Meeting Summary of the

Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

 

CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 

Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 3:30 p.m.
Mayor’s Conference Room 301, Honolulu Hale
530 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

 

 

 

Members Present:                                                                        

Land Use Research Foundation

David Arakawa, Chair

AARP

Mary Protheroe

American Society of Civil Engineers

Tiffany Hamada

Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii

Ray Kunishige

Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride

Julia Belesario

E Noa Corporation

Tom Dinell

Eye of the Pacific

Twila Lai

Hawaii Bicycling League

Janice Marsters

Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers, Local 996

Michael Costa

Hui Kupuna VIP

Louise Horio

Institute of Transportation Engineers

Robert Nehmad

Leeward Oahu Transportation Management Association

Debbie Luning

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 #07 Manoa

Tom Heinrich

NB #08 McCully-Moiliili

Ron Lockwood

NB #10 Makiki-Lower Punchbowl-Tantalus

Charles Carole

NB #13 Downtown

Tom Smyth

NB #20 Aiea

Jane Sugimura

NB #23 Ewa

Coby M. Lynn

NB #25 Mililani-Waipio-Melemanu

Dick Poirier

NB #29 Kahaluu

Ken LeVasseur

NB #34 Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale

Brian Kanno

NB #35 Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley

Pamela Young

North Shore Chamber of Commerce

Gil Riviere

Pacific Resource Partnership

Josh Magno

Waikiki Residents Association

Daisy Murai

 

Members Absent (Reps):

American Planning Association Hawaii

John Valera

American Society of Landscape Architects

Chris Dacus                                        

Committee for Balanced Transportation

Joseph Magaldi

Hawaii Centers for Independent Living

Charlene Ota

Honolulu Community Action Program

Val Tavai

Interagency COORDINATION Councils

CC Curry

League of Women Voters

Piilani Kaopuiki

NB #09 Waikiki

Robert Finley

NB #12 Nuuanu-Punchbowl

James Marn

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

Thomas Maus

NB #26 Wahiawa-Whitmore Village

Joseph Francher

NB #30 Kaneohe

Wendell Lum

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

Lowell Kalapa

 

 

Guests Present:

Laureen Kukino

Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride

Nicholas Poulos

Department of Transportation Services

Sean Hiraoka

Hawaii Department of Transportation

Bryan Kimura

HDOT

Rachel Roper

HDOT

Susan Uejo

HDOT

Ruth Limtiaco

The Limtiaco Company

Arvid Youngquist

Mestizo Association

Robert Whitaker

NB #7 Manoa

Bob R. Smith   

NB #24 Waianae Coast

Antya Miller

NB #27 North Shore

Ty Bassingthwaite

Vanpool Hawaii

                                               

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

 

Chair David Arakawa called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m.

 

1.  New Business

“Pedestrian Safety” 

Chair Arakawa introduced the panel of speakers for the presentation on pedestrian safety:

·        Ruth Limtiaco, The Limtiaco Co., President and CEO;

·        Kari Benes, Department of Health, Injury Prevention and Control Program;

  • Sean Hiraoka, Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highways Division, Traffic Branch, Highway Safety Section; and
  • Bryan Kimura, Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highways Division, Traffic Branch, Traffic Operation Section.

Ms. Limtiaco spoke of the Limtiaco Company’s pedestrian safety public relations efforts that are part of the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s (HDOT) Walk Wise Program.  This is a community-based outreach program, geared toward seniors and school children, that attempts to educate both pedestrians and drivers about safe practices.  

 

Ms. Limtiaco provided some highlights of their pedestrian safety efforts over the past 6 years:

·        Walk Wise Hawaii brochure printed in nine languages;

·        Slipper display that serves as a graphic representation of pedestrians killed on Hawaii’s roadways over a 5-year period;

·        Partnerships with private community and business groups:

o       Kamaaina Kids

o       AIG Hawaii

o       Visitor Cable Network

o       HMSA

o       AAA Hawaii

o       Longs Drugs

o       Zippy’s

·        Speakers’ bureaus and senior speakers who speak about the program; and

·        Senior summits which also address other issues that might be of interest to the elderly.

Discussion Highlights:

Note:  Questions were answered by the following people:

·        Ruth Limtiaco (RL)

·        Bryan Kimura (BK)

·        Sean Hiraoka (SH)

·        Kari Benes (KB)

·        In response to a question by Twila Lai: (RL) Currently, the support literature does not mention guide dogs or white canes, but the suggestion is appreciated.

·        In response to a question by Tom Heinrich: (RL) The Walk Wise brochure is available on the HDOT web site (Walk Wise Hawaii).  The goal to have a web site unique to the Walk Wise Hawaii program is a priority.

