UPDATE!! Safety first for our high school students, 10/27/21at 9AM

UPDATE 10/27/21 2:00 PM  The LUC unanimously rejected the State DOE’s request to amend or remove the required condition for a grade seperated pedestrian crossing  (over or under) of the Pi’ilani Hwy which was put into place nearly a decade ago, July of 2013.

UPDATE 9/30/21  After two more days on this topic  dating back to 2013, the LUC ran out of time and quorum last month. They expect to continue on 10/27, but too soon for confirmation at this time.  Stay tuned.  Meanwhile we are working on contingency plans to achieve a positive outcome in spite of the State DOE’s obstininance

UPDATE 9/5/21: IF YOU DECIDE TO SUBMIT YOUR OPINION IN WRITING, DO SO BEFORE  TUESDAY AT 900 AM     email to:   dbedt.luc.web@hawaii.gov

UPDATE  8/25/21 THE MATTER WAS MOVED TO A NEW LUC MEETING  date   9/8/21 

8/13/2021  #kihei

The Hawai?i Land Use Commission (LUC) imposed a condition in 2014 on the future Kihei High School that it provide a “grade-separated crossing” for students needing to get to the other side of Pi?ilani Highway. By grade-separated crossing, they meant an overpass or an underpass. Studies show that pedestrian overpasses are not used and you end up with students running across the highway instead. We have a very convenient underpass already at the Waipuilani gulch which can be improved for use by the students.

Maui County as well as much of the US has been working the past few years on “Vision Zero” – no traffic fatalities. Keeping the students off the road would eliminate the risks of vehicles on Pi?ilani Highway hitting our children on their way to and from school. Another huge benefit is not having to stop traffic on the highway for an hour twice/day when school starts and lets out.

But the State Department of Education has been trying for years to get the LUC to forget or remove the safe crossing requirement. On August 25 at 9am they will make the case again to the LUC using obsolete data and a faulty analysis – the data actually shows that a grade-separated crossing is needed. You can register to attend the meeting and testify over Zoom here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-qjRBJdtRmWkLItz4iihHA

You can also submit testimony by email to:

Agenda item:
A11-794 STATE OF HAWAII, DEPT. OF EDUCATION ? (Kihei High School) (Maui)
? To Consider Petitioner?s Motion to Amend the LUC?s Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Decision and Order Filed July 29, 2013.
? To Consider Petitioner?s Request for the Issuance of Written Findings as to its Aug 20, 2020 Motion to Amend the Land Use Commission?s Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Decision and Order filed July 29, 2013.

Here is the letter KCA has sent to the LUC this week on the matter:

08-10-21 LUC re new traffic study_2