Puna Open house draws crowd
Treacherous driving weather ( the photo was taken through my windshield about 11 a.m. on Rt. 130) didn't prevent a large crowd from gathering at Keaau Elementary School for the Puna Open House Saturday morning (sorry if anyone went to the middle school based on my earlier post).
There was lots of information but I didn't get complete satisfaction on my curiosity about the government antennas between Ainaloa and Makuu off the makai side of Rt. 130. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands apparently leases a parcel near the Makuu Farmers Market to the FAA for a flight tracking tower. But a DHHL spokesman said that's not their property near Ainoloa Boulevard where an antenna complex sits within sight of the highway. It may be a Coast Guard facility as suggested in comments here but I haven't confirmed anything about that one.
Otherwise the Route 130 improvement plans continue to be frustrating. State highway engineering consultants listened to what I told them about the Malama Market mess and wrote notes on their maps as though they'd never been there and appreciated the tip. But then actual improvments shouldn't be expected til 2017.
Keola Downing of Hawaiian Beaches was more encouraging. He said Gov. Lingle's East Hawaii Advisory Council discussed a resolution Thursday asking the governor to declare Route 130 an emergency to expedite the work. I'm not sure the current state plan is one most people would like expedited but I'll be interested in seeing the resolution, which is supposed to be ready for the Advistory Council's action in January.
I'll have more from the Puna Open House in the next few days.
Hunter Bishop
in Commentary, Local planning
|
24 Comments
View Printer Friendly Version
Email Article to Friend
Reader Comments (24)
Meanwhile, people continue to risk their lives nearly every time they get on 130 between Pahoa and Keaau, especially if a left turn is involved. Hawaii seems to have an even more hide-bound and lethargic highway bureaucracy than most other states. When someone on Punaweb once suggested that some sort of serious change of mentality was called for, there was a chorus of "That's not Aloha! It won't be paradise if we do things like the mainland!" It sure as hell won't be paradise if we get more congestion and more traffic fatalities on 130. The longer we wait to do something, the more justification the State will claim for their current plan and the more likely the people will be to accept just about anything that promises relief, however ill conceived it might be.
Listen to what our brother Rex has to say.
A lot of very good stuff there.
I agree that the State DOT will require a rude awakening to move their (non)thinking off of four-lane mania.
As for, a change of mentality and what is or is not like the mainland, I can't be bothered to go there.
What is here now on the Pahoa-Keaau Road is a deadly and dysfunctional public highway -- and a near certainty that it will get much worse within less than 10 years (if not sooner). Four-lanes might delay further congestion for a few years. A four-lane version of Highway 130, with signal lights as now planned , can be expected to cause more, not fewer, crashes, injuries, and deaths. And, of course, the congestion and hazards during construction disruption can be expected to be horrendous.
So as Rex said, "well-organized and vocal effort to change that" is necessary.
Is it agreed that "More cars going faster is not what is needed"?
A similar situation exists in Kona. To much traffic is being funneled on to primary roadways causing traffic gridlock.
I personally don't think its wise to bet all your cards on
simply widening Highway 130. As soon as the traffic snarls
on widened Highway 130,would you support widening it further ?
Its the same situation in Kona. It wouldn't sit well with me if they widened Queen Kaahumanu in the future to more than four lanes.
I tried my hardest to convey to the DOT that there should be a grade separation where the Palamanui access road ties into Queen Kaahumanu. But I was told some ridiculous figure. So I dropped it
That being said, every time they add a stop light on Queen
Kaahumanu its contributing to traffic flow problems. The
DOT is perfectly content to add more lanes to Queen Kaahumanu when it gets congested. Thus there is parallels to the Highway 130 situation.
In both situations, local traffic should not be forced to
be using primary roadways to go between point A and point B.
I would be willing to go out on a limb on this. Widening Highway 130 could theoretically make traffic worse over time, just like widening Queen Kaahumanu. It is just a band-aid to a much bigger problem.
The Hawaii DOT will learn to accept roundabouts and then they will learn to love them.
