Hawaii Senate Bill SR99

Hawaii 2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/8/24
• Refer: 3/14/24
• Report Pass: 4/3/24
• Passed: 4/4/24

Caption

Urging The Department Of Transportation To Work With The City And County Of Honolulu To Plan And Implement Options For Alternative Ingress And Egress Routes In Pacific Palisades.

Impact

The bill emphasizes the importance of maintaining emergency access routes that allow for swift ingress and egress during crises, which is critical for public safety. Current practices indicate that relying on merely one evacuation route can significantly hinder emergency response efforts. The resolution pushes for the identification and development of additional evacuation routes to bolster community preparedness against potential natural disasters such as hurricanes and flooding.

Summary

Senate Resolution 99 urges the Department of Transportation to partner with the City and County of Honolulu to plan and implement alternative ingress and egress routes in the Pacific Palisades area. This initiative responds to the need for improved emergency access as highlighted by recent natural disasters, including the devastating Maui wildfires. The existing single route into and out of Pacific Palisades, Komo Mai Drive, is inadequate for ensuring reliable emergency services in case of an emergency requiring evacuation due to its steep and winding nature.

Contention

While the attention to emergency preparedness is broadly recognized, some may argue about the feasibility and funding for constructing alternative routes in Pacific Palisades. However, the urgency indicated by findings from the Lahaina Wildfire Interim Schools Working Group underscores a collective recognition that that safety preparation is paramount. This resolution seeks to direct actionable plans from the relevant transportation authorities with a timeline aimed at ensuring these safety measures are in place well before the regular session of 2025.