Minutes of the

Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

 

POLICY COMMITTEE

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008, 10:30 a.m.

Hawaii State Capitol, Conference Room 229

415 South Beretania Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

 

Members Present:

Senator Will Espero, Chair

Representative Marilyn Lee

Councilmember Nestor Garcia, Vice Chair

Representative Ryan Yamane

Councilmember Todd Apo

Senator Carol Fukunaga

Councilmember Charles Djou

 

Councilmember Gary Okino

DTS Director Wayne Yoshioka

 

Member(s) Absent:  Councilmember Rod Tam, Representative Joseph Souki, and Senator J. Kalani English, DOT Director Brennon Morioka

 

Guests Present:

Francisco Figueiredo (Councilmember Djou)

 

Louise Horio (Hui Kupuna VIA, CAC)

Robert Sato (Councilmember Okino)

 

CC Curry (Interagency COORDINATION

Eric Arquero (Senator English)

 

    Councils, CAC)

Glenn Soma (DOT)

 

Charles Carole (NB #10, CAC)

Liz Fischer (FHWA)

 

Tom Smyth (NB #13 Downtown, CAC)

John Valera (American Planning Assn., CAC)

 

Carl Jacobs (NB #20 Aiea, CAC)

Ronald Pike (Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride,

 

Elwin Spray (NB #29 Kahaluu, CAC)

    CAC)

 

David Pagan (Waipahu Community Assn.)

Morris Nakamura (CFADAR & Muscular

 

 

    Dystrophy Assn.)

 

 

 

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

 

Chair Will Espero called the meeting to order at 10:32 a.m.  A quorum was present.

 

I.          MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 7, 2008 MEETING

Vice Chair Nestor Garcia moved and Senator Carol Fukunaga seconded that the Executive Session and Open Session minutes of the January 7, 2008 meeting be approved as circulated.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

II.        FY 2009 OVERALL WORK PROGRAM (OWP)

Handouts:  Policy Committee Review Draft FY 2009 OWP; Draft FY 2009 OWP Public Comment Summary; Draft FY 2009 OWP Intergovernmental Review Comment Summary

[Councilmember Charles Djou arrived at 10:35 a.m.]

 

Gordon Lum gave a presentation on the draft FY 2009 OWP.  In describing the FY 2009 OWP, Mr. Lum noted that work element (WE) 203.76-09 (Land Development Adjacent to Fixed Guideway Transit Stations), which was originally included as part of the Honolulu City Council package to the OahuMPO, had been deleted.  Of the 30 studies proposed for the FY 2009 OWP, 16 were new work elements with a total budget of approximately $5 million.  Approval of the FY 2009 OWP allows the various studies and activities contained in the work elements to proceed without further Policy Committee action – including travel and consultant contracts.

 

When discussing the new studies for FY 2009, Mr. Lum highlighted seven work elements involving consultant contracts (dollar amounts shown are for consultant contracts only):

 

[Representative Ryan Yamane arrived at 10:38 a.m.]

 

In discussing the OahuMPO budget, Mr. Lum stated that 80% was funded by the federal government, with the City and State each funding 10%.  Contracts ($1,209,000) made up the bulk of the OahuMPO budget ($1,947,000). 

 

Mr. Lum reported that public comments were received from Representative Rida Cabanilla, Representative Kymberly Pine, and the American Planning Association.  Comments from the two representatives included support for a Farrington Highway flyover at North-South Road, which will be considered in WE 202.06-09 and WE 203.75-09. 

 

Mr. Lum reviewed the comments and responses collected during the intergovernmental review.  He noted that the Technical Advisory Committee had recommended the Policy Committee’s endorsement of the FY 2009 OWP.

 

With regard to Representative Cabanilla’s and Representative Pine’s comments on the Pearl Harbor Tunnel study, Chair Espero clarified that nothing is happening at this time because there is no commitment by an implementing agency.  Chair Espero also noted that DTS will consider a study on a Farrington Highway flyover.

 

No one testified on this agenda item.

