Meeting Summary of the

Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

 

CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 

Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 3:30 p.m.
Council Committee Room
Honolulu Hale, Room 205
530 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

 

 

 

Members Present:                                                                        

Land Use Research Foundation

David Arakawa, Chair

NB #34 Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale

Michael Golojuch, Vice Chair

American Planning Association Hawaii

John Valera

American Society of Civil Engineers

Tiffany Hamada

American Society of Landscape Architects

Chris Dacus                                        

Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii

Dean Minakami

Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride

Christine Absher

Committee for Balanced Transportation

Joseph Magaldi

E Noa Corporation

Tom Dinell

Eye of the Pacific

Twila Lai

Federal Rental Assisted Tenants Agency

David Yaw

Hawaii Bicycling League

Janice Marsters

Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers, Local 996

Michael Costa

Hui Kupuna VIP

Louise Horio

Interagency COORDINATION Councils

CC Curry

Leeward Oahu Transportation Management Association

Shannon Alivado

NB #01 Hawaii Kai

Greg Knudsen

NB #02 Kuliouou-Kalani Iki

Linda Starr

NB #03 Waialae-Kahala

Lester Fukuda

NB #05 Diamond Head-Kapahulu-Saint Louis Heights

Bert Narita

NB #08 McCully-Moiliili

Ron Lockwood

NB #09 Waikiki

Robert Finley

NB #10 Makiki-Lower Punchbowl-Tantalus

Charles Carole

NB #13 Downtown

Tom Smyth

NB #15 Kalihi-Palama

Shane Yaw

NB #20 Aiea

Jane Sugimura

NB #21 Pearl City

Cruz J. Vina, Jr.

NB #22 Waipahu

Robert Kakalia

NB #23 Ewa

R. Scott Belford

NB #25 Mililani-Waipio-Melemanu

Dick Poirier

NB #26 Wahiawa

Joseph Francher

NB #29 Kahaluu

Ken LeVasseur

NB #35 Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley

Pamela Young

 

 

Members Absent (Reps):

AARP

Mary Protheroe

Charley’s Taxi

Dale Evans

Hawaii Highway Users Alliance

Darcianne Evans

Hawaii Transportation Association

Gareth Sakakida

Honolulu Community Action Program

Val Tavai

Institute of Transportation Engineers

Don Hamada

League of Women Voters

Jacqueline Parnell

NB #12 Nuuanu-Punchbowl

Jay Fidell

NB #14 Liliha-Alewa-Puunui-Kamehameha Heights

Dale White

NB #18 Aliamanu-Salt Lake-Foster Village

Lorene Godfrey

NB #24 Waianae Coast

David Brown

NB #27 North Shore

Antya Miller

NB #30 Kaneohe

Wendell Lum

North Shore Chamber of Commerce

Gil Riviere

Pacific Resource Partnership

Kyle Chock

Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter

Julie Shioshita

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

Lowell Kalapa

Waianae Coast Transportation Concerns Group

Dick Boddy

Waikiki Residents Association

Daisy Murai

 

Guests Present:

Frank Genadio

Citizen

Laureen Kukino

Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride

John Gollner

Councilmember Duke Bainum

Keanu Young

Councilmember Donovan Dela Cruz

Elizabeth Kreuger

Department of Transportation Services

Nalani Aki

Department of Health

Heidi Smith

DOH

Charlene Ota

Hawaii Center for Independent Living

Ben Gorospe

Hawaii Department of Transportation

Bryan Kimura

HDOT

Tammy Lee

HDOT

Alvin Takeshita

HDOT

Rose Pou

Hui Kupuna VIP

Elwin Spray

NB #29 Kahaluu

 

OahuMPO Staff Present:  Gordon Lum (Executive Director), and Marian Yasuda

 

Chair David Arakawa called the meeting to order at 3:33 p.m.

 

1.  New Business

“Safe Routes to School”

 

Chair Arakawa introduced Mr. Alvin Takeshita, Engineer Program Manager, Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), Highways Division, Traffic Branch.  Mr. Takeshita provided some history and a brief overview of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program.  The primary goal of the SRTS is to help to reverse the trend of childhood obesity in the United States.  Encouraging children to walk and bike to school can be facilitated by providing safer access to schools.  SRTS is a federal reimbursable grant program for both infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects trying to provide those safe routes.  As of now, only non-infrastructure grants have been awarded.  A second request for grant proposals will be underway at the end of winter 2009. 