;>)
On the positive side, they do seem to reduce the need for traffic signals and four-way stops. They reduce fuel consumption by keeping a higher proportion of the traffic moving at any given time than either signals or 4-ways. They tend to cut down on T-bone collisions because there is no crossing point per se. I actually think they are a worthwhile concept in the right context.
Unfortunately, from what I've seen of local drivers, I think quite a few people here would never figure them out. They require a level of merging skill, coordination, and cooperative driving rarely seen in these parts. There are people in the UK who have been dealing with them all their lives and can't get it. Also, drunks and dopers have a terrible time navigating the things, and we have a lot of those around here.
On the humorous side, if you miss your turn or don't know where to go, you can just keep going round and round until you figure it out and get all the other drivers annoyed. Done that a few times!
The websites I sent are from various places. Kansas is doing lots. So is California, North Carolina, Florida, and Maryland.
The old rotaries in New England (especially New Jersey) ARE NOT modern roundabouts -- no more than an orange is the same as an onion just because the two are both round.
Check out the sites.
As for local drivers? Senseless speeders that need their auto impounded. But, I reckon, once going at a sane and safe speed, that surfers should be able to do just fine with "merging skill, coordination, and cooperative" movement. ;>)
My own experience in learning to drive in roundabouts in Australia (and doing so for 8 years) gives me confidence that folks here, with the opportunity to do so, can do just fine with roundabouts. The smarter and better looking half of this marriage says, based on her experience in Australia, she agrees.
After all, can anyone suggest that we (not just those other) 'local' drivers have learned to use signal lights and stop signs safely?
No.
Could you please post the links to those roundabout sites here so that we all can see what you are talking about? Mahalo.
The following is a responce that I sent to the DOT after they responded to our 10 issue's presented at Makau'u Market.
4.. Optional Installation of Roundabout Traffic Circle at Kahakai Blvd. & Hwy 130.
I’m not sure that the DOT is paying much attention to just what our community is trying to say. We are not interested in a highspeed Roundabout so that motorist can zoom thru at neck breaking speeds. We are advocating just the opposite, we want the traffic to slow down but at the same time we want the traffic to keep moving. Roundabouts are the best remedy to this dilemma because they keep the flow of traffic going and at the same time promote safety. Federal studies have verified this fact and because of it they may shoulder all of the expense
.
You have expressed that the large reduction of speed is not conducive to highspeed highways that a Roundabout will create. Isn’t the stopping of a vehicle on the highway to make a left turn much more of a reduction in speed than slowing down in a roundabout? Making all vehicles slow down it will make them aware and also give them more time to react to dangerous incidents.
We have formed a group that can better present the benefits of Roundabouts, so I will leave that to them. The intersection of Kahakai Blvd. & Highway 130 seems to be the perfect place to install a test Roundabout made of concrete or plastic water filled highway barriers. A test period of say 90 days should give the community and the DOT plenty of input for the permeant installment of a Roundabout or traffic lights.
If anyone would like to see the responce to all ten issue's a'll be glad to post them.
The Lack
On the issue of roundabouts, I think that with some good signage and public service type announcement education, they are worth a try. Also, I think they can be relatively inexpensive to install on 2-lane roads.
There are three documents that you should see.
1. Our ten issues that were presented to the DOT by the Action Care Team [ACT]
2. The response that we received form the DOT after presentation.
3. Mine and other response’s from team members.
No official response has ben sent to them as of yet from [ACT]
The bottom line is that every issue that we as a team put together was rejected by the DOT or shuffled off to other agencies. Making a long story short the DOT dose not want any input from the community, they only hold these meeting to stroke the public. The DOT has already made up their minds as to what they are going to do and when they are going to do it.
You can view these documents on our web site but you have to sign up as a member and get an ID and password. http://group.yahoo.com/group/the Action Care Team/
If you have a problem E-mail me at thelack@aloha.net
The Lack
http://group.yahoo.com/group/the action care team/
The Lack
Since last evening, I have three times posted the roundabout websites and get a message that an editor must see it first.
Dunno....