COUNTY COUNCIL, County of Kaua’i: Resolution No. 2003-10, Draft 2
Resolution Requesting an Integrated County Land Transportation Plan
WHEREAS, traffic congestion is a major and growing concern on Kaua’i, which affects residents, businesses and visitors alike; and
WHEREAS, traffic congestion costs residents and businesses time, money and peace of mind and creates negative impressions for our visitors, many of whom come to Kaua’i expecting to enjoy a rural environment free of urban traffic problems; and
WHEREAS, studies such as the Kaua’i Long-Range Land Transportation Plan (1997) and the Kaua’i General Plan (2000) confirm that many of our major roadways (Kaumuali’i Highway between Maluhia Road and Rice Street, and Kuhio Highway in Kapa’a and Waipouli) are operating at “over capacity” levels; and
WHEREAS, the inadequacy of our transportation system is apparent from the daily experiences of our citizens – to wit: (1) bumper-to-bumper West side traffic out of Lihu’e during “pau hana” hours; (2) Lihu’e-bound traffic backed up to Kalaheo Town and/or the Koloa “Tree Tunnel” in the mornings; (3) bumper to bumper traffic through Kapa’a Town during the holidays and at certain times of the day; (3) impossible left turns coming out of the main highway at Lawai and ‘Oma’o Roads and other places along the Belt (Kuhio) Highway; and
WHEREAS, land use approvals have been given for significant development on the West side—e.g., A&B’s Kukui’ula development, the Robinson – Family’s Kapalawai development and the expansion of Waimea Plantation Cottages—and large developments and cumulative smaller developments on the East side and North Shore are also anticipated, indicating that Kaua’i's traffic problems could quickly worsen; and
WHEREAS, according to the Kaua’i General Plan (2000), if we think only in terms of highways, by 2020 Kaua’i will need a four-lane Kapa’a bypass road, a six-lane highway between Hanama’ulu and Kapa’a, a four-lane Koloa bypass road, and a four-lane highway to Waimea.
WHEREAS, such high speed highway systems, the parking facilities they will necessitate in the various towns, and the sprawl they will encourage, could be the beginning of the end of Kaua’i's rural character and could gradually usher into Kaua’i the feeling of O’ahu; and
WHEREAS, such highway improvements will be extremely costly to the community collectively and to the households that must support several cars per family; and
WHEREAS, based on experiences elsewhere, such road improvements will not necessarily bring an end to traffic congestion since adding new highway segments often simply moves the congestion to another bottleneck in the system; and
WHEREAS, even if these road improvements did resolve the congestion problem, they would still leave large numbers of citizens “disenfranchised” in terms of transportation — i.e., young people below driving age, senior and disabled citizens unable to drive themselves, low income people and families who cannot afford three or four cars per family at the average annual per car cost of $4,000; visitors who choose not to or are unable to rent a car, and persons who would prefer to walk or ride a bike but are unable to do so because of the lack of safe bike and pedestrian ways; and
WHEREAS, Kaua’i's elderly population is increasing at a rate faster than the island’s overall population and the aging of Kaua’i's population will require more public transportation capacity in the future; and this need and fact should be part of our overall transportation planning; and
WHEREAS, traffic solutions proposed in the Long Range Plan and other transportation plans, such as the Kapa’a Traffic Circulation Study (September 2002), focus predominantly on private vehicular traffic and the widening and construction of roads; and
WHEREAS, a study that integrates pedestrian traffic, public transportation, bike travel, as well as vehicular traffic will be a more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally sound way to address our traffic problems; and
WHEREAS, the Kaua’i General Plan (2000) urges application of a key General Plan policy of preserving Kaua’i's rural character to the issue of traffic and suggests consideration of public transportation and other alternatives to highway expansion; and
WHEREAS, predominant reliance on private vehicles is likely to create a future similar to that of Los Angeles and Honolulu, and Kaua’i desires to model a new, more sustainable transportation system that will support the preservation of open spaces and rural quality and reduce Kaua’i's dependency on fossil fuels while efficiently transporting people and goods around the island; and
WHEREAS, the average family in Hawai’i spends more on transportation (including car loan payments, gas, maintenance, insurance, parking, etc.) than on health care, education, or food. In fact, of the average Honolulu household income, transportation costs are second only to housing costs. Providing safe transportation alternatives to the private automobile could make large amounts of disposable income available to working families for home ownership, education, and other needs or investments; and
WHEREAS, the average American family spends 20 percent of its household expenditures on transportation, and the poorest segment of the population (those earning less than $13,000 per year) pay 42% of their income for the purchase, operation, and maintenance of automobiles. Making safe transportation alternatives available could tremendously assist our low income families; and