 

Discussion Highlights:

[Note:  Unless otherwise noted, all questions were answered by Mr. Takeshita.]

  • In response to a question by Linda Starr: When submitting a grant application, the endorsement of the entity with jurisdiction in the area of the project and justification of the project are required.  Projects that incorporate data collection are desirable.
  • In response to a question by Tom Smyth: Partnering with public and private schools is encouraged to help leverage resources required by the program. 
  • In response to a comment by Ken LeVasseur: Endorsement by the partnering schools is required. 
  • In response to a question by Joseph Francher: A formal call for proposals will be conducted in the winter of 2009.  The maximum funding cap for proposals will be raised from $250,000 to $500,000.  The Governor’s Highway Safety Council will be prioritizing all proposals received during this call for proposals.
  • In response to a question by Frank Genadio: It is anticipated that the federal funding for this program will continue. 
  • In response to a question by Scott Belford: Bicyclists and pedestrians do not contribute to the Highway Trust Fund.  However, fewer drivers on the road may mean fewer resources may be required for the highway maintenance program.
  • In response to a question by Janice Marsters: Basically, all grant requests were awarded.  Funding for the SRTS program coordinator position is not included in the grant monies.  The grant monies could be used to help pay for consultants helping the grantee navigate through the grant process and collect the required information.
  • Nalani Aki stated that the Department of Health has been working with HDOT to deliver public training in April or May to assist with the grant request and implementation process.

2.  Approval of the September 17 and November 19, 2008 Meeting Minutes

  • September 17, 2008 meeting minutes

Discussion Highlights:

    • Marian Yasuda explained, after reviewing the recording of the September CAC meeting, the opposition expressed by CC Curry was in regards to the approval of the August minutes, which was accurately included in the September minutes.

Hearing no corrections, the September 17, 2008 minutes were approved by unanimous consent.

  • November 19, 2008 meeting minutes

Discussion Highlights:

Hearing no corrections, the November 19, 2008 minutes were approved by unanimous consent.

 

3.  OahuMPO Meeting Highlights - Policy Committee & Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

            Ms. Yasuda announced the following:

·        There was no meeting of the Policy Committee since the CAC last met on November 19, 2008.  The Policy Committee was scheduled to meet on Monday, January 26, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Committee Room, #205.  At that meeting, it was anticipated that they would:

o       Elect a Chair to fill the vacant FY 2009 Chair position;

o       Take action on FYs 2008-2011 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Revisions #8 and 9;

o       Ask questions about the Status of FY 2008 TIP Projects;

o       Hear information about the Economic Stimulus Package;

o       Take action on the Revisions to the CAC Bylaws; and

o       Hear the CAC Chair’s Report.

 

·        The TAC met on December 5, 2008.  At that meeting they:

o       Accepted the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s Year 2035 Socio-Economic Transportation Scenario Forecasts and the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting’s Distribution of Year 2035 Socio-Economic Forecasts to Traffic Analysis Zones; and

o       Heard a presentation on the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

 

·        TAC is scheduled to meet on Friday, January 23, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. in the HDOT 5th Floor Conference Room.  At that meeting, it is anticipated that they will:

o       Made a recommendation to the Policy Committee on FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #9; and

o       Discuss the Economic Stimulus.

4.  Announcements

·        Economic Stimulus Projects Status

o       Gordon Lum announced that the U.S. Congress is currently deliberating on an Economic Stimulus Package.  It will make approximately $30 billion in highway funds available nationwide, which may mean approximately $150 million Statewide.  At this time, it is unknown how much monies will actually be available.  What is known is that projects using these funds will need to be awarded or obligated in a very short time period.  The projects submitted for these funds will need to be ready-to-go in order to utilize these stimulus funds.

 

In order to meet these deadlines, the public involvement process for the economic stimulus projects will be streamlined and the TIP process will need to be completed within a week of the President’s signing of the Economic Stimulus Bill.  HDOT has indicated that they have $500 million worth of projects Statewide that may be eligible for these funds.  The list of projects that the State and City feel are eligible and can be awarded in the required 90 or 120 days will be posted as TIP Revision #10 on the OahuMPO website as soon as it is provided.  Mr. Lum noted that, in order to financially constrain the TIP, all projects listed in the preliminary draft of Revision #10 may not end up being funded or included in the final TIP revision.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m.