Issue Position: Infrastructure

Issue Position

Widen Highway 130 and Install Safety Improvements
The Kea"au-Pāhoa Road, also known as Highway 130, is currently over capacity and experiencing long delays and traffic congestion during the peak morning and evening rush hours. As your state representative, I will advocate for widening Highway 130 to four lanes between Kea"au and Pāhoa. In addition, Ainaloa Boulevard, Maku"u Drive, and Orchidland Drive are the three intersections that rank among the most dangerous in the state with some of the highest vehicle crash rates. I will advocate to install safety improvements, such as roundabouts, one of which was installed in 2016 at the Pāhoa town intersection, which demonstrated it is possible to go from a dangerous intersection to one with almost no collisions.Expand Rural Broadband in Puna
The Federal Communications Commission made $20 billion available to expand access to broadband data in rural areas across the United States. The coronavirus pandemic proved it is possible to work and learn from home, and online platforms are becoming acceptable communication tools. Access to broadband has become necessary to allow for everything from business meetings to educational classes, yoga, and checking up on family members. COVID-19 demonstrated the necessity to strengthen broadband in the rural areas like Puna and provide opportunities for commerce. Modern problems require new ways of thinking. The more investments in broadband infrastructure I can deliver from my existing relationships in government, the greater the opportunities residents will have in Puna.

Reopen Route 137
Route 137, better known as Red Road, Beach Road or Kapoho-Kalapana Road, which once provided access to Kapoho and a thoroughfare to Kalapana. The 2018 eruption of Kīlauea volcano inundated Route 137 with lava, and I will monitor the progress of reopening Red Road for residents in the area to give them access to their property. Safety concerns for residents in the area are my top concerns and as hot surface temperatures can reach more than 700 degrees Fahrenheit, safe conditions must be met before construction can begin. I will work to ensure federal, state and local deadlines are met in order to expedite the reopening of Route 137.

Rebuild the Pohoiki Boat Ramp
The state feasibility study for the Pohoiki boat ramp is under way and the result of that study is of paramount importance to re-establishing a boat ramp for fishermen in Pohoiki. The boat ramp is important because it is the only boat ramp available between Hilo and Miloli"i. The unfortunate delay in restoring it has been a lost opportunity since 2018. Puna has many great fishermen and this rich legacy to this day still provides both the livelihood and a way of life in Puna. I will follow up with the DLNR's Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation to ensure the project continues on track.

Improve and Develop the Public School Facilities in the Ka"ū-Kea"au-Pāhoa Area Complex
The majority of the state's infrastructure has been operating beyond its useful life and public schools are no different. Kea"au Elementary School, Kea"au Middle School, Kea"au High School, Pāhoa Elementary, Pāhoa Intermediate School, Pāhoa High School, and Keonepoko Elementary, as well as public charter schools such as Hawai"i Academy of Arts & Science, Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, and Kua O Ka Lā, are in need of funding to ensure proper maintenance of their facilities. As your state representative, I will advocate for public school infrastructure funding to ensure students have a safe and comfortable place to learn. In addition, I will discuss the possibility of building a feeder school in Hawaiian Paradise Park similar to Keonepoko Elementary in Hawaiian Beaches.

Source