Has this happened to you or your Child?? Tired of Crappy roads on Maui with no room to ride? If you have ridden on Maui Roads you know that it can be pretty SCArY! If you want to do something about it, here is your chance.
Tomorrow 4/22/15 at The Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center, Pukulani @ 6pm. This is the last scheduled Maui Counsel Meeting! Here is a tid bit.
http://mauinow.com/2015/04/16/maui-bicycling-league-urges-support-for-safe-pathways/
Also if you want you can submit written testimony to all of these..
§ Budget and Finance Committee – bf.committee@mauicounty.us
§ Economic Development, Energy, Agriculture, and Recreation Committee – ear.committee@mauicounty.us
But we all know Face to Face is always best!! Here are a couple of Testimonies that you can follow and use as a script.
But the jist of it is, just let them know WE want better SAFER roads!!!
To the Council Budget Committee members:
Resident cyclists and pedestrians and those who ride bikes and walk while visiting our island are applauding the Maui Public Works Department’s CIP agenda for fiscal year 2016. As the co-chair of the Maui Bicycling League, I am offering a standing ovation for the budget to complete three major trail projects—the Northshore Greenway, the Kihei Greenway, and the Paia Safe Routes to school. The $4.75 million proposed to fund the completion of these projects will go a long way toward making Maui a safer place to walk or ride a bicycle.
Having been involved in the process of providing testimony and support for the resolution to implement the Central Maui Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, I’m encouraged to see $150,000 allocated to study the Papa Avenue and Waiale Place roadways. The County, elected officials, and members of the community have spent thousands of hours on this master plan, and it is so refreshing to see that Public Works has budgeted to put it into use.
Also in the budget is $300,000 for county-wide bikeways. It’s my understanding that this amount has been budgeted every year since 1992. Looking at the 2016 proposed budget, I see projects budgeted for in the Paia and Kihei areas. The Maui Bicycling League’s Lee Chamberlain has worked countless hours to secure the approval of landowners from Oolwalu to Kapalua for right-of-way use of the cane haul roads for the West Maui Greenway. Our goal is to provide cyclists and pedestrians an alternative to riding or walking along the Honoapiilani Highway. We ask that the $300,000 budgeted for county-wide bikeways be used for the West Maui Greenway and would like to work side-by-side with the Public Works Department in moving this project forward in 2016.
I applaud the $1 million that’s been budgeted for “countywide safety improvements,” “countywide sidewalk improvements” and “countywide traffic calming.” As quoted in the budget, this money is to “address capacity and circulation issues.” Safety and education are two of the MBL’s core objectives. We look forward to working with the county on bicycle and pedestrian safety issues, and appreciate that money is proposed for these important areas.
In closing, I sincerely thank the Public Works Department for its consideration of cyclists and pedestrians in this proposed 2016 CIP agenda. The projects budgeted for in this agenda show the Public Works Department’s forward-thinking and commitment to cycling and walking on our island. I encourage the Council’s Budget Committee members to adopt this budget without amendment and encourage it’s passage by our council and mayor.
Sincerely,
Cecilia P.
Here is another
I am a Maui resident of 17 years, a Kula homeowner and a mom/grandmother.
I’m not a member of the lycra-and-jersey crowd, but I enjoy bicycling for fitness and fun. My husband and I ride several times each week, often on the Kanaha Park/Airport bikepath. We are strong supporters of the North Shore Greenway and request that the proposed $350,000 in the budget be expanded to $500,000, to allow the beginning of construction in late 2016.
We have travelled to many cities and towns on the Mainland where bicycle paths are a cherished part of the community. They offer a place where people of all ages can safely exercise and enjoy car-free transportation. Bicycle paths are not just for experienced cyclists; they are places where young children can ride their trikes, older kids can practice new cycling skills, runners can enjoy a workout, walkers can relax on a car-free route and everyone can have fun. Bicycle paths improve the value and livability of a community.
I am testifying in support of the funds budgeted for bicycle-related improvements, including the Central Maui Bike and Pedestrian Study ($150,000) to help move forward the bike paths on Waiale Road and Papa Avenue – two projects that have been approved as part of the Central Maui Community Plan.
Development on Waiale Road is occurring quickly with the Master Planned Community of Kehalani slated to include a total of 2,400 homes. These homes are within an easy bike ride of downtown Wailuku and also the commercial areas of Kahului.
A bike path on Waiale Road will offer a safe way for children and adults to travel between these new neighborhoods and Wailuku town. Extensive study and professional planning have already been conducted for this bike path and the path is part of the Central Maui Community Plan. I ask that the County Council approve the funding to put the final touches on the plan, so that construction of the bikeway can begin in 2016.
In addition, I also request that the County Council allocate funds to plan and build the bikeway that was planned for the Maui Lani Parkway, from Kuihelani Highway to Waiale Road. I understand that the developers of Kehalani had promised the Planning Department that this bike path would be part of this new development. Unfortunately, the Maui Lani Parkway lacks even a bike shoulder! With so many new homes planned for this area, it is important that the bike path be constructed to reduce car traffic and provide fitness opportunities to all community members.
Last but not least, I ask that the County designate one person in the Planning Department to serve as Maui County’s Bikeways Specialist, to ensure that bicycling is considered in all projects undertake by the State Department of Transportation and the Maui County Highways Department. I also ask that a Maui County Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Advisory Committee be created, to work with the Bikeways Specialist.
I ask this because I have seen too many instances of new road construction on Maui where there are NO bike shoulders or bike paths. The Maui Lani Parkway is one example; the new Ho’okele Street is another example. Why no bike shoulders on these new streets?
In addition, the new Haleakala Highway Intersection project has cut the width of the bike lane significantly, causing bicycling to become very hazardous in this high-traffic area.
When I called the Mayor’s office to inquire about this, I was told the Kula Highway section of the intersection was a State project, and that the County could not monitor State Department of Transportation projects to make sure they are bike friendly. With many more new roads and development planned or under construction for Maui, we need the Specialist and Advisory Committee to track highway improvements before they are literally set in concrete and to speak up on behalf of bicycles and walkers during the planning stages.
I also support the funds allocated for the Kihei Bikeway Phase 2, the Countywide Bikeways Improvements, the Baldwin Avenue Bicycle Improvements and as stated earlier, the North Shore Greenway. In addition, I also support funding for the West Maui Greenway.
More and more visitors come to Maui with the hope of bicycling, especially during the winter months. Let’s make bike riding safer for them and for all Maui residents, by building bike paths and bike shoulders into our County infrastructure.
Sincerely,
Anne R.