HI HCR174

Requests the Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Department of Accounting and General Services and University of Hawaii's Department of Urban and Regional Planning, to establish a traffic mitigation plan for the Leeward and Central region of Oahu.

Identifies Honolulu traffic congestion as consistently ranked second worst in the nation, with average commute times of approximately 30 minutes and commuters experiencing around 76 hours of delays per year.

Notes that traffic congestion contributes to approximately 10,000 serious traffic accidents annually in Hawaii, resulting in 120-150 fatalities and 8,000-12,000 serious injuries.

Highlights that commuting problems between metropolitan Honolulu and the Leeward and Central areas are particularly pronounced on weekdays and will likely worsen with predicted job growth of over 67,000 new jobs in the Ewa market over the next 15 years.

Cites traffic congestion stemming from insufficient road capacity on major arterials from Makakilo Drive to downtown Honolulu, exacerbated by construction of the high-capacity rapid transit system.