WELCOME!! WAIMEA REGIONAL SAFETY STUDY COMMUNITY MEETING PEL 2 DECEMBER 5, 2018 WAIMEA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WELCOME!! WAIMEA REGIONAL SAFETY STUDY COMMUNITY MEETING PEL 2 DECEMBER 5, 2018 WAIMEA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

TONIGHT S AGENDA Welcome and Introductions Recap PEL 1 Meeting: What is this study? What are the community values? What are the needs? Developing the Purpose and Need Statement Next Meeting Who needs to be involved or consulted? How to reach us 2

PEL FOR WAIMEA REGIONAL SAFETY STUDY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGES PEL is a community involved process for working out issues and then incorporating them into the environmental process PEL studies are prepared prior to an EIS Because the community helps define the purpose and need and the alternatives to review, there should be less contention Using PEL can be an advantage to the overall project timeline End product is a PEL Document 3

STUDY OBJECTIVES HDOT looking for less costly improvements to serve the greater Waimea area, possibly including a shorter bypass Seeking to find that combination of projects that will make a difference, but be fiscally feasible. Looking for community consensus on which project or package of projects to support before environmental studies are started Previous studies are helpful and will be reviewed for relevancy New and updated technical studies (Traffic, Archaeological, Flora/Fauna, Noise, etc.) will be prepared 4

WAIMEA REGIONAL SAFETY PEL STUDY TASKS Identify safety and congestion problems that Need to be addressed. Document those Needs with data. Meet with regulatory agencies such as US Fish & Wildlife, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Health, and State Historic Preservation Office as well as County Planning, Public Works and Mass Transit Agencies. Develop and Purpose and Need statement and gain community and agency consensus Identify Alternatives that meet the Purpose and Need Narrow Alternatives to a reasonable number (typically no more than 3) 5

STUDY AREA 6

PEL 1 Needs Existing Conditions & Constraints Study Traffic & Safety Study PEL 2 Purpose & Need Statement Archaeological & Cultural Study PEL 3 Alternatives PEL 4 Narrow Alternatives Endangered Species Study Noise Study Flooding & Drainage Study PEL Document Environmental Impact Statement Prep Notice 7

COMMUNITY VALUES AND VISION 8

COMMUNITY VALUES EXPRESSED AT PEL 1 Burials, Burial Council Water, flow of water, clean water, water rights (i.e., Protection of ALL water) Green living, sustainability, recycling Maintain rural lifestyle/farming communities: Don t have negative impacts on ability to grow food Safety of children (e.g., ingress/egress to schools and parks) Multi-modal/Health and Wellness Pollution from cars; need to reduce carbon footprint: Need EV charging stations to promote the use of electric vehicles Government transparency Carpooling: Encourage carpool parking areas so people can carpool to resort areas Local safety in addition to safety for through traffic Need alternative internal transportation routes SOUTH KOHALA CDP We are a family oriented place We love the old stories about our people and places and want them to live on in the hearts of our children Our Hawaiian and Paniolo pasts contribute to our unique sense of place We honor the kupuna by accepting the values and concerns of Native Hawaiians who have known for centuries the limits of island resources and the need to protect the aina We embrace rural values and lifestyle The puu of South Kohala are of great cultural and scenic value and are loved by all We treasure gathering places revered for cultural, historical and social reasons We enjoy moving about South Kohala landscape: on foot, by bicycle, and on horseback Need opportunities to live closer to work Preserve the identity of Waimea: Waimea Town vs. Waimea District Develop smarter (the study area is too small) Ohana and animals Hawaiian history and values need to be taught 9

SOUTH KOHALACDP VISION STATEMENT The people of South Kohala are united by our love and reverence for the beauty and peace of our land and waters and by our respect for the richness of our various cultures and traditions. We desire to preserve the past, thrive in the present, and dream about a future that honors economic viability and environmental responsibility which is sustainable and desirable for current and future residents. We are blessed to live in one of the most unique, exquisite places on the planet, and we know it. We promise to plan to do everything to live responsibly and wisely on this sacred island for current and future generations. Our actions are guided by our Hawai i State motto: Uamaukeeao ka ainai kapono The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. 10

NEEDS IDENTIFIED AT PEL 1 11

NEEDS 1) SPEED AND SAFETY Children walking to school in and out of the school zone Congestion at Lindsey Road intersection with Kawaihae Road due to before and after school drop off and pick up at Parker School as well as Saturday Farmer s Market Truck traffic through town Speeding in school zones Not safe for pedestrians due to lack of sidewalks and poor lighting Kawaihae Road East of Police Station Left turn lane at Long s Questioned why developers are not responsible to improve roads to meet the needs of the development Utility poles are in the way of expansion east of town on Māmalahoa Hwy Vehicles stack up in the left turn lane from Mamalahoa Highway onto Lindsey Road and block the left turn lane into the school. People also drive in the turn lane to get around stacked vehicles Too many plans/studies have happened without progress 12

