Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Sunday, January 27, 2013
'Complete Streets': Will Kakaako Become Another Waikiki?
By Mary Smart @ 2:53 AM :: 7766 Views :: Development, Rail

by Mary Smart

Governor Abercrombie, in his State of the State speech, directed the Hawai'i Community Development Authority to develop guidelines to implement the ‘Complete Streets’ concept. Last year, Honolulu City Council passed Bill 26-2012 a ‘Complete Streets’ ordinance.

What they didn’t mention is that the ‘Complete Streets’ concept will impede the public’s desire to move as quickly and conveniently as possible from point A to point B. The objective of ‘Complete Streets’ is to slow traffic—they call it "traffic calming"--and make a commute in a private vehicle more difficult. Smart Growth America explains: "The power of the term ‘Complete Streets’ is that it fundamentally redefines what a street is intended to do…."

‘Complete’ won't make driving your car or parking it easier.  The ‘Complete Streets’ documentation indicates that resolving congestion is not a priority of ‘Complete Streets’. The ’Complete Streets’ concept is "..working to change the paradigm from ‘moving cars quickly’ to ‘providing safe mobility for all modes’”—as if these were mutually exclusive goals.  The false dichotomy means dedicated transit lanes and wide medians come at the expense of space for cars. Auto commutes will be made more cumbersome to promote public transportation and bike riding.

According to the American Planning Association (APA), Complete Streets Quick Notes design consideration has as its first entry, "Narrow traffic lanes result in slower travel speeds that translate into safer, more accessible, and more pleasant thoroughfares for all users." The U. S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration call this a "road diet," intentionally reducing the number of lanes for automobile traffic. An objective noted in the APA quick notes appears to be putting people on a diet as well: "A 2002 report of the National Conference of State Legislators noted that the most effective policy for encouraging bicycling and working is complete streets."

Note, the desired outcomes are not those of the residents, but of the complete street planners. The January 23, 2013 Honolulu Star Advertiser front page reports, "Hawaii Auto Sales Rise 20.9%, The Highest Margin On Record." Many people enjoy living in low density residential areas in cul de sac communities because road traffic is minimal which makes it safe for young children. Complete Streets require interconnected streets. Mililani Town, a 1986 All-American City winner, is a planned community with many cul de sac neighborhoods that are highly desired by home buyers but would not meet the criteria proposed by complete street designers.  Ironically, the minimal traffic provided by culs de sac is a proclaimed goal of ‘Complete Streets.’  What ‘Complete Streets’ planners seek to achieve by force, Mililani has achieved without attempting to lower the standard of living of the middle class.   

According to the Pedestrian and Transit-Friendly Design: A primer for Smart Growth, by Reid Ewing, Research Director of the Surface Transportation Policy Project, an essential feature of pedestrian and transit friendly design is medium to high density living. To support bus transit the rule of thumb was at least seven units per acre. "For premium bus service, the required residential density rises to 15 units per acre. For rail service, it is even higher." 

Another facet of Smart Growth is Transit Oriented Development (TOD). The August 2012 Ala Monana Neighborhood Transit-oriented Development Plan, Existing Conditions Report and the December 12, 2012 final report, Leveraging State Agency Involvement in Transit-Oriented Development to Strengthen Hawaii's Economy, that calls for redevelopment of City and County redevelopment of parking lots. The reports address reducing parking requirements and "incentives to developers to foster multi-modal access and allow for lower parking rations or other accommodations that de-emphasize automobile access." This is a multi-million dollar bonus to developers who will be able to build many more condo or apartment units due to reduced area dedicated to parking structures.  To add insult to injury, the documents suggest imposing additional taxes on residents.

The result will be similar to the parking conditions of high rise units in Waikiki. Residents may also remember Mayor Jeremy Harris' Waikiki tree planting/beautification project. The first thing Mayor Mufi Hannemann did after taking office was spend tax dollars removing the trees under the pretext of them being a hazard to safety. ‘Complete Streets’ includes planting strips, raised medians, improved streetscapes, all of which will have to be maintained at some expense. Will complete streets be another worthless boondoggle project that irritates residents, costs a lot and have to be "corrected" by future politicians at taxpayer expense?

Will Kakaako become another Waikiki?

---30---

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT