THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	64
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REquesting the State department of transportation, city and County of honolulu department of transportation Services, and honolulu police department TO create a traffic crisis planning and mitigation coordinating group.

 

 

     WHEREAS, it is inevitable that vehicle accidents, fallen trees, water main breaks, and other unexpected events will occur and impede traffic; and

 

     WHEREAS, traffic congestion can rise beyond the level of minor and temporary inconvenience when traffic is brought to a complete standstill and continues for hours or days; and

 

     WHEREAS, several state and county agencies are often required to be included to mitigate and resolve the problem; and

 

     WHEREAS, it is evident that coordination between and among the state and county agencies is initiated only after a traffic emergency occurs, and often not in a very timely manner; and

 

     WHEREAS, mitigation of the worst traffic issues arising from an unexpected event usually takes hours if not days; and

 

     WHEREAS, even when there is ample forewarning of traffic issues for planned roadwork, traffic mitigation can take many days after work begins as state and county agencies make adjustments to the original traffic control plan; and

 

     WHEREAS, there seems to be no central agency that plans for traffic issues and coordinates the mitigation efforts to prevent and ease the worst traffic congestion and debriefs after events to take away lessons learned; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, the House of Representatives concurring, that the State Department of Transportation, City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services, and Honolulu Police Department are requested to create a Traffic Crisis Planning and Mitigation Coordinating Group; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Traffic Crisis Planning and Mitigation Coordinating Group appoint a Traffic Crisis Coordinator to act as the administrator of the group and who will:

 

     (1)  Study the latest and the best practices in traffic control and mitigation;

 

     (2)  Coordinate the efforts of all agencies involved during a traffic emergency, as does the County of Hawaii Civil Defense during a tsunami warning or an impending hurricane;

 

     (3)  Debrief with the Traffic Crisis Planning and Mitigation Coordinating Group for lessons learned after dealing with a traffic event; and

 

     (4)  Provide a public report to the media upon a request from a state legislator or City Council member whose district was affected by the traffic event; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Traffic Crisis Planning and Mitigation Coordinating Group hire a traffic engineer who can study the roadways and traffic lights to determine how bottlenecks and choke points can be eased or avoided when a traffic emergency occurs, including but not limited to the following solutions:  contraflow lanes, adjusting the timing of traffic lights, putting specially trained police officers at intersections, quickly communicating events to the public, placing signage along the roadways, and training additional personnel, other than Honolulu Police Department personnel, to direct traffic; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Traffic Crisis Planning and Mitigation Coordinating Group study areas where there are minimal alternative routes, such as Farrington Highway on the Leeward Coast, Kamehameha Highway on the North Shore and Windward Oahu, and Kalanianaole Highway between Waialae and Waimanalo; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Department of Transportation, City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services, and Honolulu Police Department submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session detailing work conducted by and any findings related to the work of the Traffic Crisis Planning and Mitigation Coordinating Group; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Transportation, Director of the City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services, and Chief of Police of the Honolulu Police Department.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Requesting the State Department of Transportation, the City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services, and the Honolulu Police Department create a Traffic Crisis Planning and Mitigation Coordinating Group.