alii Drive, would reduce traffic on Highway and Kuakini Highway via high or higher, concrete noise both Royal Poinciana Drive (with more mauka -makai connections. _ abatement walls on the boundary 43 driveways) and Kupuna Street At a videotaped public forum lines of these homes. Earth berms (with 29 driveways) and provide held last November, traffic engi- and/or landscaping would not be desperately needed evacuation or neer Julian Ng said that his Alii feasible options since their effec- emergency routes for our coastal Highway traffic study failed to tiveness would require way more residents. Thanks to the efforts and include mauka - makai connections space than already exists between foresight of West Hawaii council other than Royal Poinciana Drive. roadside homes and the highway.. members Curtis Tyler and Nancy Instead of equally "sharing traffic Condemnation of all affected Pisicchio, who value our safety and with" Kuakini, Ng's study calls for homes along the route would limb- . our quality of life, funds have been "diverting traffic from" Kuakini. ably be a better and more responsi- appropriated in the CIP budget to Those who attended the forum ble solution but our county admin- connect Lako Street to Alii Drive. asked that the study be revisited istration has chosen to use a Tess Positive -and ` "responsible but to date, neither Ng nor county than mediocre method. In addition "progress" is being made here. engineers have honored this to the noise impact, Alii Highway's Therefore, we can either adopt request. . raceway design - straight, Flat and Planning Consultant Bill Moore's, Alii Highway, in its original four lanes - will encourage speed- "winner/looser" attitude and sup - four -lane, high -speed configura- ing through the Alii Kai neighbor -. port a destructive four -lane mistake tion, will literally wreak havoc as it hood regardless of the posted speed or we can embrace the compas- weaves its way through historically limit. When a highway is designed sionate wisdom of County significant sites and affected neigh- to handle 60 mph speeds in order to Planning Program Manager borhoods. The highway's intrusive fulfill its primary intent of moving Royden Yamasato by, "polishing i width will eliminate an entire park- vehicles through the area as quick- each facet" of this $30 million Pi w hii n ing lot of the Ka Hale Kahaluu ly as possible, people will speed. investment and transforming it into i C e -2. 3 St Housing complex on Speeding will create a hazardous a "priceless gem." 5 Makolea Street and bring passing situation for neighborhood resi- We have an opportunity to set d 1-3 o vehicles within a few feet from the dents and Kahakai Elementary things right. Let's work toward a � . o c do of residents living in the School children. more sensible, compatible and / housing's mauka buildings. Traffic To date, county engineers have desirable ' alternative that will -t noise generated by speeding vehi- not adequately addressed parents' enhance our quality of life and t & a 0 cles will also reverberate through- concerns for the safety of their make us proud. out other subdivisions such as, children, walking to and from J - White Sands Estates, Komohana school, along a four -lane highway. Viewpoint articles reflect the 9 0 Kai, Kamani Trees, Alii Kai and Engineers are vague and not even opinions of individuals in our com- 2 Hillcrest. sure whether three - foot -high, con- munity and do not necessarily ! b N Alii Highway was conceived in crete, jersey -type barriers will reflect the opinion of the newspa- I' the '60s as a two -lane by -pass afford the protection needed from per.