WHEREAS, the stretch of Ala Moana Boulevard between Punchbowl Street and Kalakaua Avenue is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation; and

WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu is responsible for synchronizing traffic signals on Ala Moana Boulevard at the corner of Punchbowl Street up to Kalakaua Avenue; and

WHEREAS, there have been reports of a serious traffic back-up of vehicles at the corner of Punchbowl Avenue and Ala Moana Boulevard when making a left turn from Punchbowl into Ala Moana due to a short green signal, resulting in very few vehicles making the left turn at the same sequence; and

WHEREAS, the back-up is also due to several intersecting side streets with Ala Moana that all have traffic signals and left turn signals for vehicles to turn left from Ala Moana into the side streets when heading in the Diamond Head direction; and

WHEREAS, the intersecting streets include Channel Street, South Street, Keawe Street, Coral Street, Lana Lane, Cooke street, Ohe Lane, and Koula Street; and

WHEREAS, the traffic congestion presents a threat of pedestrian accidents on crosswalks at the intersections of these streets with Ala Moana; and

WHEREAS, if one or more of the lights at the intersections of these streets with Ala Moana would be eliminated, or the left turn signal eliminated, and the lights otherwise better synchronized, traffic flow would be much improved; and

WHEREAS, Ala Moana Boulevard has been under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation from the days when Honolulu was separated by distinct communities that had discrete boundaries, which no longer exist in modern times; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that the City and County of Honolulu is urged to improve the synchronization of traffic signals on Ala Moana Boulevard between Punchbowl Street and Kalakaua Avenue, and to assume operational jurisdiction of that same portion of road in the interest of promoting safe traffic flow; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, Director of the Department of Transportation Services, Director of Transportation, and the Governor.

Report Title:

Ala Moana Boulevard Traffic Signals; Jurisdiction