Report Title:

Flexible design guidelines for roads and bridges.

WHEREAS, Hawaii's rural communities are the heart and soul of the islands, where the aloha spirit and natural resources are truly the essence of our State; and

WHEREAS, as urbanization spreads throughout Hawaii, these communities are at risk of losing their unique identities; and

WHEREAS, when Congress passed the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in 1991, it recognized the importance of good design that is sensitive to its surrounding environment, especially in historic and scenic areas; and

WHEREAS, aesthetic, scenic, historic, cultural, and natural resources of an area are important factors that create a sense of place and provide communities with an identity; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that organizations such as the Alliance for the Heritage of East Maui, the Hanalei Road Committee on Kauai, and the Hamakua-Honokaa Heritage Corridor on the Big Island, are exploring and supporting concepts such as scenic byway or heritage corridor programs; and

WHEREAS, work is also in progress to recognize the upper Kona road on the Big Island and Ka Iwi coastal highway stretch on Oahu as important scenic and historic corridors; and

WHEREAS, these projects which represent the desires of communities cannot be implemented unless alternative standards are adopted by the Department of Transportation; and

WHEREAS, reasonable design decisions can be made to balance safety and environment in a way that provides the project best suited to conditions important to that area; and

WHEREAS, tort liability should not be an impediment in developing flexible design guidelines; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation may consider Vermont's liability law as a model of protection from civil action; and

WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the highest quality design to ensure that road and bridge projects adequately meet the State's transportation needs, exist in harmony with their surroundings, and add value to the communities they serve; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, that on or before January 1, 2002, the Director of Transportation shall establish new design guidelines to govern new construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, restoration, or rehabilitation of bridges, principal and minor arterial roads, collector and local roads, and streets; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the guidelines should take into account:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in establishing the guidelines, the Director of Transportation shall solicit and consider the views of elected officials and organizations including, but not limited to: those with expertise in environmental protection, historic preservation, scenic conservation, bicycle and pedestrian transportation, as well as regional councils of government, rural development councils, the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, and the Federal Highway Administration; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation.