Aloha Committee Chair Molina, VC Rawlins, and Council Members,
I hate to be sarcastic but maybe the Mayor will listen this time in his campaigning. Too Late!
How many Resolutions or Bills have to be written to save a life. I understand that corporate counsel has to fine tune the legality part of the bill but again how much more. We started back in
September of 2021. Aside from the struggles during Covid, we are back on track. I've read the changes from the March bill to the revisions made on the August 10th Bill. Hard specifics were thought out for the protection of the County as well as the State.
There is one concern that was brought up in my previous testimony that would fall under section 5.22.025 concerning bike tours in the Makawao-Pukalani-Kula and Pa'ia-Ha'iku Community plan areas. I strongly urge you to prohibit bike tours down Baldwin Avenue onto Hana Hwy. Only Kula Highway and Haleakala Crater Road are mentioned. This is very critical. It is still occuring now and they meet at the entrance of Baldwin Park to collect their bikes.
In all of the resolutions or bill writing that we do, we need to understand, if we expect the bike tours to operate safely, we need to provide proper bike lanes, markings and proper signs for bikers and vehicles.
As always, Mahalo for allowing me to share my mana'o. Ke Akua's Blessings.
5.22.025 Commercial bicycle tours operating in the Makawao-Pukalani-Kula and Pā‘ia-Ha‘ikū community plan areas.
A. It is unlawful for any business to conduct or allow unguided commercial bicycle tours on [Kula Highway] Haleakala Highway (State Highway 377), Kekaulike Highway (State Highway 377), and Haleakalā Crater Road (State Highway 378).
B. It is unlawful for any business to conduct guided commercial bicycle tours on [Kula Highway] Haleakala Highway (State Highway 377), Kekaulike Highway (State Highway 377), below the 3 mile marker on Haleakala Crater Highway. [4,500-foot elevation.]
C. No more than twelve bicycle riders per guided commercial bicycle tour are allowed, excluding employee guides.
D. Employee guides must ride at the front of tour groups.
E. Guided [and unguided commercial bicycle] tours may only be conducted Monday through Saturday between [8:00 a.m.] sunrise and 1:30 p.m.
F. Permit holders must require riders to sign the bike pono pledge, which states: “I will bike pono, with awareness of my surroundings, attention to my bike speed, and upmost safety for myself [and cars to share the roads.] and the cars that share the roads.”
The proposed revisions to this ordinance would simply make these tours virtually inoperable and could have devastating repercussions for these businesses and the Maui residents that they employ. I strongly oppose these revisions, as I believe the responsible owners of these businesses have already made drastic changes to their tours to accommodate residents and make their tours safer for riders and vehicle operators sharing the roadways. As mentioned by another commenter, limiting the tour to only 4500ft makes it obsolete and takes any appeal out of visitors wanting to book these tours. These businesses employ many Maui residents that will be out of work without the continuation of these tours and without work and with the exponentially rising cost of living on island, they will not be able to support their families any longer. Please consider the wider impact that this ordinance will have on the surrounding community and their families as it won't be insignificant.
This ordinance is TOO restrictive. Regulation is good, and I would find it difficult to find anyone that doesn't want to make things safer for everyone on the road including bikers.
But ending the ride at 4500 ft? That absolutely destroys the appeal of the ride. Summit to Sea is what they are looking for. What visitor will get excited at the prospect of a 6 mile bike ride, especially when its cut down from 23. I can only imagine all the illegal operators and rentals happening unregulated just so they can get the full ride in. You can't cut out 70% of a product and expect that company to sell it just as well, without having to downsize and cut jobs.
Prohibiting unguided tours is also too over reaching. Some of the bike companies offer ONLY unguided tours. Are you outright shutting down their business? I think there is a misconception about unguided tours too. Despite the name, unguided, they are very much guided in the sense that they are provided a tour on the way up along with extensive safety briefings and thorough instructions. Without companies offering this popular option in an organized and safe way, illegal operators will be doing in in an unorganized and unsafe way.
Whatever happened to the KCA draft which WAS a compromise between the community and the industry. They had an agreement to follow a best practices document, be permitted, and not operate during peak hours. Both sides agreed that this would be a good solution and a win for both sides. Why did the council abandon an actual compromised ordinance and created one that is so restrictive that it will without a doubt force these operations out of business and cost dozens, maybe hundreds of jobs.
Though the issue is important, this ordinance is not the solution, not by a long shot. If they can get rid of the 4500ft limit and the prohibiting unguided tours, other items can be adhered to. Please reconsider the terms in this ordinance, and understand what's at stake here. The livelihoods of many hard working, local citizens.
BICYCLE-TOUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND RELATED LITIGATION
CONCERNS (GREAT-44)
I support the revisions as long as the changes included in my attached letter are included. I have included both a MSWord and PDF version of my testimony.
