From: Brennon.Morioka@hawaii.gov
Subject: Sidewalks in Makaha
Date: Monday, March 9, 2009, 12:49 PM
Aloha Maile,
Thanks for passing on [the] concern about wheel chair users having to use the traffic lanes on Farrington Highway in the Makaha area and your inquiry if the DOT has any plans to install sidewalks in the area.
Unfortunately, the DOT does not currently have any planned projects for the installation of new sidewalks along Farrington Highway in the immediate future. The Oahu Regional Transportation Plan (ORTP) 2030 that is prepared by the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OMPO) includes a Farrington Highway Safety Improvement project from Makua Valley Road (Kaena Point) to Aliinui Drive (Kahe Point), including a realignment around Makaha Beach Park between Makau Street and Water Street. This project is found in the Long Range Plan 2016 - 2030 section of the ORTP 2030. Since DOT uses the ORTP 2030 as a planning document to provide general guidance in scheduling and programming projects into our own program, DOT did not have any plans to undertake this project in the more immediate timeframe.
As an update for your information, on February 17, 2009, our Design Branch staff contacted [the constituent]. She advised them that she has observed wheel chair users in the travel way of Farrington Highway near the Makaha Shores Apartments, Orange Street, Jade Street, and the Water Street areas. During our recent field investigations of these areas, we did not observe wheel chair users in the travel way, however, that does not mean that it does not happen, only that our snap-shot observation of the area did not confirm this concern. We also noted that a four-foot wide paved shoulder outside of the white edge stripe was constructed in a DOT paving project last year. In the interim of further improvements, this paved shoulder is providing a traversable area for wheel chairs.
After discussing this concern with [the constituent], our staff conducted preliminary engineering evaluations and have found that if sidewalks are installed in this area, other work such as drainage improvements and utility relocations will be required as the physical changes necessary for the sidewalks will then create other secondary hazards that will require changes to accommodate them as well. This will make a seemingly simple undertaking a very expensive. We estimate that furnishing sidewalks, drainage improvements, and necessary utility relocations along this stretch of highway will cost somewhere between $18 million to $25 million.
Later this year, DOT will be starting design activities for a future safety improvement project from Leihoku Street to Makau Street. While the main purpose of this project is to provide affordable safety improvements for motorists, DOT will also seek to include affordable opportunities for pedestrian and wheel chair facilities where possible.
Sidewalks could provide additional safety for pedestrians and wheel chair users. However, we are mindful that some in the Waianae Coast community prefer not to urbanize the area. Context sensitive design is an important part of the DOT’s project development process. We encourage the general public and the community stakeholders to participate in the public involvement process for the design and construction of these improvements.
If this is something you would like to continue to pursue, please let me know as we would need to review our program and have further discussion with OMPO on discussing what other projects we would need to defer in order to accommodate these improvements.
Brennon
Subject: Sidewalks in Makaha
Date: Monday, March 9, 2009, 12:49 PM
Aloha Maile,
Thanks for passing on [the] concern about wheel chair users having to use the traffic lanes on Farrington Highway in the Makaha area and your inquiry if the DOT has any plans to install sidewalks in the area.
Unfortunately, the DOT does not currently have any planned projects for the installation of new sidewalks along Farrington Highway in the immediate future. The Oahu Regional Transportation Plan (ORTP) 2030 that is prepared by the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OMPO) includes a Farrington Highway Safety Improvement project from Makua Valley Road (Kaena Point) to Aliinui Drive (Kahe Point), including a realignment around Makaha Beach Park between Makau Street and Water Street. This project is found in the Long Range Plan 2016 - 2030 section of the ORTP 2030. Since DOT uses the ORTP 2030 as a planning document to provide general guidance in scheduling and programming projects into our own program, DOT did not have any plans to undertake this project in the more immediate timeframe.
As an update for your information, on February 17, 2009, our Design Branch staff contacted [the constituent]. She advised them that she has observed wheel chair users in the travel way of Farrington Highway near the Makaha Shores Apartments, Orange Street, Jade Street, and the Water Street areas. During our recent field investigations of these areas, we did not observe wheel chair users in the travel way, however, that does not mean that it does not happen, only that our snap-shot observation of the area did not confirm this concern. We also noted that a four-foot wide paved shoulder outside of the white edge stripe was constructed in a DOT paving project last year. In the interim of further improvements, this paved shoulder is providing a traversable area for wheel chairs.
After discussing this concern with [the constituent], our staff conducted preliminary engineering evaluations and have found that if sidewalks are installed in this area, other work such as drainage improvements and utility relocations will be required as the physical changes necessary for the sidewalks will then create other secondary hazards that will require changes to accommodate them as well. This will make a seemingly simple undertaking a very expensive. We estimate that furnishing sidewalks, drainage improvements, and necessary utility relocations along this stretch of highway will cost somewhere between $18 million to $25 million.
Later this year, DOT will be starting design activities for a future safety improvement project from Leihoku Street to Makau Street. While the main purpose of this project is to provide affordable safety improvements for motorists, DOT will also seek to include affordable opportunities for pedestrian and wheel chair facilities where possible.
Sidewalks could provide additional safety for pedestrians and wheel chair users. However, we are mindful that some in the Waianae Coast community prefer not to urbanize the area. Context sensitive design is an important part of the DOT’s project development process. We encourage the general public and the community stakeholders to participate in the public involvement process for the design and construction of these improvements.
If this is something you would like to continue to pursue, please let me know as we would need to review our program and have further discussion with OMPO on discussing what other projects we would need to defer in order to accommodate these improvements.
Brennon
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