Bill Text: HI HCR197 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urging The Department Of Transportation To Work In Conjunction With The Departments Of Transportation Services And Emergency Management Of The City And County Of Honolulu And The Honolulu Police Department To Analyze The Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road System And Whether These Roads Can Be Used As A Secondary Access Road To The Waianae Coast On A Permanent Basis.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 35-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-04-20 - Resolution adopted in final form. [HCR197 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2017-HCR197-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
197 |
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TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
urging the department of transportation to work in conjunction with the departments of transportation services and emergency management of the city and county of Honolulu and the honolulu police department to analyze the waianae coast emergency access road system and whether these roads can be used as a secondary access road to the waianae coast on a permanent basis.
WHEREAS, Farrington Highway is the main route of travel for communities of the Leeward Coast of Oahu and is the only public highway that leads into and out of the region; and
WHEREAS, as the population along the Leeward Coast continues to increase, and with only one route into and out of the area, traffic conditions continue to worsen and frustrated Leeward motorists are caught in gridlock traffic conditions on a daily basis; and
WHEREAS, Farrington Highway has experienced lane closures or complete shutdowns on numerous occasions due to traffic accidents, severe weather, and other emergency conditions; and
WHEREAS, for over a decade, numerous proposals to find a solution to the foregoing problem have been made, including the construction of a secondary access road into the Waianae area parallel to Farrington Highway, the development of an emergency access route into and out of the Waianae area using existing infrastructure, increasing the capacity of Farrington Highway, and construction of a mauka roadway through the Waianae mountain range to connect the Leeward Coast with Central Oahu; and
WHEREAS, despite these proposals, no permanent solution has been initiated; and
WHEREAS, in a coordinated effort between numerous departments and agencies, plans have been put in place to use existing roads as an emergency access and bypass route into the Waianae area during emergency highway closures or other emergency situations; and
WHEREAS, accordingly, the system of roads, known as the Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road System (WCEAR), consists of gated roads that are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Emergency Management of the City and County of Honolulu that can be opened when it is deemed necessary or when requested by the Honolulu Police Department; and
WHEREAS, while use of WCEAR has provided needed relief during recent emergency situations, issues regarding the timely opening of these roads still remain, including the necessity of having the gates to the roads unlocked by an individual from the Department of Emergency Management; and
WHEREAS, questions remain as to the actual ownership and jurisdiction of the WCEAR System roads and whether WCEAR System road conditions meet current road building standards; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that there is a critical need for an alternate route to the Waianae Coast to alleviate aforestated circumstances; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation Services and Department of Emergency Management of the City and County of Honolulu, and the Honolulu Police Department, is urged to conduct an analysis of roads in the Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road System to:
(1) Determine the logistical challenges of opening WCEAR System roads on a permanent basis;
(2) Review and consider the jurisdictional issues that need to be addressed to allow the use of WCEAR System roads on a permanent basis;
(3) Determine any improvements necessary to bring WCEAR System roads in line with current road building standards, including cost estimates for the improvements;
(4) Determine the overall benefits of and the actions necessary to effectuate the opening of WCEAR System roads only during peak traffic times versus permanently opening these roads, including effects in reducing travel times; and
(5) Consider any other pertinent issues that may be involved in the use of WCEAR System roads as an alternative means of access to and from the Leeward Coast; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2018; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation, Director of the Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu, Director of the Department of Emergency Management of the City and County of Honolulu, and Acting Honolulu Police Chief.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Urging the Department of Transportation to work in conjunction with the Departments of Emergency Management and Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu and the Honolulu Police Department to analyze and assess the possibility of using the Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road on a more permanent basis.
