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Hwy 130 meeting notes from HPP w/ comments - Rob Tucker - 05-21-2010
I start a new topic on the approaching Hwy. 130 Shoulder Lane Conversion Project. The discussion on Shower Drive Traffic Light is a bit separate though very related to this project. I am not going to try to recap everything that was said but will try to provide some highlights. I will inject some personal observations in blue.
It was a well attended and informative meeting hosted by the HPP BoD today. Attending were the public, HDOT officials and the consultants for the Shoulder Lane Conversion Project - Wilson Okamoto Corp.
From the State:
S1. The money for this project, if delayed or otherwise not used, can be redirected to another state project. It seems to imply "take what we are giving you or you might get nothing". I explained to the state officials that we understand that the availability of money is a rare moment and the needs are pressing and overdue. Our goal, knowing that this is essentially our one shot in this lifetime, is that we obtain the best bang for the buck to serve our purposes into the foreseeable future.
S2. A roundabout (RAB) is not impossible at Shower Drive. In fact the project is currently being drawn to create an easement sufficient for a roundabout should one be determined to be needed someday. For my part if the location is generally suitable then it should be worthy of practical consideration. I expressed my pleasure at HDOT taking a forward thinking approach
S3. A RAB for shower Drive is precluded at this time due to lack of experience on the part of HDOT. They would prefer to get one or more single lane RABs under their belt before they commit to a two lane version. I and others pointed out that there are RABs in Hawaii in military and county locations, not to over mention nationally. The experience gap seems to be within the ranks of consultants or due to the general lack of ability for the state and counties to work cooperatively.
S4. If a signal at Shower Drive was to later be converted to a RAB (at additional expense) the signals themselves could be removed and relocated to another situation. Roundabouts would themselves have electrical needs though in the form of lighting. I liked these two points and appreciate a practical point of view. Hundreds of thousands of dollars could be salvaged from a converted signalized intersection. BUT... considering the fact that a RAB is prevented only by politics (a HDOT policy) there is a legitimate struggle between political considerations and community needs.
HPPOA pointed out:
HPP1. That there was little or no outreach to the affected communities and there should have been long before we all reached this stage. The consultant admitted to no public meetings beyond STIP meetings. This is a glaring shortcoming.
HPP2. Highway traffic access and use of HPPOA private roads are creating a nuisance to residents and costly wear and tear. Did the consultant, in the Environmental Assessment, consider the base traffic counts at Shower Drive that result from "inappropriate use" of private parallel roads to bypass highway traffic. The consultant admitted that they did not. HPPOA mentioned the potential for gating it's entry points and restricting access. This would create a nightmare situation for everyone. In my opinion gating HPP would be illegal and indeed a nightmare. HPPOA could easily and cheaply block inappropriate use though by taking the parallel roads and blocking through traffic. This could be done my placing concrete barriers mid block and turning each road into a cul-de-sac. Doing this would immediately alleviate the headache for residents and not restrict access except for through traffic. No permissions from county or state would be required. State officals admitted they had not thought of this and it would work. The result could definitely change the traffic impacts at Shower Drive and effectively toss out the consultant's calculations. The consultants also admitted they had not anticipated this possibility.
HPP3: HPPOA should be commended for taking the initiative and bringing the public officials and the public together for this talk story. It was effective in a number of ways.
The consultant, Wilson Okamoto:
WO1: They did not look beyond Shower Drive toward Puna in their considerations and calculations. They implied that they kept strictly within the job description of their contract. I have requested a copy of their contract and feel that the limitations of scope, if they exist, are amateurish and negligent. Understanding the direct source of cars on Shower Drive entering Hwy 130 would appear to be critical to assessing the needs of the situation (see HPP2). This is a very defensive position. I look forward to reviewing their contract.
WO2: Wilson Okamoto stated that they had no idea what the price (value) of their contract was. I found this astonishing. That a principal of the company did not know the contract amount seemed unbeliveable.
WO3: Wilson Okamoto stated that they had experience with RABs but that HDOT policy was only to allow single lane RABs. So they may have been performing their EA in accordance with their (to be reviewed) contract. WO is directing our concerns away from them and toward the Director of Transportation. To be verified.
From the public:
P1: We live here. Too many people we know die or are seriously injured. We want the safest design method to be well considered. I think they got that message.
P2: There was too much talk about Pahoa's intersections. Only Shower Drive to Keaau was the topic. This took up time to little purpose.
