Issue Position: Transportation & Equal Access

Issue Position

Approximately 20,000 Puna residents commute to Hilo every workday. Subdivisions here were permitted to be developed with no infrastructure. Roads are so bad in some areas that emergency vehicles cannot or will not allow timely access to a fire or a life-threatening incident.

Pahoa town, which has grown beyond its boardwalk, still has insufficient services to alleviate the needs of Puna residents from having to go to Hilo for educational, employment and health services. And W.H. Shipman's future development in Kea'au will only add to these problems.

Not only is there the daily commuter traffic problem but traffic accidents, construction, breakdowns, weather, etc. often prevent vehicular movement at all. There are no statistics as to how many road rage incidents occur during these times, how many flights, events or appointments were missed or how many medical emergencies could have been prevented during these times.

The 1998 Puna Community Development Plan predicted the traffic problems we are facing now. It has taken more than 15 years just to expand Highway 130 and by the time it's done, Puna's population will have doubled its 1998 population.The current Highway 130 expansion will not be enough to fix the traffic problem.

An alternate makai route that will bypass Kea'au is needed. And monies from the state fuel tax need to be allocated so that arterial roads are created and everyone has equal access in case of emergencies.

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