STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1713

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 180

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 180 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, MAYOR OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU, AND HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL TO REROUTE FARRINGTON HIGHWAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE 1998 MAKAHA BEACH PARK MASTER PLAN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Transportation, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, and Honolulu City Council to reroute Farrington Highway in accordance with the 1998 Makaha Beach Park Master Plan.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Free Access Coalition and six individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that in 1998 the City and County of Honolulu developed a master plan for Makaha Beach Park that proposed to reroute Farrington Highway further inland and away from the beach, as well as expanding the beach park with new picnic areas, fields, and restroom facilities. However, the 1998 Makaha Beach Park Master Plan was never executed due to a lack of funds.

Your Committee further finds that Farrington Highway is the only transportation route to travel south in the Makaha area and the urgency to repair the Makaha Bridge has been a public safety concern for Waianae residents for many years. This measure urges the Department of Transportation, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, and the Honolulu City Council to implement the 1998 Makaha Beach Park Master Plan.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding new information from the Department of Transportation on their recently announced modified bridge replacement plan;

(2) Urging the City and County of Honolulu to update the 1998 Makaha Beach Master Plan;

(3) Urging the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization to keep the Farrington Highway Makaha Beach Realignment Feasibility Study on their Overall Work Program for fiscal year 2022; and

(4) Urging the Department of Transportation to use best practices and all methods available to mitigate traffic congestion during construction.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 180, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 180, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

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CHRIS LEE, Chair