REPORT TITLE:
Transportation


DESCRIPTION:
Changes the frequency of the election of the chairperson of the
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) from annually to every 2
years, and updates the functions of the MPO.  Appropriates funds
from harbor special fund for the planning, design, and
construction of a cruise ship passenger terminal at Pier 2,
Honolulu Harbor. (SB392 HD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        392
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 2
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1                              PART I
 
 2      SECTION 1.  Section 279E-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 3 amended to read as follows:
 
 4      "§279E-4 Chairperson:  function and term of office.  The
 
 5 members of the MPO policy committee shall elect [annually] every
 
 6 two years a chairperson on a rotating basis between the members
 
 7 of the state legislature and the legislative body of the
 
 8 appropriate county.
 
 9      The chairperson shall place on the agenda for full hearing
 
10 any issue, project, or subject matter relating to transportation
 
11 which is requested by at least three members of the MPO policy
 
12 committee."
 
13      SECTION 2.  Section 279E-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
14 amended to read as follows:
 
15      "[[]§279E-7[]]  Functions of the Metropolitan Planning
 
16 Organization.  The functions of each Metropolitan Planning
 
17 Organization shall include:
 
18      (1)  Serve in an advisory capacity to the legislature, the
 
19           legislative body of the county, and the appropriate
 

 
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 1           state and county agencies in carrying out continuous,
 
 2           comprehensive, and cooperative transportation planning
 
 3           and programming for the county as required by federal
 
 4           laws and rules[.];
 
 5      (2)  Obtain information and plans from the appropriate
 
 6           county and state agencies to formulate a [short-range
 
 7           six-year transportation plan for the county and an
 
 8           annual update of that plan, and a master multi-modal]
 
 9           transportation improvement program and an intermodal
 
10           long-range transportation plan for the county in order
 
11           to advise the legislature, the legislative body of the
 
12           county, and other appropriate agencies regarding those
 
13           plans[.];
 
14      (3)  Review the capital improvement programs of both the
 
15           county and state for urbanized and rural areas of the
 
16           county as they concern transportation[.];
 
17      (4)  Integrate transportation planning for the county with a
 
18           statewide transportation planning program authorized by
 
19           Act 218, [SLH] Session Laws of Hawaii 1974[.];
 
20      (5)  Develop recommendations to the state legislature and
 
21           the legislative body of the county regarding
 
22           transportation policy matters[.];
 
23      (6)  Act as liaison with the intermodal planning group of
 
24           the secretary of transportation[.];
 

 
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 1      (7)  Coordinate the mathematical modeling essential to the
 
 2           transportation planning process of the county[.];
 
 3      (8)  Ensure a continuing, comprehensive transportation
 
 4           planning process carried on cooperatively by the State
 
 5           and the county[.
 
 6      (9)  Develop a formula for the distribution of metropolitan
 
 7           planning funds which shall consider but not necessarily
 
 8           be limited to population, status of planning, and
 
 9           metropolitan area transportation needs, and submit this
 
10           formula for approval by the secretary of
 
11           transportation.
 
12      (10) Receive and distribute, as necessary, federal funds
 
13           under Section 112 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of
 
14           1973, the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, as
 
15           amended, Section 13 of the Airport and Airway
 
16           Development Act of 1970, as amended, and Section 5 of
 
17           the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, as
 
18           amended.];
 
19      (9)  Perform all activities necessary to comply with federal
 
20           laws and rules relating to MPOs;
 
21    [(11)] (10) Receive, expend, and distribute, as necessary,
 
22           such federal, state, county, and other funds as may
 
23           become available to support metropolitan
 
24           transportation[.] planning;
 

 
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 1    [(12)] (11) Advise on plans, projects, and programs requiring
 
 2           action by the state legislature or the legislative body
 
 3           of the county which have been submitted for review to
 
 4           the MPO[.];
 
 5    [(13)] (12) Undertake [such] other functions as may become
 
 6           appropriate in an advisory capacity to ensure a joint
 
 7           planning process between the county and the State, and
 
 8           advise appropriate legislative bodies and agencies, as
 
 9           necessary[.]; and
 
10    [(14)] (13) If the MPO finds that it is necessary to have a
 
11           citizens' advisory group to present technical or other
 
12           expert opinions or facts to the MPO then such a group
 
13           may be formed."
 
14                              PART II
 
15    SECTION 3.  The cruise ship industry has experienced large
 
16 growth rates both in Hawaii and around the world.  While for many
 
17 years the airplane has been the preferred mode of travel,
 
18 passenger cruising has become more popular.  There are several
 
19 reasons for this:
 
20    (1)    Cruising is a better value than traditional air-land
 
21           vacation package when all costs are considered;
 

 
 
 
 
 
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 1    (2)    According to the cruise industry, the maturing "baby
 
 2           boomers" are ready to travel, as they have both the
 
 3           money and time to go ocean cruising;
 
 4    (3)    Finally, because airlines have cut travel agents
 
 5           commissions while cruise lines still give travel agents
 
 6           full commission, travel agents encourage cruises more
 
 7           than airline travel.
 
 8    As a result, there is a current worldwide demand in cruise
 
 9 travel.  To meet this boom, cruise lines are building cruise
 
10 ships in record numbers.  Besides becoming more numerous, the new
 
11 ships are much larger than the older ships.
 
12    The purpose of this Part is to appropriate moneys toward, and
 
13 to express strong legislative and community support for,
 
14 additional cruise ship berths in Honolulu harbor.  The Oahu
 
15 commercial harbors 2020 master plan recommends that, in order to
 
16 increase Hawaii's share of the global cruise tour market,
 
17 Honolulu harbor must provide more cruise ship berths.
 
18      SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the harbor special
 
19 fund the sum of $      or so much thereof as may be necessary for
 
20 fiscal year 1999-2000 for the planning, design, and construction
 
21 of a cruise ship passenger terminal at pier 2, Honolulu harbor.
 

 
 
 
 
 
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 1      SECTION 5.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 2 department of transportation for the purposes of this Part.
 
 3                             PART III
 
 4      SECTION 6.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
 5 New statutory material is underscored.
 
 6      SECTION 7.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999;
 
 7 provided that Part I shall take effect on January 1, 2001.