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Ms. Naeole has submitted a resolution (non-binding) for the County to request the State to institute contraflow traffic on Route 130 during rush hours.
Apart from the serious safety issues, unless there is a moveable barrier (a matter for another thread), is anyone else suspicious about why this issue has come up now - within two weeks of the hotly contested election - rather than any time earlier in her two-year term?
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She may have mentioned it early but the majority of the public hasn’t heard it from her until now, election time.
What you should be concerned with is the idea itself. It’s obvious that Emily was fed some information and she ran with it blind. It’s the worst solution for Hwy 130 to date.
The controls using counterflow are either signals (red or green) or a movable concrete barrier. Red or Green for direction flow or swing the movable barrier left or right one lane. Counterflow adds a lane in the middle of the road that is used in either direction during heavy traffic times.
With that said it can only be used where there is NO or limited access. (Bridges) With the amount of intersections along that route you would be playing Russian Roulette by driving in that lane if it is only controlled by signals. The movable barrier is very, very expensive so that isn’t an option. Plus you still have to widen the road in places and restripe the entire section where the new lanes are used. Maybe she needs to go on another field trip to the mainland (at our expense) to see what she is offering.
The “Fix the problem now” is to widen the mauka shoulder from the Keaau merge to Paradise Drive. (like Shower to the Humane Society north bound) Most of the shoulder is wide enough to support a travel lane with some rock removal and a culvert bridge just south of the Humane Society.
It’s cheap and fast and could be constructed with in a year.
That’s what we should all be fighting for.
IF the reconstruction of Hwy 130 starts in 2011 it will not be finished for years to come.
This will drive the construction costs through the roof if and when or if it ever gets completed.[B)]
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There was a proposal from Gary Safarik several years ago that seemed practical to me. It was based on his experience as a policeman and is a short term fix that is relatively inexpensive and could be put in place very, very quickly.
That was to position police for traffic control at key intersections in the mornings and at the bottleneck in the afternoons. Not just to watch but to put on those white gloves and direct traffic. The goal is safety right?
Anyway as I recall we estimated the cost at about $250,000 a year. Not exorbitant and doable.
The obstacle to something this simple. The CoH (police) have to work cooperatively with the state (HDOT).... something that doesn't happen much.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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Yeah Damon, But your solution is a HDOT method...good luck with them. They don't listen to anybody - they just pretend to. You also have to realize that HDOT has never shown any indication that cost efficiency is a concern. Spending money is what they do best.
Gary's proposal is a CoH method... much better chance of getting it to actually happen in a timely manner.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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Despite my plea to contain the discussion here to the timing of the proposal vis-a-vis the election and to consider its merits in another thread, we've gone off topic again.
Rob, please move this to the general forum and let the boys have their fun.
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Janet, the only real answer you can get to your direct question would be to call Emily Naeole (961-8267) and ask her yourself. Anything else would just be speculation.
If you call her let us know what she says.
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Assume the best and ask questions.
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