THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

70

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO evaluate the feasibility AND PREPARE A PLAN FOR improving former cane haul roads along the state highway traffic corridor between Hanamaulu and the Wailua River on Kauai to be used for emergency TRAFFIC DIVERSION AND AS POSSIBLE LONG-TERM ALTERNATE ROUTES.

 

WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is charged with the responsibility under section 26-19, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), to plan, develop, promote, and coordinate various transportation systems management programs; and

WHEREAS, the DOT states on its website: "The mission of the Highways Division is to provide a safe, and efficient and accessible highway system through the utilization of available resources in the maintenance, enhancement and support of land transportation facilities"; and

WHEREAS, vehicular traffic safety is a top priority for the DOT as a responsibility of the State Highway Safety Council (section 286-5, HRS), and is a responsibility shared with the counties through the traffic or highway safety council (section 286-6, HRS) of each county; and

WHEREAS, motor vehicle traffic accidents involving multi-vehicle collisions are becoming more commonplace, often resulting in fatalities and serious bodily injury; and

WHEREAS, fatal multi-vehicle accidents cause a tie-up in traffic flow while traffic investigators meticulously investigate the scene of the accident, and other agencies such as ambulances, police, and firefighters do their work at the scene; and

WHEREAS, traffic commonly can become backlogged and tied up for four hours or longer; and

WHEREAS, state highways are the main thoroughfare for traffic, particularly on Kauai; and

WHEREAS, the state highway traffic corridor between Hanamaulu and the Wailua River on Kauai has experienced an increasing number of tragic head-on collisions; and

WHEREAS, these tragic and often fatal head-on collisions are caused by vehicles traveling at high speeds on a narrow undivided multi-lane highway; and

WHEREAS, these head-on collisions could be avoided and many lives saved if alternate routes were made available; and

WHEREAS, this particular traffic corridor and state highway represents the only roadway providing access between the largest population area on Kauai and the island's main hospitals, airport, and harbor; and

WHEREAS, frequent closure of this state highway following collisions creates extreme congestion that costs residents and businesses significant financial hardships and great inconvenience; and

WHEREAS, in times of emergency, the congestion on this state highway corridor limits the safe and timely movement of all vehicles, including emergency vehicles; and

WHEREAS, if a tsunami inundation occurred the existing roadway would be impassable and would result in virtually half of the island being cut off from the airport, hospitals, and harbor; and

WHEREAS, the former sugar cane haul roads run parallel and adjacent to this traffic corridor; and

WHEREAS, these former cane haul roads are no longer in use; and

WHEREAS, some of these cane haul roads would require minimal construction improvements to make them suitable for emergency or as an alternate road use; and

WHEREAS, converting these former cane haul roads to support vehicular traffic could be done at relatively low cost for traffic diversion, use by all vehicles, and possibly for long-term alternate road use; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that the Department of Transportation is requested to evaluate the feasibility of improving former cane haul roads along the state highway traffic corridor between Hanamaulu and the Wailua River on Kauai to be used for emergency vehicles, as a possible long-term alternate route, and diversion route in times of severe congestion; and

IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include the issues of land or easement acquisition or condemnation, liability, plan implementation, signage, and the costs of necessary road improvements; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation report to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2005 on its study and evaluation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation, the Mayor of the County of Kauai, and the Chief of Police of the County of Kauai.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Alternate Road Use on Kauai for Emergency Vehicles and Traffic