HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

242

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

ESTABLISHING A KAPAA QUARRY ROAD SAFETY TASK FORCE TO CONDUCT A STUDY TO DEVELOP AND RECOMMEND TRAFFIC SAFETY MEASURES FOR KAPAA QUARRY ROAD IN ORDER TO ALLEVIATE DANGEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS AND REDUCE HAZARDOUS DRIVING PRACTICES.

 

 


     WHEREAS, Kapaa Quarry Road (Quarry Road) runs approximately 2.25 miles from Kalanianaole Highway to Mokapu Boulevard, on the Windward side of Oahu; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Quarry Road runs through Kawai Nui Marsh, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, and is a habitat for endemic and endangered birds, making the installation of street lights and widening of the roadways difficult; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Quarry Road has many curves and one deep dip, is unlighted and unimproved, and has no guardrails or lane designations; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Quarry Road is mainly used by the public to reach Kapaa Quarry, the Kawainui Model Field (known as "Airplane Park"), Le Jardin Academy, Kapaa Transfer Station, and  businesses in the industrial park; and

 

     WHEREAS, on February 15, 2007, two young women were killed in a crash while traveling on Quarry Road, and five others were injured; and

 

     WHEREAS, other accidents on the Quarry Road in recent years include a 1998 crash attributable to speeding, which resulted in the death of a teenage girl; a 2000 incident that overturned a vehicle, which resulted in the hospitalization of three people, and a 2001 crash that left a teenage boy hospitalized in critical condition; and


     WHEREAS, although the speed limit on the Quarry Road is 25 miles per hour, drivers frequently drive much faster and use the road for entertainment, such as going fast over the dip to simulate a rollercoaster; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State took over the jurisdiction of the Kapaa Quarry from the City and County of Honolulu (C&C) in 2005, but portions of the Quarry Road is reportedly owned by four private entities, with the C&C possessing an easement; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that a Kapaa Quarry Road Safety Task Force (Task Force) is established under the Department of Transportation Services (DTS) of the C&C, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation (DOT), to recommend traffic safety measures for Quarry Road; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that members of the Task Force include at least one representative from each of the following:

 

·         The Department of Transportation;

 

·         The Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu;

 

·         The Department of Land and Natural Resources;

 

·         The Honolulu Police Department;

 

·         The Department of Environmental Services of the City and County of Honolulu;

 

·         The Kailua Neighborhood Board No. 31;

 

·         The Senate of the State of Hawaii, to be selected by the President of the Senate;

 

·         The House of Representatives of the State of Hawaii, to be selected by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

·         Surrounding businesses, schools, and property owners, to be determined by the DTS, in conjunction with DOT; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DTS, in conjunction with DOT, provide administrative support to the Task Force; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature and the Honolulu City Council no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2008; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to:

 

·         The Director of Transportation;

 

·         The Chair of the Honolulu City Council;

 

·         The Director of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu;

 

·         The Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources;

 

·         The Police Chief of the Honolulu Police Department;

 

·         The Director of Environmental Services of the City and County of Honolulu;

 

·         The Chair of the Kailua Neighborhood Board No. 31;

 

·         The President of the Senate;

 

·         The Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

 

·         Surrounding businesses, schools, and properties owners, to be determined by DTS, in conjunction with DOT.

Report Title: 

Kapaa Quarry Road Safety Task Force