Latest news with #EdSniffen
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Highway at Olowalu, Ukumehame to be moved mauka soon
OLOWALU (KHON2) — A major highway project on Maui is nearing the final stages before being contracted out. Controversial STR bill to be heard by Maui Council June 9 The scenic coastal Honoapiʻilani highway is a single two-lane highway that currently serves as the primary access route to and from west Maui, and for years the five-mile stretch has been impacted by storms, waves and high tide events. Honoapiʻilani Highway from Ukumehame to the current bypass at Launiupoko is set to move mauka soon, and the community still has come to comment on what the current highway area will look like in the future. The state Department of Transportation has made it a priority to move the highway mauka for years. 'We're looking at a half-mile up the slope, so it will start on southern end of the bypass where it is now so we'll move it up the slope in that area where we're away from different developments, minimize the land taking of areas people are in,' Hawaii DOT director Ed Sniffen explained. Maps show the highway will begin to shift away from the ocean near Pāpalaua Wayside Park all the way to Olowalu. Sniffen says most of the land for the future route is owned by the county and some unoccupied developer properties will have to be acquired.'The further we can move away from the ocean the better for everyone, from a resiliency perspective, efficiency, and dependability,' Sniffen continued. 'The discussion now is what happens to this existing portion here between the two once we relocate?' Sniffen explained. 'Do we keep it as a road? Do we turn it into a bike and pedestrian path? Get rid of it all together? Those are things [The Nature Conservancy] are studying now.' The Nature Conservancy received a grant from Senator Brian Schatz to look at what happens to the lower, current road, once the state finishes building the new upper road. 'The realignment of Honoapiʻilani Highway offers an incredible opportunity for us to look forward and envision what this coastal corridor could look like, how we can protect the area as much as possible,' explained Tamara Farnsworth, Coastal Resilience Project manager for The Nature Conservancy. The group has held several community meetings with ideas ranging from wetland restoration, native vegetation restoration, boardwalks, bike paths, stream restoration and more. 'This is a very special place, hundreds of cultural resources in the area, it's of utmost importance that those are protected and the resources are protected,' she continued. Sniffen says when the state turns it over to the county, the areas typically stay with beach access, but it is no longer the main route to get to the area. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news The final environmental impact statement will be complete by September. Sniffen said the realignment should begin by Summer 2026 and be completed by early 2029. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hawaii DOT pushing speed cam expansion despite failed bill
The state Department of Transportation intends to use existing revenue streams to dramatically scale up an automated camera system to ticket drivers who speed or run red lights—even though a bill proposed by state lawmakers to expand the system stalled out. House Bill 697, introduced in January and backed by DOT, proposed $10 million in funding over the next two fiscal years to add and operate for a decade 160 cameras on Oahu, in Maui County, on Hawaii island and on Kauai. The bill also sought to broaden the authority for validating infractions from county police departments to DOT and the state Department of Law Enforcement. But that roadblock has not deterred state DOT officials, who say they still plan to expand the program, which deployed 17 cameras at 10 Honolulu intersections for red-light enforcement in late 2022, followed by a public-awareness phase for speed enforcement that since March 14 has generated some 36, 000 warnings. State Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said speeding was a top contributing factor in motor vehicle fatalities over the past decade and that automated camera enforcement would deter speeders and reduce senseless deaths and injuries on Hawaii's roadways. DOT said it plans to use red-light funds and state highway funds to expand, operate and maintain the camera system over the next decade with a minimum of 20 cameras per year over eight years, or 160 additional cameras total. A vendor selected would be paid a monthly flat fee and not receive any revenue generated from citations. DOT issued a request for proposals for such a contract March 20 and aims to receive best and final offers by June 2, followed by an anticipated contract award July 7. The request seeks 100 additional cameras on Oahu and 20 each for the three neighbor island counties. Intersections identified for the expansion are to be selected based on crash history, traffic volume and engineering analysis. The current 17 cameras at 10 intersections are slated to continue operating in a warning phase for speed infractions at least through mid-September. The legislation drew state Judiciary concerns that courts would be overwhelmed by adjudicating an expected massive volume of citations, while some members of the public opposed the bill. Under existing state law governing camera-based speed enforcement, cita-tions may not be issued for exceeding the speed limit by less than 5 mph. Since the warning period began March 14, the system has been generating warnings for vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 11 mph, according to DOT. From March 14 through April 30, there were 35, 700 warnings generated, or about 744 per day on average, DOT reported. The agency also said that as of Tuesday, 17, 000 to 20, 000 warnings had yet to be mailed to registered vehicle owners. Tommy Hanohano, a police officer for 31 years, told the House Finance Committee in written testimony for a Feb. 21 hearing that the cameras should be used only for red-light infractions and not speeding. 