RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation is charged with the responsibility under section 26-19, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to plan, develop, promote, and coordinate various transportation systems management programs; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation states on its website: "The mission of the Highways Division is to provide a safe, and efficient and accessible highway system through the utilization of available resources in the maintenance, enhancement and support of land transportation facilities"; and

WHEREAS, vehicular traffic safety is a top priority for the Department of Transportation as a responsibility of the State Highway Safety Council (section 286-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes), and is a responsibility shared with the counties through the traffic or highway safety council (section 286-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes) of each county; and

WHEREAS, motor vehicle traffic accidents involving multi-vehicle collisions are becoming more commonplace, often resulting in fatalities and serious bodily injury; and

WHEREAS, fatal multi-vehicle accidents cause a tie-up in traffic flow while traffic investigators meticulously investigate the scene of the accident, and other agencies such as ambulances, police, and firefighters do their work at the scene; and

WHEREAS, traffic commonly can become backlogged and tied up for hours; and

WHEREAS, state highways are the main thoroughfare for traffic, particularly on Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the state highway traffic corridor in South Kona on the island of Hawaii has experienced an increasing amount of traffic; and

WHEREAS, with its growing population and development of nearby areas, traffic congestion in the South Kona area will only increase; and

WHEREAS, the logical and prudent course of action to alleviate this existing and future problem is to study and evaluate existing traffic conditions in the area, compare the data with current and projected population data, and develop a traffic solution plan that will accommodate the needs of the South Kona community for now and the future; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Transportation is requested to study and evaluate existing traffic conditions in the South Kona area of Hawaii and prepare a traffic solution plan to minimize existing and future traffic problems; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to include in the study the issues of land or easement acquisition or condemnation, liability, plan implementation, signage, and the costs of necessary road improvements; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to report findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2007 on its study, evaluation, and plan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation, the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, and the Chief of Police of the County of Hawaii.

Report Title:

Traffic Study and Plan; South Kona