P3: There were shortcomings in the EA in organization, legal requirement and availability to the public. Some of these were deflected, others were not. The EA is in my opinion defective and lacking and needs further revision. WO told me they would look at unaddressed areas if instructed to do so by HDOT. This seemed to imply that they were doing what they were told... please don't yell at them.
P4: What is the status of the blueprints for the job? Is a signalized intersection being designed at this time? It is. This leads me to want to see the scope of work for the design contract, when it was written and what it required. To their credit HDOT has been cooperative and responsive to all my requests to date. I will add this request next. I want to see the design consultant's contract.
PLEASE NOTE:
This is my perspective from the meeting. Others are invited to add knowledge that they took away. it was an excellent meeting in my opinion... a learning experience. I was pleased to find out that a RAB is not impossible and HDOT is making plans to provide for one in a potential future. I was not pleased to find out that the consultant had such a narrow focus (as stated) to exclude important factors which affect the assessment of the existing situation and possible design solutions.
Thanks for listening.
RE: Hwy 130 meeting notes from HPP w/ comments - allensylves - 05-21-2010
We plan to move to our house on 22d @ Makuu next year. We also own a house on 29th between Paradise and Kaloli. I would be VERY unhappy if paved 22d and 28th were blocked midway between Makuu and Paradise, so I would have to go up to 130 to move between our houses, particularly since we are paying 10% more every year to pay for this $12,000,000 HPP paving boondoggle.
Allen
Baton Rouge, LA & HPP
RE: Hwy 130 meeting notes from HPP w/ comments - Rob Tucker - 05-21-2010
I understand. As I discussed it with HPPOA it would only be considered if the residents wanted it. It could be short term - like while the constructions was underway on the highway, and quick and easy to remove. It's only a suggestion to remedy complaints about speeding traffic and road wear and tear. DO NOT take this as a HPPOA position. IT IS NOT. It was a suggestion I made and a suggestion only.
In your case you could avoid going up to the highway in such a situation and instead use a lower through road. The suggestion is not to block all cross streets in HPP and not necessarily forever either.
Just a suggestion. Gating the main roads would be a nightmare. The main point is that HPP is not helpless in solving/controlling the traffic. Sometimes it is necessary to make a point to HDOT.
RE: Hwy 130 meeting notes from HPP w/ comments - james weatherford - 05-21-2010
Good summary. Thanks for that, Rob.
One point in particular that HDOT commented on we will be double checking: the HDOT rep said that 100% Federal funding was not available for a particularly dangerous intersection. This contradicts what we have been told by people working for the US DOT.
I do appreciate your description of the meeting as "informative" -- perhaps not necessarily in all ways as intended by HDOT and consultants.
My perspective is that of having worked at a senior level as a policy analyst in government as well having done some consultant project work, and, in those contexts having taken projects to the public.
I have been in the roles those people are in.
From this perspective, I have found the HDOT and Wilson Okamoto to demonstrate shocking disregard, even contempt, for the ability of our community to understand the problems we are having and our ability to understand the solutions.
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
RE: Hwy 130 meeting notes from HPP w/ comments - Seeb - 05-21-2010
I think the thing about people coming off 130 to cut across 28th is exaggerated.the real issue is that actual population of HPP is 2 to 3 times the numbers the state is useing
Have they done an in and out count of all 4 roads at the same time recently
RE: Hwy 130 meeting notes from HPP w/ comments - mac nut - 05-21-2010
Good point Seeb. I agree, they may be very suprised!
Mac nut
RE: Hwy 130 meeting notes from HPP w/ comments - jerry - 05-21-2010
Regarding HPP2, Orchidland has a similar problem with Pohaku to 40th to Ola'a becoming a shortcut to Kurtistown and 35th being a route parallel to 130. There is no community consensus, but suggestions include everything from speed bumps to a gate to closing the road at 40th. Pohaku is complicated by the fact that during heavy rain the corner of 39th and Pohaku becomes a life threatening raging river.
Jerry
Art and Orchids B&B
http://www.artandorchids.com
RE: Hwy 130 meeting notes from HPP w/ comments - james weatherford - 05-21-2010
Actually, there was a "turning study" done in recent years that verified the pattern of people turning right from Orchidland, going to Paradise or Makuu and then going (through HPP) back to Shower to turn right.
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
RE: Hwy 130 meeting notes from HPP w/ comments - Royall - 05-22-2010
Just curious, was it mentioned when this project might get started? When it does, did they say how long they expected it to take to be completed?
Royall
RE: Hwy 130 meeting notes from HPP w/ comments - Rob Tucker - 05-22-2010
We were told it would start in 2011 (to the best of my memory) and take eighteen months. Contracts would be let in October of this year.