'We are already the #1 most costly state to live in, ' Hanohano wrote. 'We citizens do not need any more cost burdens on us. This is a pure money grab and does nothing to improve our roadways.' Hanohano said DOT, based on preliminary tests for motorists exceeding the speed limit by over 5 mph, could generate $6.6 million weekly, 'just for going a few miles above the speed limit, ' he testified. 'We all know that a few miles above the speed limit does not cause collisions and death.' A state court administrator didn't take a position on the merits of HB 697, but expressed concerns with the impact of DOT's planned system expansion on court resources. 'The Judiciary is concerned about the effects the potential volume of citations will have on the district courts, ' Michelle Acosta, deputy chief court administrator for the 1st Circuit District Court on Oahu, said in written testimony for a March 10 committee hearing on the bill. 'A dramatic increase in traffic citations would overwhelm already overstretched court resources, potentially to the detriment of other types of cases heard by district court and could also result in the backlog of processing these citations.' Sniffen has said DOT expects the number of infractions to go down after warning periods, though the agency also has calculated resource demands to be 30 times higher for speed violations than red-light violations. To manage this, the department sought a change to state law so that DOT and Department of Law Enforcement employees can assist with citation validation. HB 697 proposed this change, along with the $10 million appropriation. A more recent draft also proposed to increase the legal threshold for issuing speeding tickets using a camera system to not less than 7 mph, up from 5 mph. On April 25, House and Senate negotiators on a conference committee agreed to a compromise draft of the bill that would have appropriated $2 million and made the other changes. But the vote was taken about four minutes past a procedural deadline, so final votes by the House and Senate could not take place.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
State pushing speed cam expansion despite failed bill
The state Department of Transportation intends to use existing revenue streams to dramatically scale up an automated camera system to ticket drivers who speed or run red lights—even though a bill proposed by state lawmakers to expand the system stalled out. House Bill 697, introduced in January and backed by DOT, proposed $10 million in funding over the next two fiscal years to add and operate for a decade 160 cameras on Oahu, in Maui County, on Hawaii island and on Kauai. The bill also sought to broaden the authority for validating infractions from county police departments to DOT and the state Department of Law Enforcement. But that roadblock has not deterred state DOT officials, who say they still plan to expand the program, which deployed 17 cameras at 10 Honolulu intersections for red-light enforcement in late 2022, followed by a public-awareness phase for speed enforcement that since March 14 has generated some 36, 000 warnings. State Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said speeding was a top contributing factor in motor vehicle fatalities over the past decade and that automated camera enforcement would deter speeders and reduce senseless deaths and injuries on Hawaii's roadways. DOT said it plans to use red-light funds and state highway funds to expand, operate and maintain the camera system over the next decade with a minimum of 20 cameras per year over eight years, or 160 additional cameras total. A vendor selected would be paid a monthly flat fee and not receive any revenue generated from citations. DOT issued a request for proposals for such a contract March 20 and aims to receive best and final offers by June 2, followed by an anticipated contract award July 7. The request seeks 100 additional cameras on Oahu and 20 each for the three neighbor island counties. Intersections identified for the expansion are to be selected based on crash history, traffic volume and engineering analysis. The current 17 cameras at 10 intersections are slated to continue operating in a warning phase for speed infractions at least through mid-September. The legislation drew state Judiciary concerns that courts would be overwhelmed by adjudicating an expected massive volume of citations, while some members of the public opposed the bill. Under existing state law governing camera-based speed enforcement, cita-tions may not be issued for exceeding the speed limit by less than 5 mph. Since the warning period began March 14, the system has been generating warnings for vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 11 mph, according to DOT. From March 14 through April 30, there were 35, 700 warnings generated, or about 744 per day on average, DOT reported. The agency also said that as of Tuesday, 17, 000 to 20, 000 warnings had yet to be mailed to registered vehicle owners. Tommy Hanohano, a police officer for 31 years, told the House Finance Committee in written testimony for a Feb. 21 hearing that the cameras should be used only for red-light infractions and not speeding. 