 

Vice Chair Garcia moved and Representative Yamane seconded that the FY 2009 OWP be approved.  The motion was carried unanimously.

 

III.       CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CAC)

III.A.   Membership Request

CAC Chair Charles Carole stated that there were five organizations (Aiea Neighborhood Board (NB) #20, Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride (CFADAR), Federal Rental Assistance Tenant Association (FRATA), Hui Kupuna VIP (HKVIP), and Kahaluu NB #29) that had attended the required four meetings during a 12-month period and have requested membership on the CAC.  Representatives from CFADAR, Aiea NB #20, and HKVIP said a few words about their organizations.  No representatives from FRATA or Kahaluu NB #29 were present at the meeting.

 

Department of Transportation Services (DTS) Director Wayne Yoshioka invited the CFADAR and HKVIP to participate in the DTS’ accessible transportation committee. 

 

Councilmember Gary Okino moved and Representative Yamane seconded that the Aiea NB #20, CFADAR, FRATA, HKVIP, and Kahaluu NB #29 be appointed to the CAC.  The motion was unanimously carried.

 

III.B.   Resolution Requesting OahuMPO to Help Improve Bicycle Safety

Handouts:  Resolution Requesting OahuMPO to Help Improve Bicycle Safety

Mr. Carole stated that, as a result of a presentation from the Hawaii Bicycling League (HBL), the CAC passed a resolution requesting that the Policy Committee: 1) support the City’s budgetary proposal of $1 million for Oahu bicycle projects; 2) support projects, programs, and activities that promote bicycle safety in the OahuMPO’s Transportation Improvement Program; and 3) request the Governor, Mayor, and relevant State and County departments improve conditions for bicyclists – with the resolution noting 12 areas of improvement.

 

In response to Chair Espero, Mr. Yoshioka stated that HBL annually receives a $150,000 grant for their bicycle education program focused on 4th graders.

 

Chair Espero asked that the word “major” be deleted from items 6 and 7 of the resolution.

 

Vice Chair Garcia noted that the City Council Public Works Committee just passed out a similarly worded resolution; however, it was amended to include a 13th item that would aim efforts at educating adults on bicycle safety in conjunction with the sale and licensing of bicycles. Vice Chair Garcia added that HBL already has a program in place to do this.  Director Yoshioka added that DTS also supplies all points of sale with the rules of the road.  Bicycle buyers are supposed to receive these rules every time they buy a bicycle.

 

Councilmember Okino asked Director Yoshioka if DTS has an effort that focuses on bicycles and pedestrians, noting that he suffered a broken shoulder this year as a result of being run over by a bicyclist.  Director Yoshioka responded that this is a very important component.  As part of the City’s Bicycle Master Plan update, they are looking at rules and ordinances associated with bicycle operation, including guidelines to protect pedestrians – when bicycles should be allowed to share sidewalks with pedestrians and when they should be separated. 

 

Representative Marilyn Lee added her support, noting that bicyclists, including teenagers, should be taught to give warnings to pedestrians when they are approaching them on a shared sidewalk – including having horns and lights.  Chair Espero and Vice Chair Garcia agreed that this effort should be aimed at all bicyclists, regardless of age.

 

Vice Chair Garcia moved and Councilmember Okino seconded the resolution be adopted as amended.  The motion was unanimously carried.

 

IV.       CAC MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

 

Mr. Carole stated that, since the last Policy Committee meeting, there have been five CAC meetings.  During these meetings, the CAC heard presentations on Maglev, transit-oriented developments, transportation issues in Central Oahu, the FY 2009 OWP, the Waianae Coast emergency access road, and the Harbors modernization plan.  In addition to having presentations, the CAC did the following:

·        Formed a subcommittee to look at public-private partnerships in transportation.  The subcommittee researched the pros and cons and presented their findings to the CAC; those findings were accepted by the CAC.

·        Formed a working group to brainstorm on the public involvement plan for the update of the Oahu Regional Transportation Plan 2035 effort.  This working group has held its first meeting.

 

There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:14 a.m.