Diary

Gridlock

by M.K. | Jan 25, 2012

Hawaii ’s State Department of Transportation (DOT) has joined the State Department of Agriculture and the Department of Permitting and Planning in reversing its position on Hoopili, having been against it when the project was rejected by the Land Use Commission (LUC) in 2009.

DOT’s conditional endorsement hinges partly upon project developer D.R. Horton’s promise to widen a section of the H-1 freeway, adding one lane in each direction between the Kunia and Waiawa interchanges which would end just before the H-1 and H-2 merge. Horton has agreed to cover all costs involved with planning, design and construction of the project, which could run as high as $10 million, according to Alvin Takashita, administrator of DOT’s highway division, who testified before the LUC on Thursday, Jan. 19. “The DOT supports well-planned growth,” said Takashita, noting that another condition of the endorsement is that the developer provide an updated Traffic Analysis Impact Report.

Among intervenors at the hearing, Kioni Dudley of Friends of Makakilo warned that a widening along this section may, if anything, make things worse, since the additional lanes will end before the merge, worsening rush-hour bottlenecks.

“What would you call an adequate level of service on the freeway, sir?” Dudley asked Takashita, referencing a scale of A to F, with F being gridlock.

“Level of service D,” said Takashita after some deliberation.

Dudley continued, “The final Environmental Impact Statement for Hoopili says that in the morning, with the project, Kunia Road, Paiwa Street and Farrington Highway will all have level of service F. And this is even with the rail. Are you aware of that, Sir?”

“No, I was not,” replied Takashima.

In 2009 the DOT said the project should be stalled until the H-1 and surrounding roads, are operating at a level considered acceptable–level D. If approved by the LUC, the Hoopili project will convert 1,554 acres of prime farmland into a mixed-use community of 11,750 homes–approximately the size of Hawaii Kai or Mililani. –

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