Dept. of Transporation priorities

[Tink]

I now am informed, Mahalo.

Are you a human being, or a human doing?

[lavalava]

What a joke! Plenty people at work before the so-called 'commuter hours' even get started!

[james weatherford]

The second North (Keaau) bound lane that is there now, a so-called "commuter hour" lane (for morning), is being converted to a full-time lane and that is why it is being reinforced. An additional shoulder is being added outside of that. So, there will be two full-time lanes going North plus a shoulder.
The South (Pahoa) bound lane being built is for the so-called commuter hour lane (for afternoon), with the longer range plan for it to be converted to a full-time lane.
That said, my observation is the North bound temporary lane creates a hazard as people speed and pass on the right side.

The above description of the shoulder lane conversion is detailed on pages 1-12 and 1-13 of the Final EA.
There are plans for 4 lanes all the way to Pahoa.
see http://www.keaau-pahoa.com/index.htm

We have been following this "shoulder conversion" project since before the Draft EA in 2010. That EA, in Final form, was replete with factual and printing errors such as to make it useless -- Wilson Okamato Corp. was paid $982,000 for doing the EA.

[james weatherford]

...here's the link to the Final EA on the shoulder conversion project.
Have a look at the Table of Contents.
See anything unusual?


http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Docu...a-Road.pdf

[rainyjim]

From page 46:

"The soil survey...shows...the soils on both sides of Keaau-Pahoa Road...baren of vegetation except for mosses and lichens...Ohia trees, ohelo berry, and aalii."

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I'm trying to find my way back to the keyboard as I roll on the floor laughing.

I guess all the strawberry guava, tibouchina, and albezia are just my imagination.

[james weatherford]

quote:

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Originally posted by rainyjim

I'm trying to find my way back to the keyboard as I roll on the floor laughing.

I guess all the strawberry guava, tibouchina, and albezia are just my imagination.

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Laugh at this: Wilson Okamato Corp. was paid $982,000 for doing the EA.

[lavalava]

This state is a 2nd world joke not even worthy of statehood. We should be a territory like Guam or PR. Statehood is for those that have their act together.

[kalakoa]

Laugh at this: Wilson Okamato Corp. was paid $982,000 for doing the EA.

Hmm. Seems like that kind of money would fix lots of "private" road problems... maybe we can fill potholes with copies of the EA?

[2liveque]

It PAYS to be part of the club! I'm sure the firm that did the EA got friends in good places.

On a related note, don't ever try to convince a person (or legislator) from Oahu that Puna has "traffic problems." While we do find ourselves caught in some frustrating moments on HWY 130, it pales in comparison to what Oahu folks deal with on a daily basis. And just so you know, Maui and Kauai got crazy traffic problems also. So when it comes to our "fastest growing district on the BI," we will all need to take our benefits as they come. To go to the legislature and tell them how tough(er) things are in Puna as it relates to traffic would be humorous to say the least.

[csgray]

I try not to complain about our "traffic jams" because it is really a minor deal compared to a lot of places here in Hawaii, but the fatality rate on the stretch of highway from Keaau to Pahoa is just unacceptable. There are certain intersections where I feel like I am taking my life in my hands every time I go through the intersection, and they are all within a few miles of each other.

Carol