HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.19            
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE  RESOLUTION
  EXPRESSING SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
    TRANSPORTATION'S INITIATIVE TO IDENTIFY, PROTECT, AND
    ENHANCE HAWAII'S HERITAGE ROADS.


 1        WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation is embarking on
 2   several programs to work with the communities of Hawaii,
 3   including the Hanalei Roads Committee on Kauai, the Hilo-
 4   Hamakua Heritage Coastline on the Big Island, and the Alliance
 5   for the Heritage of East Maui, to identify, protect, and
 6   enhance Hawaii's transportation corridors having significant
 7   historic, cultural, and scenic resources known as "heritage
 8   roads"; and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, the nation as a whole and Hawaii in particular
11   has a rich tradition of heritage roads.  However, these roads
12   are in danger.  A combination of local and national policy,
13   age, ignorance, increased traffic, and a litigious society has
14   placed heavy burdens on these significant resources; and
15   
16        WHEREAS, the present trend, both nationally and locally,
17   is to return to the consideration of heritage roads with an eye
18   to their identification and protection; and
19   
20        WHEREAS, the importance of the view from transportation
21   corridors to residents and visitors cannot be overemphasized;
22   and
23   
24        WHEREAS, heritage roads enhance the quality of life,
25   creating more livable communities through respect of the past
26   and of the natural beauty that surrounds us; and
27   
28        WHEREAS, heritage roads provide numerous economic
29   benefits.  Heritage roads are visitor attractions, and
30   contribute to the revitalization of struggling rural
31   communities.  The economic benefit of heritage roads is well
32   documented throughout the United States.  For instance, the
33   National Main Street program has helped revitalize more than
34   1150 Main Street towns and cities since 1980.  The program has
35   generated more than $24,000,000,000 in physical improvements
36   and produced twenty thousand net new businesses and over sixty-
37   four thousand new jobs since 1980; and
38   

 
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                                  H.R. NO.19            
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1        WHEREAS, successful planning for heritage roads requires
 2   close partnership between state and federal policy makers,
 3   state transportation agencies, the Federal Highway
 4   Administration, the preservation community, and, perhaps most
 5   importantly, the impacted communities; and
 6   
 7        WHEREAS, to convey a sense of place, scenic corridors must
 8   preserve qualities unique and peculiar to that place or period.
 9   The mistake of standardization of our highways at the cost of
10   regional identity was recognized by the United States Congress,
11   which has made a commitment to preserving and protecting the
12   environmental and cultural values affected by transportation
13   facilities.  The challenge is to find design solutions that
14   also are safe and effective transportation solutions; and
15   
16   
17   
18        WHEREAS, in recognition of the need for flexibility in
19   highway design, the Federal Highway Administration has moved
20   away from applying interstate standards across the board and
21   has offered flexibility through the 1991 Intermodal Surface
22   Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), its successor TEA-21,
23   and the National Highway System Designation (NHS) Act of 1995.
24   TEA-21 emphasizes good design that is sensitive to its
25   surrounding environment, especially in historic and scenic
26   areas.  Further, if a proposed project allows for the
27   preservation of historic or scenic value, greater design
28   flexibility can be approved; and
29   
30        WHEREAS, experience has shown that two elements are
31   essential to attaining success, namely, planning and community
32   involvement.  The Federal Highway Administration recognizes
33   that every project is unique.  The setting and character of the
34   area, the values of the community, the needs of the highway
35   users, and the challenges and opportunities are unique factors
36   that designers must consider with each highway project; now,
37   therefore,
38   
39        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
40   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
41   of 1999, that this body expresses its support and encouragement
42   for the Department of Transportation's initiative to identify,
43   protect, and enhance Hawaii's historic and scenic corridors
44   based on their expertise and in conjunction with the national
45   trend to preserve heritage roads; and
46   

 
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                                  H.R. NO.19            
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body encourages and
 2   supports the Department's efforts to work closely with Hawaii's
 3   communities, develop flexibility of standards, and be bold and
 4   creative in its heritage roads initiative; and
 5   
 6        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
 7   Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Director of
 8   Transportation.
 9   
10   
11   
12                           OFFERED BY: ___________________________