Puna Makai Route “Soon”

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I've lived in Puna since the last century.  I've watched proposals for an alternate route come and go like car thieves at the Hilo cellblock.  So imagine my delight as a fan of sarcastic quotation marks when the Tribune Herald dropped this headline:

Study to identify alternate route out of Puna could be funded ‘soon’

Here's a peak behind the paywall curtain:

In 2022, the state Legislature approved a $1 million allocation to Hawaii County to conduct site surveys to determine a suitable location for a Puna Makai Alternate Route, a second major road in and out of Puna that would divert some of the district’s heavy traffic away from Highway 130, currently the only main road connecting the area to Hilo.

County Public Works Director Steve Pause briefly mentioned during a September town hall event in Puna that new developments in the PMAR project could be coming in the near future, and confirmed to the Tribune-Herald on Friday that the state is now in the final stages of transferring the money for the site surveys to the county.

https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/202...nded-soon/

Sit back and enjoy the ride.  (as long as your on the sofa in your living room reading about yet another study, and not stuck in your car on the way to Hilo)

[punikahakaiferret]

Ok, I messed up the first attempt, so here goes again:

*************

A long-awaited plan to develop an alternate traffic route out of Puna might start taking shape next year.

In 2022, the state Legislature approved a $1 million allocation to Hawaii County to conduct site surveys to determine a suitable location for a Puna Makai Alternate Route, a second major road in and out of Puna that would divert some of the district’s heavy traffic away from Highway 130, currently the only main road connecting the area to Hilo.

The need for the PMAR has been a recurring theme in Puna politics for years. The 2008 Puna Community Development Plan emphasized the need for alternate routes in case of an emergency, something which was again highlighted during the 2018 Kilauea eruption.

Traffic studies have indicated that traffic on Highway 130 averages about 22,000 vehicles per day in each direction, and residents complain of constant snarls that leave drivers waiting in gridlock for hours. With the population of the district expected to continue growing, that gridlock is sure to increase without any additional roads.

But the necessary coordination between the state, county and various landowners whose properties any alternate route would impact has stymied progress on the project. A possible route often considered in discussions of PMAR would redevelop Railroad Avenue between Panaewa and Keaau, but such a route would cross land owned by private landowner W. H. Shipman Ltd., which has for years opposed the concept.

County Public Works Director Steve Pause briefly mentioned during a September town hall event in Puna that new developments in the PMAR project could be coming in the near future, and confirmed to the Tribune-Herald on Friday that the state is now in the final stages of transferring the money for the site surveys to the county.

“From what I understand, the last piece of paper is with the governor now,” Pause said.

Puna Rep. Greggor Ilagan said the funds will be available soon, but wryly added that, on political timescales, “soon” tends to mean “months.”

“It’s been a very long process, but we’re finally at the tail end of it,” said Ilagan, who has been a strong advocate for the PMAR project for years.

Between the $1 million from the state and a 50% match from the county, DPW will have $1.5 million to work with to determine which sites for an alternate route are the most feasible.

“I would best call it an engineering study,” Pause said, explaining that at the end of that period, a final route selection should be determined, but actual construction would still be years away.

“There’s going to be a lot of public engagement to be done during this time,” he said.

Pause added he is optimistic the county can work to speed the process along as much as possible.

[terracore]

"County Public Works Director Steve Pause..."

Everybody who works for the county should be required to have descriptive names: Steve Pause, Dave Delay, William Wait, Justin Case, Ned Nepotism, Hostess Barkenoi, etc.

[ChunksterK]

From the article:

“I think it’ll take two to four years to get through all of this,” Pause said, explaining that at the end of that period, a final route selection should be determined, but actual construction would still be years away.

“There’s going to be a lot of public engagement to be done during this time,” he said.

Pause added he is optimistic the county can work to speed the process along as much as possible.

Translation:

"It will take four to eight years to get through all this, and after final route selection it will take a decade or more for construction to begin. Oh, and we don't know where the construction money will come from because the road is not in the DOT master plan."

"Public engagement will include HPP demanding to be compensated for the damage additional through traffic will do to its privately funded, but publicly used roads."

Pause is delusional. The county is incapable of speeding anything along. Just look at the 2018 lava flow recovery.

[TomK]

"County Public Works Director Steve Pause..."

Everybody who works for the county should be required to have descriptive names:  Steve Pause, Dave Delay, William Wait, Justin Case, Ned Nepotism, Hostess Barkenoi, etc.

I wish I could share the conversation I overheard the other day between Igoto D'lay and Michael Mull but can't share it here because I suspect the County is much faster to sue than do anything else.

[HiloJulie]

"I suspect the County is much faster to sue than do anything else."

Good point. Considering the County just put the law firm of Shipman, Shipman, Shipman, Shipman & Shipman on retainer!

[kalakoa]

People will tolerate anything to live in a tropical paradise with the lowest property taxes in the US.

[randomq]

We don't need another study, we need eminent domain. Sorry to offend any oligarchs reading.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Sorry to offend any oligarchs 

When I lived on Maui, even farther back into the last century, I picked up mail from my PO Box and overheard this conversation:

"But you do own a lot of land."  (trying to sound sympathetic and understanding)
"Yes, but we're land rich and cash poor!  I can't do any of the things I'd really like to do!"

The second comment was by a family member of a clan of Maui oligarchs, who would make Oprah look like a serf compared with their land holdings, someone who lived in a mansion on Haleakala with one of the best Upcountry views low land baron real estate taxes allowed them to keep and maintain.  They were speaking with a friend or good acquaintance.

We have little understanding of the difficulties oligarchs go through, vast inheritances, free lifetime room and board on a family estate, a steady source of business income should they choose to be bothered with it.  And yet people like us choose to make offensive comments about their plight, their daily trials and tribulations.

Could anyone play a stanza on the world's smallest violin?

[Iju]

"County Public Works Director Steve Pause..."

Everybody who works for the county should be required to have descriptive names:  Steve Pause, Dave Delay, William Wait, Justin Case, Ned Nepotism, Hostess Barkenoi, etc.

This is the best comment of the day.   Can't stop laughing.