HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

217

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

strongly urging the honolulu city council to reconsider the selection of the Salt Lake alignment and to commit to construction of the fixed guideway system along the Airport/Pearl Harbor alignment.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, traffic congestion in Honolulu's east-west corridor is intolerable for many commuters and affecting the quality of life for those who must spend many non-productive hours in traffic; and

 

     WHEREAS, a planning study conducted by the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OMPO) concluded that the already overburdened existing transportation infrastructure will not be able to accommodate the level of growth expected over the next 20 years; and

 

     WHEREAS, the OMPO study also predicted that the traffic delay will increase 500% by the year 2030 if only the currently planned projects are implemented to improve our streets and highways; and

 

     WHEREAS, the OMPO study further identified that a high-speed, high-capacity transit system in the corridor would be a viable and cost-effective component of the future transportation infrastructure; and

 

     WHEREAS, following the OMPO study, the City and County of Honolulu initiated a detailed study to evaluate future transit improvements, specifically a fixed guideway system that is physically separated from the roadway and traffic congestion; and

 

     WHEREAS, the federal government requires that the City follow a set of strict evaluation guidelines to analyze the various alternatives under consideration in a fair and technically sound manner, and that this process is essential in order to be eligible for future federal transit funds; and

 

     WHEREAS, the City completed the study last year in strict accordance with federal requirements and presented its findings to the City Council for their policy decision to select the alternative that would best reduce future traffic congestion while providing the opportunity for improving the quality of life for Oahu residents and visitors; and

 

     WHEREAS, the City Council agreed with the recommendation of Mayor Hannemann's Administration and selected the fixed guideway alternative connecting West Kapolei and the University of Hawaii at Manoa as the best system to address the needs and demands of the growing island population; and

 

     WHEREAS, immediately following the selection of the fixed guideway as the primary mode to serve the entire east-west corridor of the City, the City Council approved a shorter section to be the first phase that is affordable within available funding and reasonably expected federal funds; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Twenty-fourth State Legislature appreciates the work and efforts of the City and County of Honolulu and its Council members in having the foresight and vision to address future traffic problems and improve its citizens' quality of life, however, the Legislature and its members are concerned with the City Council's selection of the Salt Lake alignment over the Pearl Harbor/Airport alignment; and

 

     WHEREAS, the technical analysis clearly indicates that the Pearl Harbor/Airport alignment is superior to the Salt Lake alignment in terms of the coverage of major employment centers, combined number of resident and employment within walking distance of stations, ridership, noise impacts to residents, number of private and federal properties impacted, constructability, and cost effectiveness; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, that this body strongly urges the Honolulu City Council to reconsider the selection of the Salt Lake alignment and to commit to construction of the fixed guideway system along the Airport/Pearl Harbor alignment and strongly urges the city to prioritize the addition of this alignment as studies are completed and funds are available; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Fixed guideway system; Airport/Pearl Harbor alignment