'We are already the #1 most costly state to live in, ' Hanohano wrote. 'We citizens do not need any more cost burdens on us. This is a pure money grab and does nothing to improve our roadways.' Hanohano said DOT, based on preliminary tests for motorists exceeding the speed limit by over 5 mph, could generate $6.6 million weekly, 'just for going a few miles above the speed limit, ' he testified. 'We all know that a few miles above the speed limit does not cause collisions and death.' A state court administrator didn't take a position on the merits of HB 697, but expressed concerns with the impact of DOT's planned system expansion on court resources. 'The Judiciary is concerned about the effects the potential volume of citations will have on the district courts, ' Michelle Acosta, deputy chief court administrator for the 1st Circuit District Court on Oahu, said in written testimony for a March 10 committee hearing on the bill. 'A dramatic increase in traffic citations would overwhelm already overstretched court resources, potentially to the detriment of other types of cases heard by district court and could also result in the backlog of processing these citations.' Sniffen has said DOT expects the number of infractions to go down after warning periods, though the agency also has calculated resource demands to be 30 times higher for speed violations than red-light violations. To manage this, the department sought a change to state law so that DOT and Department of Law Enforcement employees can assist with citation validation. HB 697 proposed this change, along with the $10 million appropriation. A more recent draft also proposed to increase the legal threshold for issuing speeding tickets using a camera system to not less than 7 mph, up from 5 mph. On April 25, House and Senate negotiators on a conference committee agreed to a compromise draft of the bill that would have appropriated $2 million and made the other changes. But the vote was taken about four minutes past a procedural deadline, so final votes by the House and Senate could not take place.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
REAL ID takes off smoothly
If you aren't sure whether your driver's license or state ID has a gold star in a circle, you might want to double-check your wallet before heading to the airport. Wednesday was the first day that all travelers flying domestically—including inter island—are required to show a REAL ID-compliant credential or another federally accepted form of identification, like a passport or military ID, to get through airport security. The Transportation Security Administration officially began enforcing the REAL ID Act, a federal law passed in 2005 to tighten ID standards after the 9 /11 attacks. In Hawaii, most travelers are already set. According to state Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen, about 96 % of all driver's licenses and state IDs issued here are compliant. 'The great thing is, with REAL ID starting up today, the requirements, TSA has been drilling for the past week or so to ensure that if they run into different scenarios, they're ready for the situations, ' he said at a press conference Wednesday. Sniffen said by midday, 307 travelers had arrived at Hawaii airports without REAL ID-compliant IDs. Of those, only three were denied boarding—and not because of the REAL ID rule. 'The three that were denied access weren't because their IDs were not REAL ID compliant. They came in with no ID at all, ' he said. The rest—304 people—were routed to secondary screening, a backup process that TSA has been rehearsing ahead of the enforcement deadline. Most were cleared in five to 10 minutes. While the rollout appeared largely seamless, Sniffen warned travelers to arrive early if they're unsure about their ID status or traveling with guests who may not be compliant. He also noted that most of the issues could come from visitors from other states, not local residents. Lorie Dankers, a TSA spokesperson, said travelers without compliant IDs will be allowed to fly after undergoing screening, but they'll be given a flyer explaining the new requirements and may be pulled aside. 'You're going to receive a flyer and you may receive additional screening. It's an unpredictable screening measure that passengers might be subjected to, but you are going to be allowed to fly, ' she said. Valid alternatives to a REAL ID include U.S. passports, military IDs—including those issued to dependents—Global Entry cards and foreign government-issued passports. Dankers encouraged travelers to review TSA's ID list in advance. At Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Wednesday, many travelers reported no issues. Ivan Kuancer, who was traveling from Hilo to Honolulu to visit family, said he received his REAL ID when he renewed his license a couple of years ago. He described his travel experience as smooth and said he didn't notice anyone around him having trouble at security. Kuancer supports the initiative for safety reasons, though he acknowledged it could cause some delays. Still, he said he wasn't too worried. Others traveling through Honolulu had mixed feelings. Jennifer, a military traveler from Orange County, Calif., said she opted not to get a REAL ID, relying instead on her military ID when passing through airports. 