Finding an alternative route to Puna: the measure would fund surveys of possible routes

State Representative Greggor Ilagan introduced a bill that, if passed, would order and fund site surveys to identify the most suitable location for an alternate route down Puna makai from Highway 130 .

“At the town halls I conducted last month, the issue my constituents identified more than any other was the need for PMAR,” Ilagan told the Tribune-Herald on Friday, referring to an alternative Puna Makai route since proposed. long time.

House Bill 1403 passed first floor reading on January 19 and was referred to the House Transportation and Finance Committees. Monday, there was no hearing scheduled. However, Ilagan, the vice chairman of the transportation committee, said he expects the bill to be heard by the committee, possibly as early as this week.

According to the measure, it is expected that Puna will grow by 42,000 people, almost doubling its current population by 2035. Furthermore, the bill notes Hilo as the main employment area in the region, with more than 40% jobs in the region.

“As a result, average traffic volumes near Hilo on the Keaau-Pahoa Road (Highway 130) peak at approximately 22,200 vehicles per day in each direction,” the bill states. “…The Legislature considers Route 130 to be the main artery on the only access route to the southeastern part of the Puna region. The Legislature further finds that due to this limited road access, the people of Puna experience severe traffic congestion, which impacts the quality of life of the people of Puna and can also lead to fatal delays of emergency services. .

The bill stated that all state or county land “may be considered in determining where to conduct site surveys.” Private lands “may be considered and site surveys may be conducted under agreements with landowners”.

Routes being considered include Railroad Avenue between Panaewa and Keaau. This would almost certainly include property owned by private landowner WH Shipman Ltd., who objected to such a road crossing his property.

Shipman President Peggy Farias said Monday the opposition was based “in part on the impact on our farmland and our concern for safety.”

“Much of this is in favor of the neighbors of (Hawaiian Paradise Park) and Hawaiian Homes land in Panaewa which would also be impacted by a road,” Farias said. “Because it’s not just us. Regarding the relationship between a Puna makai route and our development of the village (Keaau)…when we were developing the master plan, we had a few people during the public comment period who said, “If you are going to do this , you need to open Railroad.’

“For us, these are two completely separate projects and two completely separate situations.”

The master plan to which Farias refers could add 940 residential units in the village of Keaau in two phases over a period of 10 to 15 years, a commercial development on 15 acres of land and a sewage treatment plant.

“Our design…in the master plan and traffic impact studies is actually to get cars off the 130 freeway because we’re trying to provide housing closer to services and closer to schools and closer to job opportunities in hopes that if you locate services closer to where people live, people don’t have to drive as far and you reduce congestion on the roads,” she said. declared. “…While we do not believe PMAR will be the best long-term solution to traffic and congestion in Puna, we recognize the community’s desire to explore this option.

“If HB1403 passes, we will work with (the State Department of Transportation) and the county to seek an alignment on our land that addresses … concerns and minimizes negative impacts to our tenants and neighbors.”

Puna County Councilor Ashley Kierkiewicz said if the purpose of the bill was to start a conversation, “let’s have a conversation.”

“But I want to know where we’re going,” Kierkiewicz said. “Because if, at the end of the day, people say, ‘Hey, I want another road. I want to get to Hilo faster,” that’s a problem.

“I don’t want Puna to continue to be a dormitory community. We need to invest in infrastructure that allows people to have access to what they need in their community. We need commercial town centers, and the Puna (Community Development Plan) supports that. We need well-paying jobs with decent wages in the communities where people live.

State Rep. Chris Todd, a Democrat from Hilo whose district includes Panaewa, said “an alternate route is necessary, purely for health and safety reasons — not to mention actual traffic mitigation.”

“This is something that has been pending for a very long time and needs action,” Todd said. “And I think going through this public process of vetting the options and the affected communities and what everybody thinks about it, I think is a step in the right direction.

“I know that in the past, one of the concerns about Railroad Avenue is that Hawaiian Home Lands in Hilo is already disproportionately impacted by traffic patterns, road construction, and industrial facilities. So part of the problem is that if you extend to the railroad and also make it a high traffic area, the community of Panaewa is now surrounded by two main thoroughfares, not to mention Puainako Street as well. So any conversation about Railroad must be, in my mind, led by and with this community in mind. And if it’s the site, how do we make sure it’s something safe, and we’re not really placing that burden on the Hawaiian community? »

Email John Burnett at [email protected]