Meeting Summary of the

Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 3:30 p.m.
Mayor’s Conference Room
Honolulu Hale, Room 301
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
AARP	Mary Protheroe
American Planning Association Hawaii	Marilynn Metz
American Society of Civil Engineers	Joseph Salvador
American Society of Landscape Architects	Chris Dacus
Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii	Ray Kunishige
Charley’s Taxi	Dale Evans
Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride	Ronald Pike
Eye of the Pacific	Twila Lai
Hawaii Bicycling League	Mitchell Nakagawa
Hawaii Highway Users Alliance	Darcianne Evans
Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers, Local 996	Michael Costa
Hawaii Transportation Association	Gareth Sakakida
Honolulu Community Action Program	Darin Olson
Hui Kupuna VIP	Louise Horio
League of Women Voters	Jacqueline Parnell
Leeward Oahu Transportation Management Association	Debbie Luning
NB #01 Hawaii Kai	Greg Knudsen
NB #02 Kuliouou-Kalani Iki	Linda Starr
NB #05 Diamond Head-Kapahulu-Saint Louis Heights	Bert Narita
NB #08 McCully-Moiliili	Ron Lockwood
NB #10 Makiki-Lower Punchbowl-Tantalus	Charles Carole
NB #12 Nuuanu-Punchbowl	James Marn
NB #13 Downtown	Tom Smyth
NB #14 Liliha-Alewa-Puunui-Kamehameha Heights	Dale White
NB #18 Aliamanu-Salt Lake-Foster Village	Lorene Godfrey
NB #21 Pearl City	Cruz J. Vina, Jr.
NB #22 Waipahu	Robert Kakalia
NB #23 Ewa	R. Scott Belford
NB #24 Waianae Coast	Bill Akiona
NB #25 Mililani-Waipio-Melemanu	Dick Poirier
NB #26 Wahiawa	Joseph Francher
NB #27 North Shore	Antya Miller
NB #29 Kahaluu	Ken LeVasseur
NB #30 Kaneohe	Wendell Lum
NB #35 Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley	Pamela Young
Pacific Resource Partnership	Mike Kido
Tax Foundation of Hawaii	Randall Hiu
Waikiki Residents Association	Daisy Murai

Members Absent (Reps):

Committee for Balanced Transportation	Joseph Magaldi
E Noa Corporation	Tom Dinell
Federal Rental Assisted Tenants Agency	David Yaw
Institute of Transportation Engineers	Don Hamada
Interagency COORDINATION Councils	CC Curry
NB #03 Waialae-Kahala	Lester Fukuda
NB #09 Waikiki	Robert Finley
NB #15 Kalihi-Palama	Shane Yaw
NB #20 Aiea	Carl Jacobs
North Shore Chamber of Commerce	Gil Riviere
Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter	Julie Shioshita
Waianae Coast Transportation Concerns Group	Dick Boddy

Guests Present:

Christine Absher	Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride
Laureen Kukino	Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride
Elizabeth Kreuger	Department of Transportation Services
Rich Hargrave	Ewa Resident
Charlene Ota	Hawaii Center for Independent Living
Ben Gorospe	Hawaii Department of Transportation
Tammy Lee	HDOT
Jiro Sumada	HDOT
Ken Tatsuguchi	HDOT
Rose Pou	Hui Kupuna VIP
Frank Genadio	Makakilo Resident
Arvid Youngquist	Mestizo Association
Tom Heinrich	NB #7 Manoa
Mary Jane Carlos	NB #8 McCully-Moiliili
Clifton Takamura	NB #8 McCully-Moiliili

OahuMPO Staff Present: Randolph Sykes and Marian Yasuda

Chair David Arakawa called the meeting to order at 3:37 p.m.

1. New Business

“Highways Modernization Plan”

Handouts (3): “Highways Modernization Plan - PowerPoint Slides”

“Projects List - Statewide”

“Projects List - Oahu”

Chair Arakawa introduced Jiro Sumada, Deputy Director, Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), Highways Division (HWY) and Ken Tatsuguchi, HDOT, HWY Planning Branch Engineering Program Manager. Mr. Sumada explained that the Highways Modernization Plan (HMP) revolves around three performance measures: Savings lives, saving time, and saving money. In addition to adding more transportation projects, the HMP will be integrating comprehensive programs and policies, evaluating land use policies, developing sustainable revenues, and increasing operational efficiencies.

Mr. Sumada highlighted some projects and policies that will increase safety on the roads, address road congestion, reduce costs of traffic delays, update an outdated accounting system, revise HDOT’s system preservation philosophy, consider sustainable revenue sources, and focus on land use policies. Mr. Sumada explained that any additional taxes or fee increases included in the HMP will not take effect until six months following two consecutive quarters showing 1% job growth in the State, which is considered by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) to be a signal of economic recovery. Transparency will be an important aspect of the HMP. HDOT will maintain a Web site devoted to the HMP, where project status and updates will be posted.