'I chose not to get it … I am in the military, so I chose to maintain just my military identification as a process of going in and out of the airports. For me, it was like a hassle to get the REAL ID, ' she said. She and her friend Samantha Perez were connecting in Honolulu on their way to Kona. While Perez also described her own travel as smooth—she carries a passport—she expressed concern after witnessing an older woman in a wheelchair being pulled aside at security. 'There should be an exception, ' Perez said. 'She was in a wheelchair. Anybody who may have a disability has to go all the way to the DMV. You don't always have a ride, you don't always have the resources, the financial ability. It looks like it's hard enough on them as it is. It's not great.' Perez said she had never flown domestically using her passport until this trip and worried about misplacing it. 'I have a passport, but not everybody's as fortunate to be able to afford a passport, ' she said. 'Getting a new license in California can also be expensive and unaffordable for some people.' The federal law has been in the works for nearly 20 years, with multiple deadline extensions. Hawaii began issuing REAL ID-compliant licenses in 2018. With enforcement now underway, both federal and state officials say they'll continue educating the public, but travelers should expect the policy to remain in effect going forward. Sniffen said Hawaii's DMV offices have done well preparing the public in advance. With only about 30, 000 out of a million licensed drivers statewide still needing a REAL ID, he doesn't expect long lines at licensing centers—at least, not yet. Travelers are advised to check their IDs for the star in a circle indicating REAL ID compliance and to plan accordingly to ensure a smooth travel experience. ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF IDENTIFICATION Adult passengers 18 and older must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel.—REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent ). If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state department of motor vehicles. A temporary driver's license is not an acceptable form of identification.—State-issued Enhanced Driver's License (EDL ) or Enhanced ID (EID )—U.S. passport—U.S. passport card—DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST )—U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents—Permanent resident card—Border crossing card—An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation /Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs )—HSPD-12 PIV card—Foreign government-issued passport—Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card—Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC )—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766 )—U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential—Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC )
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New bus station to be built at location of recent plane crash
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Big plans are in the works for the Old Sky Chef building on Ualena Street near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. 'We're putting out a contract in May of this year that we would award in October to move forward with construction by late this year, to demolish that building and completely erase it, get rid of it, so that we can have this place available to build a new bus facility in that area,' Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen explained. Preliminary report released for fatal Kamaka Air crash In December 2024, a Kamaka Airlines cargo plane crashed into the building shortly after take-off, killing the two young pilots onboard. The building, which is owned by the state, was built in the 1970s and has been abandoned for some time. DOT is budgeting between $2 million and $3 million for the demolition and clearing of the area. According to Sniffin, the building should be gone by early 2026, and DOT will be able to start construction on the new electric bus facility. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news 'The bus facility, right now, is in the Diamond Head concourse area, the area where it's going to be, so we have to move it,' he explained. 'So when we do move it, we need another area for us to service our buses and store them, so that's where it's going to be.' Sniffen said they are working with HECO to ensure the new facility has the required charging capabilities. In a statement, HECO said: 'We had preliminary discussions with the Department of Transportation about this project. At Hawaiian Electric, the growth of EV charging infrastructure is foundational to Hawaii's adoption of electrified transportation.' DOT is still using diesel buses for its Wiki Wiki bus service at the airport. A DOT spokesperson confirmed that they have ordered four electric buses but could not confirm when those buses would arrive. DOT said that the electric buses will be charged by the service provider until the new facility is finished. Check out more news from around Hawaii 'The new bus facilities are going to range from $100 million to $150 million,' Sniffen said. No word on when construction on the new bus facility is expected to be completed yet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
