STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1098

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1472

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 1472 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAFFIC,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to perform a definitive study to determine the feasibility of implementing a permanent contraflow traffic scheme for the Pali highway during peak traffic hours.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the DOT.

The Pali highway is a critical road that serves as ingress and egress for a multitude of communities bridging windward and leeward Oahu. Motorists from Waimanalo, Kailua, Kaneohe, and other windward communities depend on and use the Pali highway in their daily commutes to and from work and for other purposes. It has become apparent over the years that during peak traffic hours in the mornings and afternoons, traffic backs up for miles in every direction as vehicles approach the Pali highway. It has also become equally obvious that windward-bound traffic during peak hours is invariably sparse. Given these conditions, it is only logical to determine whether some sort of contraflow traffic scheme can be implemented.

The DOT recognizes the problem and works continually to monitor and improve the traffic flow, including use of contraflow lanes. However, there have been no definitive published traffic studies concerning the feasibility and advisability of initiating a contraflow lane.

Your Committee has amended this measure to add to the study Kahekili highway, which is also subject to severe traffic congestion during peak traffic times.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1472, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1472, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Government Operations,

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair