03-06-2008, 07:35 AM
Gee, it's always a shame when it takes a dramatic and tragic accident to get anyone's attention. Whomever was injured I hope they will be alright.
There has been a lot of concern and talk and thinking and organizing on the issue of road safety in Puna over the years. Just not quite enough it seems.
Someone told me once that here in Hawaii if you can rally 1,000 people to an issue you can get anything you want. The PCDP (Puna Community Development Plan) managed to get about 300 citizens to spend considerable time and energy on planning issues - very much including road safety. The PCDP is now making recommendations to the County Council which can become law, code and plan - if it has sufficient support.
I can't quite recount all the efforts that have been made to date on this subject. There have been too many. In each case it was a minority of concerned citizens working, at times under criticism, on road safety.
The State of Hawaii DOT is the king of Hwy. 130. I've seen evidence that the CoH and DOT do not coordinate as well as we might wish. Call or write the Chief of Police and mayor to demand a signal at this intersection? Sure, do it. Get 1,000 people to call or write and it might just happen.
Roundabouts? At the STIP meeting last August I got the head engineer of HDOT to promise he would provide a cost/benefit analysis of roundabouts vs signals. Still waiting. But Kahakai / Hwy. 130 seems to be the only interestion they are (maybe) considering.
Very close to this accident we have a school with 300 students. HAAS. The klids are crossing a 55 mhp road without a crosswalk. People are doing 70. We want a crosswalk and lower speed limit. It's just not as simple as logic and wanting it. The issue gets choked by process.
If you read the topic: Lingle releases $535K for a left-turn at Maku`u you'll begin to understand why I was so impressed with that successful funding for a turn lane at Maku`u Farmer's Market..
Only by organizing broadly and effectively on Puna's issues and the process can the hope for progress be speeded up. Frankly in my opinion that takes lawyers and that takes money. We (FoPF) are beginning to gain momentum. I do hope that, be it sidewalks or road improvements, we can prevent more loss of life and personal injuries one of these days. Before it's too late for someone you may or may not know.
There has been a lot of concern and talk and thinking and organizing on the issue of road safety in Puna over the years. Just not quite enough it seems.
Someone told me once that here in Hawaii if you can rally 1,000 people to an issue you can get anything you want. The PCDP (Puna Community Development Plan) managed to get about 300 citizens to spend considerable time and energy on planning issues - very much including road safety. The PCDP is now making recommendations to the County Council which can become law, code and plan - if it has sufficient support.
I can't quite recount all the efforts that have been made to date on this subject. There have been too many. In each case it was a minority of concerned citizens working, at times under criticism, on road safety.
The State of Hawaii DOT is the king of Hwy. 130. I've seen evidence that the CoH and DOT do not coordinate as well as we might wish. Call or write the Chief of Police and mayor to demand a signal at this intersection? Sure, do it. Get 1,000 people to call or write and it might just happen.
Roundabouts? At the STIP meeting last August I got the head engineer of HDOT to promise he would provide a cost/benefit analysis of roundabouts vs signals. Still waiting. But Kahakai / Hwy. 130 seems to be the only interestion they are (maybe) considering.
Very close to this accident we have a school with 300 students. HAAS. The klids are crossing a 55 mhp road without a crosswalk. People are doing 70. We want a crosswalk and lower speed limit. It's just not as simple as logic and wanting it. The issue gets choked by process.
If you read the topic: Lingle releases $535K for a left-turn at Maku`u you'll begin to understand why I was so impressed with that successful funding for a turn lane at Maku`u Farmer's Market..
Only by organizing broadly and effectively on Puna's issues and the process can the hope for progress be speeded up. Frankly in my opinion that takes lawyers and that takes money. We (FoPF) are beginning to gain momentum. I do hope that, be it sidewalks or road improvements, we can prevent more loss of life and personal injuries one of these days. Before it's too late for someone you may or may not know.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Punaweb moderator