Hawaii-2016-HCR92-Introduced

WHEREAS, until recently, travel from the many hotels and resorts on west Maui to east Maui locations required travel through the main artery of Lahaina, Honoapiilani Highway; and

WHEREAS, vehicular traffic from residents, visitors, tour bus operators, commercial vehicles, and government agencies through Lahaina has contributed to traffic congestion, increased travel times, unnecessary fuel consumption, needless vehicle noise, and excess air pollution; and

WHEREAS, the Lahaina Bypass, also known as Hawaii Route 3000, is a relatively new road spanning approximately 2.4 miles north of Lahaina; and

WHEREAS, the Lahaina Bypass, when used in conjunction with Keawe Street, Keawe Street Extension, and Hokiokio Place, helps to relieve traffic in west Maui by providing an alternate driving route around the traffic congestion of Lahaina; and

WHEREAS, the lack of signage and public awareness has led many visitors, tour vehicle operators, and other drivers to continue to drive through Lahaina, instead of using the Lahaina Bypass, which has not helped to reduce traffic congestion in west Maui; and

WHEREAS, commercial vehicle operators and other businesses have a vested interest in requiring drivers to use the Lahaina Bypass to avoid Lahaina traffic for purposes of reducing fuel consumption, travel time, and other costs; and

WHEREAS, the visitor industry has a vested interest in ensuring that visitors to Maui are provided with the most expedient and pleasant driving route to and from hotels and other destinations; and

WHEREAS, if properly utilized by commercial drivers and visitors, the Lahaina Bypass will help to reduce congestion of the main road of Lahaina as well as allow for local, slower-moving traffic that promotes a walkable, bicycle-friendly, rustic community with a historic sense of place; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2016, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature urges the Department of Transportation, the Department of Transportation Airports Division, the County of Maui, the County of Maui Public Works Department, Maui Hotel and Lodging Association, Maui Visitors Bureau, Hawaii Transportation Association, Maui tour operators, and Maui tourism-related businesses to encourage their employees or the employees of their members to avoid unnecessarily driving through Lahaina on Honoapiilani Highway and instead use the Lahaina Bypass; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the foregoing organizations are encouraged to use updated maps, training programs, employee guides, and incentives to promote the benefits of using the Lahaina Bypass for vehicular travel in and out of west Maui; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation, the County of Maui, Maui Hotel and Lodging Association, Maui Visitors Bureau, and car rental companies doing business on Maui are requested to advertise and conduct other forms of public awareness campaigns that focus on Maui visitors and encourages the use of the Lahaina Bypass; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to increase signage for the Lahaina Bypass so that visitors and other individuals not familiar with the area will know to use the alternate route; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Garmin, OnStar, Google, TomTom, Magellan, Mio, Lowrance, TrackMaker, and other companies in the vehicle global positioning system industry are requested to update their software to route vehicle global positioning system device users to utilize the Lahaina Bypass where possible; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation, the Airports Administrator of the Department of Transportation Airports Division, the Mayor of the County of Maui, the Director of the County of Maui Department of Public Works, the Executive Director of the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association, the Executive Director of the Maui Visitors Bureau, and the Managing Director of the Hawaii Transportation Association; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs who in turn is requested to send copies of this measure to the Chief Executive Officers of Garmin, OnStar, Google, TomTom, Magellan, Mio, Lowrance, TrackMaker, and other companies in the vehicle global positioning system industry at the discretion of the Director; no less than five Maui tour operators doing business on Maui; no less than five taxi cab companies doing business on Maui; and no less than five car rental companies doing business on Maui.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Maui; Lahaina; Lahaina Bypass; Tourism; Global Positioning System; Car Rental; Road Traffic

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	92
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016
STATE OF HAWAII