Contra Flow on Highway 130 schedule

[bystander]

I just took a look at the diagram posted earlier. There is no right turn shoulder lane out of Kaloli. But there's enough pavement for a shoulder lane. They should utilize it.

[Mindful]

I agree. Noticed a backup happening at Kaloli, kind of like the old Shower backup. Not terrible as it was only 6:15. Kaloli should be the beginning of the 2 lanes. Now Kaloli has to merge with the Highway 1 for 1, rather than go direct to the 2nd lane. It's only about .1 mile to where the highway goes to 2 lanes and it would relieve the backup to Paradise on the Highway.

[2liveque]

Yes, that line on Kaloli is longer now. But it moves! Unlike the Shower line of cars who sit there at the mercy of the light. At least at Kaloli, motorist have been real good at letting folks out of Kaloli, so it moves. And the contra opens up soon after. I think it works fine.

[ironyak]

Having driven this for the first time today around 8a, I have to say it is one of the strangest traffic experiments I have ever witnessed. Instead of creating permanent striping to reflect the lanes different uses at different times, long corridors of cones are setup and disassembled every day in creative contraventions of normal traffic (cha-ching for the cone boys).

Why allow Shower to turn right onto the 130 "shoulder lane" on green only (like many highway entrances), when you can block this lane and setup cones directing Pohaku to turn left into the oncoming traffic's turn lane? Need to turn left onto Pohaku from 130 going north - sucks to be you (but only if the trash bags are taken off the numerous "no left turn" signs at the time). Same for many other turns that are verboten at that time.

With time savings of a few minutes reported compared to before they started "fixing" things, it's almost like the whole thing was set up simply to create more billable work...

[kalakoa]

almost like the whole thing was set up simply to create more billable work...

Widening the highway only pays once.

Building an alternate route is impossible.

Count your blessings that you'll be privileged to pay the tax increase that covers the contraflow setup/teardown crew salary, benefits, pension. (I assume they also get a hazardous duty differential for working in the highway.)

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

contraflow setup/teardown crew

Since the crew is trained for a specific task, positioning cones, then picking them up after the morning rush hours, wouldn’t it make sense to take advantage of their skills elsewhere? I propose after they finish work on Highway 130 they drive up Saddle Road and cone the Mauna Kea Access Road from noon until 6 PM, Monday through Friday, with one lane provided for protestors and their lawn chairs, one for drivers headed up the mountain, one for coming back down. Contra-protest-flow lanes.

[2liveque]

CAVE: Citizens Against Virtually Everything.

Such concerns and outrage came with the proposed Puna roundabout that would address the most dangerous intersection in the state. Since the installment of the roundabout, no accidents...all is better. Some of the biggest complainers simply looked silly in the end.

Now the CAVE folks have zeroed in on the 130 saga. I trust that in the end, it will all be better. As a regular kaloli commuter in the AM, I can attest...it is already better.

[ironyak]

Sincerely, how much better 2liveque? And not compared to when the re-striping work was being done but when traffic was normal.

Enough of a difference to justify not just doing the work once (self-explanatory signs & striping while they were there already) but paying every day for cone setup and removal? Perhaps they should add a toll at the start of the cones so everyone who it helps can directly pay their support for it? (if you flip a cone over it makes a great donation collector funneling the loose change into an open pocket

[kalakoa]

(if you flip a cone over it makes a great donation collector funneling the loose change into an open pocket

They have the airport parking lots for that.

[2liveque]

Ironyak....do you seriously think the State DOT views the coning as the "ideal solution" as it relates to thousands of folks coming out of HPP each morning? Of course not. However, this is the BEST solution for the moment. Yes, we all could use another lane. We all could use another thoroughfare out of Puna. Yes, yes yes, I agree. BUT, we don't have all of that just yet. That is why contra flow and coning are the current options at play. If you still can't accept that, why don't you personally call the State Department of Transportation and offer your modest proposal? What if you were to find out that the contra flow coning is done with existing state DOT employees? What if you are to also find out that the commute for many coming out of HPP in the morning has actually improved? Do you still find a reason to say...."Yeah...but..."

That, my friend, adds greatly to the CAVE narrative.