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quote:
Originally posted by Chas
And again, I think the problem will be that Hawaii drivers, in their usual Aloha spirit, will be stopping in the middle of the circle to let other drivers enter. That could be dangerous.
Eventually there will be bleacher seating for viewing purposes, complete with vendors and a big screen for replays!
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bleacher seating... vendors... big screen for replays!
Hopefully we can also subscribe through the Puna Traffic website, using the Civil Defense text message based notification system for all the latest action, when we can't attend in person.
BTW - the Malama Market cam is back up and running: http://punatraffic.com/Cameras
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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I heard they will be putting in two perpendicular roads straight through the roundabout for those who are in a hurry.... 
Cheers,
Kirt
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http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/news...roundabout
Good news for the "keep off our roads we paid for" contingent in HPP:
During a July community meeting when DOT officials met with Pahoa residents to discuss the entire roundabout project, Hawaii district engineer Sal Panem said that because the road was constructed as an escape route there were no plans to open it during the detour.
I do find it odd that a County road project paid for with County bond money somehow falls under control of the State DOT. I must be new here.
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Hawaii district engineer Sal Panem said that because the road was constructed as an escape route there were no plans to open it during the detour.
What about all of the Tsunami Evacuation Routes in Hilo? Wouldn't they also be considered escape routes? Yet they remain open to traffic 24/7. By Sal Panem's logic, traffic should be routed around them except during times when a tsunami warning is in effect.
That's not how it's done in Hilo you say? Go on...
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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While sitting in the stop and go traffic that creeps through Shower to get on the highway this morning I was picturing all the lower Puna traffic being added to that. It takes anywhere from 10-20 minutes to get across the subdivision and then onto the highway in the morning now, opening RR to Maku'u will just move the current Kahakai traffic jam down the road 3.75 miles and add a slow gravel road stretch to the drive. The people who think opening that road up will be some sort of solution are dreaming, it will just move one traffic nightmare down the road and add it to another traffic nightmare.
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I have to chuckle when I see people use the term "traffic nightmare" in reference to Puna. Anyone who has lived in the D.C. metro, Atlanta, Houston, or LA gets to use that term. Punatics should stick to "inconvenience." As for Railroad, it was built for emergency use, and the powers that be do not define the roundabout detour as such. I'm guessing that at least part of their reasoning is not wanting to have to deal with demands from HPP for compensation, although in its current dysfunctional state, HPP is probably too busy infighting to put up much resistance.
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The people who think opening that road up will be some sort of solution are dreaming, it will just move one traffic nightmare down the road and add it to another traffic nightmare.
For me, that would be exactly the point: with a clearly demonstrated "we did everything we could, it didn't help", it might just barely be possible to start the larger discussion about the inadequacy of "one road in, one road out".
Keaau-Pahoa widening project includes at least two more roundabouts, so we'll be doing this again and again over the coming decade(s), and with the additional traffic from population growth, it will only be worse Next Time.
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opening RR to Maku'u will just move the current Kahakai traffic jam down the road 3.75 miles ...and add it to another traffic nightmare.
Wouldn't the total amount of traffic on Highway 130 after Shower Drive be the same whether drivers used Highway 130 from lower Puna, or Railroad? If some of the drivers used Railroad, there would be that much less traffic on Hwy 130 between Pahoa and Shower Drive, making it easier to enter the highway at Maku'u, Paradise, Kaloli, and Shower.
It would be the same number of cars, entering the highway at multiple locations.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Yesterday was my second try at getting to Pahoa from HPP since the detour started. I left home at 4 pm, thinking they'd be done with the road work for the day. Not! Almost immediately after I got on the Hwy, before 8 mile marker, traffic was at a standstill. I made my way at 0-5 mph. An hour later I arrived at the stoplight in Pahoa, where I spent another several minutes waiting for the light to change. Things seemed pretty much normal in Pahoa and the trip home was a breeze, but cars were still backed up to the Maku'u Farmers Market coming from Hilo at 6 pm! What used to be a 10 minute drive now takes nearly an hour. I have to sympathize with the tired commuters coming home from work who have to now deal with gridlock in Puna. What great mind came up with this detour? Something needs to be done to remedy this situation or we will just have to go to Hilo or Kea'au to shop for the next 6 months. It's faster.
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