Traffic must be addressed by Koa Ridge, Ho’opili plans

In all the discussion about freeway congestion, the rail project and development plans, the impact on Leeward residents has been front and center. But key decisions last week by the state Land Use Commission should raise the profile of Central Oahu concerns in all of this, because the ordeal of commuters using the H-2 freeway corridor is now certain to become intolerable unless some serious transportation planning happens, and fast.

The commission reviewed two extremely consequential proposals, on Friday approving the 11,750-home Ho‘opili development, one day after clearing Castle & Cooke Homes’ Koa Ridge project near Mililani. The latter would bring 5,000 homes and commercial activities to what has been in agriculture for decades.

Neither project will have completely clear sailing for some time, with the possibility of court appeals hanging over the LUC actions and a series of other intensive land-use reviews still ahead. However, it’s already evident in the Koa Ridge case that government planners and officials will have to consider more traffic-mitigation strategies than what’s planned so far in connection with this project.

Castle & Cooke has made concessions to the protest that its project is costing Oahu valuable agricultural acreage. The company has committed to compensate for the displacement of Aloun Farms’ 446-acre operations with the lease of 335 acres near Wahiawa, with an option for an additional 333 acres. It’s at least a start toward acknowledging the need to regenerate a sustainable agricultural industry, on Oahu as well as the neighbor islands, but it won’t be clear until the specific terms for the lease emerge.

The traffic implications of all this, though, are certainly what rings the most immediate alarm bells.

Some conditions were imposed on Thursday as part of the commission’s 7-0 vote to reclassify 768 acres for development, stretching between the H-2 and Kamehameha Highway. They include requirements such as completion of the mitigation measures, which include constructing a new H-2 interchange at Pineapple Road. This would have to be finished before occupancy of the first 1,800 homes or development of 328,000 square feet of commercial space could proceed.

While important, such provisions are simply not equal to the challenge of managing the added cars, even if they’re funneled into the freeway system in increments.

As it is, southbound morning traffic moves very slowly into the H-1 freeway merge, without even considering additions from Koa Ridge or Ho‘opili.

If nothing else, the likely prospect that Koa Ridge eventually will be built out underscores the need for alternate channels for transportation to and from Honolulu. The debate over the development in the coming years should shine a spotlight on ways to link Central Oahu to rail, assuming that that public works system moves ahead as planned. Park-and-ride facilities, with shuttle services to the rail stations, will be an essential feature on Koa Ridge planning maps.

It may be that a direct rail link serving Central Oahu — enabling many to escape the freeway mess altogether — should get top priority in future phases of the mass-transit system.

Other strategies that must be reinforced include the direction of West and Central Oahu residents to workplaces on their own side of the island. Meeting Castle & Cooke’s target of creating 2,500 permanent jobs will be critical. Matching enough of those jobs to housing within Koa Ridge that workers can afford will divert more commuters from that long, painful trek into town.

Officials need to make affordability of housing a central issue in the hearings ahead.

The developer projects that construction can start in 2013 on the first phase, Koa Ridge Makai. Undeniably, this will provide a welcome injection of opportunity for Hawaii’s struggling building trades and an immediate boost to the state economy.

Equally important, however, will be assurances that the new community arrives with enough accommodations in place to keep daily life on Oahu efficient and the rush-hour commute, in particular, sane.