HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0187.056 1998-2000 December 30, 1999
RECEIVED '1y~.~
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To The Hawaii County Council - Qgle----=----_-~=
County Coun~~' u
I have reviewed the latest draft of Bill 50. As you may have read in today's newapaper, one of
the principal problems in the subdivision plan is the lack of a connector street between Kuakini
Highway and the new Alii Parkway.
I li~,~e on Kupuna Street. It and its connection to Royal Poinciana Drive is the primary mauka-
makai route between Alii and Kuakini in a 6 mile long area. Kupuna is not designed as a
thoroughfare, but as a residential street. There are 28 driveways on Kupuna Street and 40 on
Royal Poinciana. Earlier this year, I counted over 600 vehicles passing my house in one hour.
That's 10 vehicles per minute, or an average of one every 6 seconds. It takes me 8 seconds to
exit my driveway and start moving on Kupuna. If vehicles were spaced at the average interval, I
could not exit my driveway at all. I have to wait until they "bunch up "and create an opening
longer than 8 seconds. Even then, I have to back out hurriedly, especially with visibility-limiting
curves on Kupuna. With 67 other driveways on this route, and more than 100 cars using them,
accidents are inevitable, and there have been many.
The solution to the problem is, obviously, to spread the traffic over several properly designed
connector streets between Kuakini and the new Alii Parkway, as shown the 2020 Roadway Plan,
endorsed by Mayor Yamashiro. This plan clearly defines the need for 5 connector streets
( not residential one of which is in the area defined in this bill. If this bill is approved as written,
the badly needed connector at this location will be blocked. Kupuna will then bear the impact of
additional traffic generated by the subdivision and accidents will increase. Will we wait for a
fatality before taking action to solve the problem? We need to solve this problem before it gets
anv worse.
And here is an added benefit : If the connector streets are planned in conjunction with the new
Alii Parkway, the Federal government pays for 80% of the cost of the intersections with the Alii
Parkway. If we wait until the Parkway is completed, the entire cost is on us.
It is essential for the benefit and safety of the entire community, that the Council not approve this
bill unless a properly designed connector street between Alii and Kuakini is included. The
editorial in this morning's West Hawaii Today newspaper urges the Council to require the road.
I'm sure the people here wholeheartedly agree.
Jack Murphy
76-6260 Kupuna St.
Kailua-Kona, H I
Comm. No. Ig7.056
File No. ~ ~ ~N
Ref. To: ~ Iu'OKt`(LI~ G•N.'~>-~~olgq
Kef. DatenFf: 3 0 1999