NEEDS 2) TRAFFIC CONGESTION Too many vehicles, too little public transportation Congestion is less in the summer Cost of Kawaihae Road bypass was increased by phasing the multiple connectors to Kawaihae Road requiring bridges. Should have been handled like Saddle Road as one complete project. Mamalahoa Highway between KTA and Foodland congestion due to school traffic Truck traffic going to Hilo; Why not ship directly to Hilo? School bus stopping in lane of traffic to let kids on/off the bus. Need to work with DOE to mitigate this. There are 11 schools in Waimea, and they are all on the same schedule Transport of agriculture products (produce and cattle) Waiaka Bridge weight limit Lindsey Road and Kawaihae Road intersection should be improved with a roundabout Ala ʻOhiʻa extension; suggest it extend to highway across from Church Road Reduce truck traffic/slow down trucks Waimea area is a major thoroughfare to the western part of the island (not just Kona). Traffic study should separate local traffic from commuter travel Congestion around Waiaka Bridge Congestion around transfer station Additional housing being built will add vehicles to the roads 13

NEEDS 3) MAINTENANCE AND 4) BRIDGES Trucks are wearing out the roads Flooding at Waiaka Bridge area Flooding by the Post Office Existing condition of Waiaka Bridge Concerns about potential failure of the bridge at Lindsey Road connecting to Mamalahoa Highway because it would split the town Need to regularly clean streams under bridges because streams become blocked by debris and cause flooding Debris in stream above KTA is a risk during flash flood events 14

NEEDS 5) INTERSECTIONS AND 6) BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN Lindsey Road and Mamalahoa Highway Mamalahoa Highway and Kipuʻpuʻu Street at the Hawaiian Homes subdivision Kamamalu Street and Mamalahoa Highway Kohala Mountain Road and Kawaihae Road Any intersection where there is a school No sidewalks or bike lanes Roads are too small to share with bikes and pedestrians Lack of driver awareness of bicycles and motorcycles People walk on roadway shoulders because there is no other safe place to walk School bus stops and road crossings Intersection at McDonald s and KTA is unsafe for pedestrians Trails are not being maintained and are therefore not utilized Suggest looking at historic trails 15

TONIGHTSFEATURED TOPIC Developing the Purpose and need statement 16

PURPOSE AND NEED REGULATORY SETTING The state level rules and regulations are established by the State of Hawai i Department of Health, Administrative Rules, Title 11, Chapter 200 The national level rules are established in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA regulations, C.F.R. Part 771 Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) guidance documents and court decisions apply In brief, current laws, regulations, and guidance call for an EIS to briefly specify the underlying purpose and need to which the agency is responding in proposing the alternatives including the proposed action. The purpose and need statement is a key to determining the range of alternatives to be considered in the EIS and how they are evaluated. 17

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT GUIDANCE AASHTO Practitioner s Handbook 07 Defining the Purpose and Need and Determining the Range of Alternatives for Transportation Projects 18

PURPOSE AND NEED GUIDANCE Is there a single purpose of the project, or does the project serve multiple purposes? If there are multiple purposes, are some more important than others? What is driving this project? How is the need for this project distinct from the need for other similar projects that are being proposed in the same region? What are the differences? Are the project purposes achievable? Will criteria or methods be used to differentiate among alternatives that do or do not meet the project purpose? Have the project purposes changed over time? If so, how will this be explained? Will goals and objectives be defined in addition to purpose and need? What is the difference? Is the purpose and need stated clearly and succinctly? Is this need identified in a regional transportation plan? Does the purpose support land use, economic development or growth objectives of the region? Does the purpose support national defense, national security or other national objectives? 19

PURPOSE AND NEED WORKING DRAFT Two primary purposes Safety and Congestion Improve Safety for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists Relieve Congestion on the regional network of roads Additional Goals and Objectives Protect culture and values (Maintain the rural/paniolo character of the town center) Improve condition of roadways, intersections and bridges (Regional System Preservation and Asset Management) Provide an Alternate route for Truck Traffic and Emergency Vehicles (Security) 20

PURPOSE AND NEED DOCUMENTED STATEMENT Volumes at intersections and on roadways will be used to demonstrate the levels of traffic congestion experiences during peak hours and throughout the day Level of service (A to F)will be calculated to calculate congestion Number of Accidents (Property loss and Personal Injuries or Deaths) for vehicles/pedestrian/bicycle by roadway section will demonstrate safety Accident analysis will look at accident cause and whether this is a correctable condition Roadway conditions, sight distances, curves will be recorded 21

NEXT MEETING: DEVELOPING ALTERNATIVES THAT MEET THE PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT 22

Who else needs to be involved in or consulted with for this PEL work? 23

HOW TO CONTACT US Brian Tyau, HDOT (Brian.Tyau@Hawaii.gov) Cheryl Soon, SSFM International (csoon@ssfm.com) Jennifer Scheffel, SSFM International (jscheffel@ssfm.com) Project Website: WaimeaRegionalSafetyStudy.com 24

MAHALO!! 25