THE SENATE                           S.C.R. NO.            125
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

  REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO EXPAND THE
    CAPACITY OF THE CENTRAL H-1 FREEWAY CORRIDOR.


 1        WHEREAS, traffic congestion has reached nearly crisis
 2   proportions, costing Oahu commuters an estimated $510 per year
 3   each in additional costs; and
 4   
 5        WHEREAS, it seems well established that the most effective
 6   means of reducing traffic congestion without seriously
 7   increasing automobile passenger trips is to increase roadway
 8   capacity; and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes are quite well
11   proven to carry more people with less congestion; and
12   
13        WHEREAS, the State Department of Transportation wishes to
14   increase the capacity of the central H-1 freeway corridor (from
15   the "Middle Street Merge" to the Punahou or Kapiolani offramp)
16   in order to address this problem, and in fact has studied its
17   possible expansion in a formal 1988 study and a less formal
18   1992 study; and
19   
20        WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation is to be
21   commended for and encouraged in its efforts to expand capacity
22   on this corridor; now, therefore,
23   
24        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
25   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, the House of
26   Representatives concurring, that the Department of
27   Transportation is requested to expend additional efforts
28   attempting to achieve additional capacity on this corridor
29   including, but not limited to:
30   
31        (1)  Exploring additional tradeoffs with the Federal
32             Highway Administration that could induce relaxation
33             of standards to the extent necessary to allow a
34             "shoulder lane" for peak-hour travel, such as exists
35             on the H-1 near Ewa of the Aiea exit, Diamond Head-
36             bound (thereby also making room for an HOV lane in

 
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                                  S.C.R. NO.            125
                                                        
                                                        


 1             this corridor);
 2   
 3        (2)  Identifying specific recommendations from the City's
 4             Waikiki Regional Traffic Impact Plan, Dec. 1995, the
 5             state Department of Transportation's Investigation of
 6             the Effects of Limited Ramp Closures Along the H-1
 7             Freeway, Dec. 1999, and other pertinent analyses of
 8             the best means of reducing traffic congestion
 9             generated by increased Waikiki/Ala Moana traffic; and
10   
11        (3)  Working more closely in formal workshops, to be
12             scheduled in 2000, with private citizens and
13             interested groups to consider a larger universe of
14             options than perhaps would normally be generated
15             within the department;
16   
17   and
18   
19        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of
20   Transportation is requested to report its findings and
21   recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days
22   prior to the convening of the 2001 Regular Session; and
23   
24        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this
25   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of
26   Transportation.
27 
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29 
30                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________