TRAFFIC

District 40 residents are dealing with two types of traffic: (1) Traffic on the H-1 Freeway; and (2) local traffic.

Traffic on the H-1 Freeway

Over the next 10-15 years, another 40,000 - 50,000 homes will be built in West Oahu. By the year 2025, the population on Oahu will increase to one million with over 200,000 people expected to be living in West Oahu. Due to the estimated increase in our population, I support alternative methods of transportation including rail because we must manage our growth. I do not believe there is one magic bullet that will reduce our traffic on Oahu. Instead, we must get people out of their cars and off the H-1 freeway. This will involve: (1) alternative methods of transportation like rail transit, enhanced ferry system (The Boat), and enhanced bus system (The Bus); (2) Job Creation in the Second City; (3) Services in the Second City; (4) UH West Oahu; and (5) traffic management control.

Alternative Methods of Transportation

Rail transit, enhanced ferry, and enhanced bus systems must work synergistically and be convenient so that our residents will use them. I will continue to work hard to plan and build a system that serves our transportation needs.

Job Creation in the Second City

I believe that we must create more job opportunities in Kapolei so that people will not have to travel to and from town for work, which will take cars off the H-1.

Services in the Second City

I support expanding the Kapolei Family Courthouse to a full service courthouse so that residents of West Oahu do not have to travel into town to deal with legal matters. Moreover, this will again take cars off the H-1 freeway.

UH West Oahu

I believe that the construction of UH West Oahu will make a substantial difference in traffic on Oahu because traffic is reduced significantly when UH Manoa is out of session. With the construction of our UHWO campus, a significant number of cars will be taken off the H-1 heading towards town particularly during rush hour.

Traffic Management Control

For every minute that an incident (i.e. stall, blown out tire, car accident) is allowed to stay on the freeway, that incident causes 10 minutes of backlog in traffic. I support the State and City and County's Joint Traffic Management Control Center which will house our first responders (police, fire, EMS) with our Hawaii State Department of Transportation in order for the State and City and County to work synergistically to remove incidents as quickly as possible and to avoid backlogs on the our freeways.

Local Traffic

As completion of the North-South Road nears in September 2009, Kapolei Parkway, the East-West Road, and Farrington Highway will all connect to the six-lane North-South Road providing residents of West Oahu with alternative arterials on which to drive. The State will also move ahead with the widening of Fort Barrette Road in 2010 from two-lanes to four-lanes. Finally, the Kapolei-Makakilo-Palailai interchange is slated to move forward with Phase I - - a new on and off ramp for eastbound traffic and a new westbound off ramp near Zippys. Phase II will complete the overpass over the H-1 so that all three interchanges operate as one network. Furthermore, the City and County and Kapolei Property Development announced a $172 million dollar public-private partnership to build roads, drainage, water, and sewer improvements in the City of Kapolei. $124 million will be dedicated to the Kapolei urban core roads which are expected to be completed by the end of 2010. All of these major road projects in West Oahu will undoubtedly improve local traffic for the residents of District 40.