Discussion Highlights:

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

In response to a question by Wendell Lum: Mr. Tatsuguchi explained that HDOT is looking at a variety of strategies for increasing crosswalk safety, such as pylons stating that drivers must stop for pedestrians.
In response to a question by Linda Starr: HDOT has investigated changing two-way roads to one-way couplets. When building new roads, HDOT does incorporate center medians, where appropriate, as a refuge for pedestrians crossing a multi-lane road.
In response to a question by Tom Smyth: Incentives for driving during off-peak times, such as a GPS-based congestion pricing program, can be investigated as a strategy for addressing congestion.
In response to a question by Joseph Francher: The HMP proposes projects and programs costing $4 billion on $2.5 billion known revenue over a six-year period, with the remainder coming from State fee increases.
In response to a question by Antya Miller: The rental car fee increase was endorsed by DBEDT. DBEDT and HDOT feel that a tourist experiencing the stress of being delayed in traffic has a bigger negative impact than would an additional $3 rental fee.
In response to a question by Ms. Starr: The number of on- and off-ramps on the H-1 Freeway will be addressed as one of the operational improvements in the HMP.
In response to a question by James Marn: Using a Texas Transportation Institute model, HDOT determined that each additional minute per day that an individual is delayed in traffic, costs that person approximately $60 per year. It is anticipated that the 6-year HMP will save the average person 30 minutes of delay time per day. Those 30 minutes of delay are estimated to cost an individual $1,824.90 per year. The cost (per person) of financing the plan through fuel tax increase, weight tax increase, registration fee increase, and rental car surcharge increase will be $170 per year. The annual impact of cost and savings benefit nets a savings of $1,655 per person.
In response to a question by Scott Belford: The HDOT has discussed playing an active role in facilitating telecommuting as a part of the HMP.
In response to two questions by Mr. Lum: The trigger point for implementing any additional fees or taxes was developed by DBEDT as a strong indicator that the economy is turning around. HDOT has a $7 billion backlog of infrastructure projects. Transit will play a very important part in a multi-modal approach to the transportation solutions.
Charles Carole offered information that Representative Joseph Souki amended House Bill 267 by reducing the rental car surcharge and eliminating the trigger point. Mr. Sumada acknowledged that the discussion on these bills is lively and that they will evolve as they progress through the legislature.
In response to a question by Frank Genadio: HDOT anticipates that morning traffic congestion in the west-bound direction may increase with the move of the HDOT offices to Kapolei. The goals of the move are to change the direction of the traffic flow and to draw other offices and businesses toward the west side of Oahu along with HDOT.
In response to a question by Tom Heinrich: Projects in the HMP were chosen in an effort to produce a plan with a wide mix of projects that would show immediate results and provide momentum for larger long-range projects. Mr. Tatsuguchi explained that the group selecting projects for the HMP considered the six-year time frame, while placing a priority on projects that have an impact on congestion, capacity, system preservation, and safety.
In response to a question by Dick Poirier: HDOT has worked closely with DBEDT. There is no one silver bullet that will address all of the issues regarding transportation on this island. This package is merely a bite out of the $7 billion backlog. Each project is a piece in the larger puzzle.

2. Approval of the January 21, 2009 Meeting Minutes

Discussion Highlights:

Chair Arakawa announced a correction that was made to the draft January minutes, listing Twila Lai, from Eye of the Pacific, as present.
Louise Horio asked for a correction that lists Laureen Kukino as representing Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride, rather than Hui Kupuna VIP.
Hearing no further corrections, Jackie Parnell moved and Cruz Vina, Jr. seconded that the draft minutes be approved as corrected. The minutes were approved with all in favor, except one abstention (Daisy Murai).

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

Ms. Yasuda announced the following:

The Policy Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee both held one meeting each since the CAC last met on January 21, 2009.

· The Policy Committee met on January 21, 2009. At that meeting they:

o Approved Revisions #8 and #9 to the FYs 2008-2011 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP);

o Approved the CAC Bylaws;

o Authorized Executive Director to hire and select a transportation analyst; and

o Heard information about the status of the economic stimulus package and the timeline for approval of FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #10 (economic stimulus).

· The Policy Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. in the Hawaii State Capitol, Conference Room 312. At that meeting, it is anticipated that they will:

o Take action on FYs 2008-2011 TIP draft Revision #10 (economic stimulus funded projects); and

o Hear the CAC Chair’s Report.

· The Technical Advisory Committee met on January 23, 2009. At that meeting they:

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

o Heard information about the status of the economic stimulus package and the timeline for approval of FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #10; and discussed the economic stimulus as it relates to transportation projects.

· The Technical Advisory Committee met today at 3:00 p.m. in the Hawaii Department of Transportation 5^th Floor Conference Room. At that meeting, it is anticipated that they will:

o Make a recommendation to the Policy Committee on FYs 2008-2011 TIP draft Revision #10.

4. Announcements

Marian Yasuda announced the following:

· Economic Stimulus Projects Status

o The public review period for the FYs 2008-2011 TIP draft Revision #10 has concluded. This TIP revision was drafted in anticipation of economic stimulus funds that are expected to be made available for Oahu. Draft Revision #10 is on the agenda for the Policy Committee meeting tomorrow.

· FYs 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program

o The CAC has an opportunity for early involvement in the development of the FYs 2011-2014 TIP through participation in the TIP Subcommittee. The subcommittee will be tasked with developing a list of projects or priorities for HDOT and DTS to consider when they develop their FYs 2011-2014 TIP draft list of projects. That recommendation will likely be presented to the entire committee at the March 18, 2009 CAC meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 p.m.