WHEREAS, an integrated land transportation system could enhance education and the fight against drugs at all levels by providing safe bus service and bikeways that enable students to access educational and recreational programs in our neighborhoods and around the island and will free parent chauffeurs and reduce vehicular traffic; and
WHEREAS, an integrated land transportation system with a strong public transportation component will enhance economic development on Kaua’i by facilitating the transport of people and goods; and
WHEREAS, the design of communities and transportation systems can impact public heath by affecting people’s activity levels, and thereby the levels of obesity and chronic diseases in a community. By integrating alternatives to the private automobile into the transportation planning process, an integrated transportation plan can encourage healthy lifestyles and result in better health for the people of Kaua’i; and
WHEREAS, carbon dioxide is a major source of the heat-trapping gases that cause global warming, which can lead to rising seas, fiercer storms, severe droughts, and other global climatic disruptions. An integrated transportation plan could reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that Kaua’i generates and contributes to the global problems, as well as reduce Kaua’i's dependency on fossil fuel; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF KAUA’I, STATE OF HAWAII, that the people of the County of Kaua’i would benefit from an integrated land transportation plan that includes and coordinates private vehicular traffic, public transportation, bikeways, and pedestrian activities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an integrated and comprehensive approach to addressing the County’s traffic problems and land transportation opportunities is the preferred method of doing so.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council requests that Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste’s administration work with the State Department of Transportation to update the Kaua’i Long Range Land Transportation Plan (1997) as an integrated land transportation plan, working with the County of Kaua’i Planning and Public Works Departments, the County Bikeways Committee, the County Executive on Transportation, and other interested groups and citizens, and that this be a priority given the present traffic problems on Kaua’i.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this updated and integrated Kaua’i Land Transportation Plan seek to create a sustainable transportation system — a system that would best retain Kaua’i's rural character, complement Kaua’i's visitor industry and support economic development; and a cost-effective system that will serve the many needs of Kaua’i's community at the highest level possible.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste, the Deputy County Engineer, the County Planning Director, the Director of the State Department of Transportation, Rodney K. Haraga, Highways Administrator Glenn M. Yasui, and Kaua’i District Engineer Steven M. Kyono.
Introduced by: /s/ JOANN A. YUKIMURA
Certificate of Adoption
We hereby certify that Resolution No. 2003-10, Draft 2 was adopted by the Council of the County of Kaua’i, State of Hawai’i, Lihu’e, Kaua’i, Hawai’i, on March 13, 2003.
/s/ Peter A. Nakamura, County Clerk
/s/ Bill “Kaipo” Asing, Chairman & Presiding Officer
Dated: March 14, 2003
Important upcoming information and dates for the 2010 campaign are located on the official County of Kaua‘i election calendar; please visit the County of Kaua‘i or the State of Hawai‘i web sites for more details.
Transportation Resolution
COUNTY COUNCIL, County of Kaua’i: Resolution No. 2003-10, Draft 2
Resolution Requesting an Integrated County Land Transportation Plan
WHEREAS, traffic congestion is a major and growing concern on Kaua’i, which affects residents, businesses and visitors alike; and
WHEREAS, traffic congestion costs residents and businesses time, money and peace of mind and creates negative impressions for our visitors, many of whom come to Kaua’i expecting to enjoy a rural environment free of urban traffic problems; and
WHEREAS, studies such as the Kaua’i Long-Range Land Transportation Plan (1997) and the Kaua’i General Plan (2000) confirm that many of our major roadways (Kaumuali’i Highway between Maluhia Road and Rice Street, and Kuhio Highway in Kapa’a and Waipouli) are operating at “over capacity” levels; and
WHEREAS, the inadequacy of our transportation system is apparent from the daily experiences of our citizens – to wit: (1) bumper-to-bumper West side traffic out of Lihu’e during “pau hana” hours; (2) Lihu’e-bound traffic backed up to Kalaheo Town and/or the Koloa “Tree Tunnel” in the mornings; (3) bumper to bumper traffic through Kapa’a Town during the holidays and at certain times of the day; (3) impossible left turns coming out of the main highway at Lawai and ‘Oma’o Roads and other places along the Belt (Kuhio) Highway; and
WHEREAS, land use approvals have been given for significant development on the West side—e.g., A&B’s Kukui’ula development, the Robinson – Family’s Kapalawai development and the expansion of Waimea Plantation Cottages—and large developments and cumulative smaller developments on the East side and North Shore are also anticipated, indicating that Kaua’i's traffic problems could quickly worsen; and
WHEREAS, according to the Kaua’i General Plan (2000), if we think only in terms of highways, by 2020 Kaua’i will need a four-lane Kapa’a bypass road, a six-lane highway between Hanama’ulu and Kapa’a, a four-lane Koloa bypass road, and a four-lane highway to Waimea.
