Provides for the funding of the planning and design of the Mauka highway.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that immediate action is necessary to address the critical need for an alternate route to Farrington highway between Makaha and Nanakuli along the Waianae coast to alleviate the traffic congestion and accommodate the growing population in leeward Oahu. However, due to the high cost of building a new mauka highway along the Waianae coast, the State must receive matching federal dollars to complete this project.

The Oahu metropolitan planning organization is responsible for developing the long-range regional transportation plan for surface transportation development on Oahu and determines which transportation projects are eligible for federal funding. To qualify for federal funding, a transportation project must be placed in the Oahu transportation improvement program (OTIP), a three-year plan that determines which projects receive federal funds. Currently, the mauka highway project is not on the list of OMPO-approved transportation projects.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for the planning and design phase of the mauka highway project, to fulfill one requirement of OMPO-approved transportation projects (matching state funds) to help expedite its placement on the OTIP list.

SECTION 2. The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $1,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary is appropriated for fiscal year 2005-2006 for the capital improvement project listed below.

1. Mauka highway, Oahu

Plans $500,000

Design $500,000

Total funding $1,000,000

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of transportation for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. The appropriations made for the capital improvement projects authorized in section 2 of this Act shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriations are made; provided that all moneys that are unencumbered as of June 30, 2008, shall lapse as of that date.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005.