Sustainability is all about retaining some agricultural lands into the mix of development.  This pumpkin patch on the Ewa plain will soon be part of the "Second City" of Kapolei. Instead of just creating "Open Space" in Transit Orientated Development (TOD) schemes to augment the proposed rail, Tom believes that open space should be permitted for farming uses as well. "Every child and parent should have the opportunity to enjoy experiencing the pumpkin patch. For these types of activities are priceless and are filled with memories that can last a lifetime and the particular items grown can be rotated over the seasons to offer the community certain types of edible produce."
 
Next month's show will feature a professor from the University of Hawaii- our state's own leading transportation expert and International Highway Symposium facilitator- bearing the title of Civil Engineer, Dr. Panos Prevedouros.  Dr. Prevedouros will be going one-on-one with Tom about real traffic solutions for us. You do not want to miss this show!  Can we have both rail and a reversible expressway? Is there federal funding and assistance to implement new roads as toll roads?  Since the state has allocated no money to augment the H-1 freeway with new lane miles to add significant carrying capacity through the year 2030 to keep up with population growth (outside of a nip-and-tuck here and there) our commute on the H-1 will be getting worse with each and every passing day even with rail in full operation.  Dr. Prevedouros will illustrate our choices for relief; either we maintain our slow roads, construct no roads, or build new toll roads with out raising taxes using what 31 other states have- and that is the ability for the state to let the private sector build that of which the state cannot afford to build.  The best part is that bus riders ride for free and if you do not use the toll road, you pay nothing. For those that do decide to pay a toll to get to their destination in a few minutes instead of hours saving hundreds of dollars on fuel costs, the free roads wind up being less congested for everyone else.  This win-win concept is being pursued by 14 other governors including our own now that $15 billion dollars is available to states to implement toll roads. Having Tom at the Legislature increases our chances of getting a new expressway as opposed to those candidates against toll roads that translates into certain gridlock ahead with no other way in and out for us.

To watch next month's show in advance regarding Transportation Solutions with Dr. Prevedouros as the guest click here.  Otherwise, please tune in at 7pm on Olelo channel 54 Sundays throughout the month of September.

 

Tom Skancke
Commissioner on the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Commission