WHEREAS, such high speed highway systems, the parking facilities they will necessitate in the various towns, and the sprawl they will encourage, could be the beginning of the end of Kaua’i's rural character and could gradually usher into Kaua’i the feeling of O’ahu; and
WHEREAS, such highway improvements will be extremely costly to the community collectively and to the households that must support several cars per family; and
WHEREAS, based on experiences elsewhere, such road improvements will not necessarily bring an end to traffic congestion since adding new highway segments often simply moves the congestion to another bottleneck in the system; and
WHEREAS, even if these road improvements did resolve the congestion problem, they would still leave large numbers of citizens “disenfranchised” in terms of transportation — i.e., young people below driving age, senior and disabled citizens unable to drive themselves, low income people and families who cannot afford three or four cars per family at the average annual per car cost of $4,000; visitors who choose not to or are unable to rent a car, and persons who would prefer to walk or ride a bike but are unable to do so because of the lack of safe bike and pedestrian ways; and
WHEREAS, Kaua’i's elderly population is increasing at a rate faster than the island’s overall population and the aging of Kaua’i's population will require more public transportation capacity in the future; and this need and fact should be part of our overall transportation planning; and
WHEREAS, traffic solutions proposed in the Long Range Plan and other transportation plans, such as the Kapa’a Traffic Circulation Study (September 2002), focus predominantly on private vehicular traffic and the widening and construction of roads; and
WHEREAS, a study that integrates pedestrian traffic, public transportation, bike travel, as well as vehicular traffic will be a more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally sound way to address our traffic problems; and
WHEREAS, the Kaua’i General Plan (2000) urges application of a key General Plan policy of preserving Kaua’i's rural character to the issue of traffic and suggests consideration of public transportation and other alternatives to highway expansion; and
WHEREAS, predominant reliance on private vehicles is likely to create a future similar to that of Los Angeles and Honolulu, and Kaua’i desires to model a new, more sustainable transportation system that will support the preservation of open spaces and rural quality and reduce Kaua’i's dependency on fossil fuels while efficiently transporting people and goods around the island; and
WHEREAS, the average family in Hawai’i spends more on transportation (including car loan payments, gas, maintenance, insurance, parking, etc.) than on health care, education, or food. In fact, of the average Honolulu household income, transportation costs are second only to housing costs. Providing safe transportation alternatives to the private automobile could make large amounts of disposable income available to working families for home ownership, education, and other needs or investments; and
WHEREAS, the average American family spends 20 percent of its household expenditures on transportation, and the poorest segment of the population (those earning less than $13,000 per year) pay 42% of their income for the purchase, operation, and maintenance of automobiles. Making safe transportation alternatives available could tremendously assist our low income families; and
WHEREAS, an integrated land transportation system could enhance education and the fight against drugs at all levels by providing safe bus service and bikeways that enable students to access educational and recreational programs in our neighborhoods and around the island and will free parent chauffeurs and reduce vehicular traffic; and
WHEREAS, an integrated land transportation system with a strong public transportation component will enhance economic development on Kaua’i by facilitating the transport of people and goods; and
WHEREAS, the design of communities and transportation systems can impact public heath by affecting people’s activity levels, and thereby the levels of obesity and chronic diseases in a community. By integrating alternatives to the private automobile into the transportation planning process, an integrated transportation plan can encourage healthy lifestyles and result in better health for the people of Kaua’i; and
WHEREAS, carbon dioxide is a major source of the heat-trapping gases that cause global warming, which can lead to rising seas, fiercer storms, severe droughts, and other global climatic disruptions. An integrated transportation plan could reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that Kaua’i generates and contributes to the global problems, as well as reduce Kaua’i's dependency on fossil fuel; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF KAUA’I, STATE OF HAWAII, that the people of the County of Kaua’i would benefit from an integrated land transportation plan that includes and coordinates private vehicular traffic, public transportation, bikeways, and pedestrian activities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an integrated and comprehensive approach to addressing the County’s traffic problems and land transportation opportunities is the preferred method of doing so.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council requests that Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste’s administration work with the State Department of Transportation to update the Kaua’i Long Range Land Transportation Plan (1997) as an integrated land transportation plan, working with the County of Kaua’i Planning and Public Works Departments, the County Bikeways Committee, the County Executive on Transportation, and other interested groups and citizens, and that this be a priority given the present traffic problems on Kaua’i.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this updated and integrated Kaua’i Land Transportation Plan seek to create a sustainable transportation system — a system that would best retain Kaua’i's rural character, complement Kaua’i's visitor industry and support economic development; and a cost-effective system that will serve the many needs of Kaua’i's community at the highest level possible.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste, the Deputy County Engineer, the County Planning Director, the Director of the State Department of Transportation, Rodney K. Haraga, Highways Administrator Glenn M. Yasui, and Kaua’i District Engineer Steven M. Kyono.
Introduced by: /s/ JOANN A. YUKIMURA
Certificate of Adoption
We hereby certify that Resolution No. 2003-10, Draft 2 was adopted by the Council of the County of Kaua’i, State of Hawai’i, Lihu’e, Kaua’i, Hawai’i, on March 13, 2003.
/s/ Peter A. Nakamura, County Clerk
/s/ Bill “Kaipo” Asing, Chairman & Presiding Officer
Dated: March 14, 2003
Aye: Asing, Furfaro, Kaneshiro, Munechika, Rapozo, Yukimura
Nay: (none)
Exc: Tokioka
Total: 6 0 1
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