Why does HAAS need its own private traffic light?

[Rob Tucker]

Just a a reflection, a couple or three years ago HAAS was before the Planning Commission for a Special Use Permit for the school. At that hearing Bobbie Jean Leithead-Todd (the then planning director) entered a demand for HDOT that HAAS first install a traffic light, widen the intersection and add turn lanes at their own expense.... and that the work was to be completed in 120 days (HDOT can't even respond to a letter in 120 days much less build anything). It was really outrageous and the commission turned HDOT down.

Here comes the most interesting point:

A few weeks later in a national news report it was published that the Federal Department of Transportation was threatening to withdraw funds from several states who had received millions from a program to improve intersections at or near schools. Hawaii was listed as the worst offender with $6,000,000 unspent and sitting around unused.

It seemed apparent to me that the fix was in with DOE and HDOT to keep making life miserable for charter schools.

HAAS is a good outfit and a credit to the area. I hope Russell succeeds in getting a light there.