·        In response to a question by Janice Marsters: (RL) Measuring the effectiveness of this program is difficult, because there are multiple simultaneous efforts, such as better engineering and stricter enforcement.  As a result of these efforts, the number of pedestrian fatalities has been declining

·        In response to a question by Linda Starr: (RL) Pedestrians need to use extreme caution and assume that you are not seen by drivers.

 

Mr. Hiraoka spoke about Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools to track crash data both locally and nationally.  He provided information about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration web site (crash data Hawaii) where fatal crash data from 2004 to 2008 and crash maps (crash maps Hawaii) from 2006-2008 for Hawaii may be downloaded.  Mr. Hiraoka also mentioned the Safe Roads web site (Safe Roads Maps) which provides several different ways to view Hawaii’s crash data. 

 

HDOT is partnering with Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Transportation Services in planning a central database to develop local crash maps.  A listing of Oahu pedestrian-involved accidents between 2004 and 2008 was distributed as an example of a possible output of this joint effort. 

·        In response to a question by Ms. Starr: (SH) HDOT generates the Oahu list of pedestrian-involved accidents annually.  The list can be customized, upon request, for legitimate safety purposes.

·        In response to a question by Tom Smyth: (SH) The HDOT is in the early stages of developing this joint database and the addition of an overlay using neighborhood boards’ jurisdiction boundaries may be considered as the database progresses.

 

Mr. Kimura presented some of the engineering initiatives underway by HDOT.  The following changes are being implemented on all new projects and existing maintenance projects:

·        Countdown timers at crosswalks;

·        Restriping unsignalized crosswalks on multi-lane roads;

·        Enhancing signage for pedestrian and crosswalk warnings;

·        Pylons stating “Stop for Pedestrians” at crosswalks which include an island;

·        Driver feedback signs that provide the driver’s speed; and

·        Slowing the pedestrian crossing pace standard from 4.0 to 3.5 feet per second.

 

Ms. Benes said that the DOH is working on different GIS layers that would document all of the incidents that occur.  They are hoping to be able to upload all of the Emergency Medical Services transports into their GIS system.  This would provide not only incident fatality information, but injury data as well.  This will be available as real-time data.

·        In response to a question by Ms. Starr: (BK) HDOT may consider placing crossing signs in medians at intersections that do not meet the minimum standards for justifying other safety measures.  Each intersection would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. 

·        In response to a question by Tom Dinell: Mr. Smyth stated that pedestrian enforcement statistics are administrative and, as such, are not tracked and recorded.

·        In response to a question by Ms. Lai: (BK) There may be an initiative being undertaken by DTS to form a working group that will discuss the implementation of audible crossing signals.

·        In response to a question by Gil Riviere: (RL) The Walk Wise Hawaii funds come from the Federal Highway Administration and total $80,000 per year, not including the printing of the brochure.

·        In response to a question by Antya Miller: (BK) The problem of lack of sidewalks along Kamehameha Highway in Haleiwa might be addressed in the Pedestrian Master Plan being undertaken by the HDOT.

·        In response to a question by Arvid Youngquist: (RL) The Walk Wise Hawaii program tries to provide promotional giveaways to seniors that are practical safety-related devises.

·        In response to a question by Daisy Murai: (SH) HDOT has generated some data of incidents surrounding schools for the Safe Routes to School program.

·        In response to a question by Robert Whitaker: (BK) All efforts by HDOT utilizing rumble strips have been negative; the strips have ultimately been removed.

·        In response to a question by Mr. Smyth: (BK) HDOT is looking at crosswalk signal timing and replacing pedestrian push buttons with Piezo electronic buttons, which are more costly but last longer.

·        In response to a question by Mr. Dinell: (BK) HDOT has not determined that any of their intersections would be appropriate candidates for an all-red pedestrian crossing.

·        In response to a question by Ms. Horio: Rachel Roper of HDOT responded that the Complete Streets Task Force will be looking at some of these issues as part of the development of the Pedestrian Master Plan.

 

2.  Approval of the August 19, 2009 Meeting Minutes

Hearing no corrections to the August 19, 2009 minutes, the minutes were accepted by acclamation. 

 

3.  Other Business

A.  Draft Amendment to the Bylaws of the CAC

This item was postponed until the next meeting due to the loss of a quorum.

 

B.  FY 2011 Overall Work Program Subcommittee’s Report

This item was postponed until the next meeting due to the loss of a quorum.

 

4.  OahuMPO Meeting Highlights - Policy Committee & Technical Advisory Committee

Ms. Yasuda announced that there is a meeting scheduled for the Policy Committee on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. in the State Capitol conference room #309.  There is also a meeting scheduled for the Technical Advisory Committee on Friday, October 16, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in the Department of Transportation 5th floor conference room.

 

5.  Announcements

There were no announcements.

 

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