Dick Mayer
Aloha Committee Chair Molina, VC Rawlins, and Council Members,
I hate to be sarcastic but maybe the Mayor will listen this time in his campaigning. Too Late!
How many Resolutions or Bills have to be written to save a life. I understand that corporate counsel has to fine tune the legality part of the bill but again how much more. We started back in
September of 2021. Aside from the struggles during Covid, we are back on track. I've read the changes from the March bill to the revisions made on the August 10th Bill. Hard specifics were thought out for the protection of the County as well as the State.
There is one concern that was brought up in my previous testimony that would fall under section 5.22.025 concerning bike tours in the Makawao-Pukalani-Kula and Pa'ia-Ha'iku Community plan areas. I strongly urge you to prohibit bike tours down Baldwin Avenue onto Hana Hwy. Only Kula Highway and Haleakala Crater Road are mentioned. This is very critical. It is still occuring now and they meet at the entrance of Baldwin Park to collect their bikes.
In all of the resolutions or bill writing that we do, we need to understand, if we expect the bike tours to operate safely, we need to provide proper bike lanes, markings and proper signs for bikers and vehicles.
As always, Mahalo for allowing me to share my mana'o. Ke Akua's Blessings.
Aunty Mopsy
(Francine K. Aarona)
Dick Mayer August-16-2022
5.22.025 Commercial bicycle tours operating in the Makawao-Pukalani-Kula and Pā‘ia-Ha‘ikū community plan areas.
A. It is unlawful for any business to conduct or allow unguided commercial bicycle tours on [Kula Highway] Haleakala Highway (State Highway 377), Kekaulike Highway (State Highway 377), and Haleakalā Crater Road (State Highway 378).
B. It is unlawful for any business to conduct guided commercial bicycle tours on [Kula Highway] Haleakala Highway (State Highway 377), Kekaulike Highway (State Highway 377), below the 3 mile marker on Haleakala Crater Highway. [4,500-foot elevation.]
C. No more than twelve bicycle riders per guided commercial bicycle tour are allowed, excluding employee guides.
D. Employee guides must ride at the front of tour groups.
E. Guided [and unguided commercial bicycle] tours may only be conducted Monday through Saturday between [8:00 a.m.] sunrise and 1:30 p.m.
F. Permit holders must require riders to sign the bike pono pledge, which states: “I will bike pono, with awareness of my surroundings, attention to my bike speed, and upmost safety for myself [and cars to share the roads.] and the cars that share the roads.”
The proposed revisions to this ordinance would simply make these tours virtually inoperable and could have devastating repercussions for these businesses and the Maui residents that they employ. I strongly oppose these revisions, as I believe the responsible owners of these businesses have already made drastic changes to their tours to accommodate residents and make their tours safer for riders and vehicle operators sharing the roadways. As mentioned by another commenter, limiting the tour to only 4500ft makes it obsolete and takes any appeal out of visitors wanting to book these tours. These businesses employ many Maui residents that will be out of work without the continuation of these tours and without work and with the exponentially rising cost of living on island, they will not be able to support their families any longer. Please consider the wider impact that this ordinance will have on the surrounding community and their families as it won't be insignificant.
This ordinance is TOO restrictive. Regulation is good, and I would find it difficult to find anyone that doesn't want to make things safer for everyone on the road including bikers.
But ending the ride at 4500 ft? That absolutely destroys the appeal of the ride. Summit to Sea is what they are looking for. What visitor will get excited at the prospect of a 6 mile bike ride, especially when its cut down from 23. I can only imagine all the illegal operators and rentals happening unregulated just so they can get the full ride in. You can't cut out 70% of a product and expect that company to sell it just as well, without having to downsize and cut jobs.
Prohibiting unguided tours is also too over reaching. Some of the bike companies offer ONLY unguided tours. Are you outright shutting down their business? I think there is a misconception about unguided tours too. Despite the name, unguided, they are very much guided in the sense that they are provided a tour on the way up along with extensive safety briefings and thorough instructions. Without companies offering this popular option in an organized and safe way, illegal operators will be doing in in an unorganized and unsafe way.
Whatever happened to the KCA draft which WAS a compromise between the community and the industry. They had an agreement to follow a best practices document, be permitted, and not operate during peak hours. Both sides agreed that this would be a good solution and a win for both sides. Why did the council abandon an actual compromised ordinance and created one that is so restrictive that it will without a doubt force these operations out of business and cost dozens, maybe hundreds of jobs.
Though the issue is important, this ordinance is not the solution, not by a long shot. If they can get rid of the 4500ft limit and the prohibiting unguided tours, other items can be adhered to. Please reconsider the terms in this ordinance, and understand what's at stake here. The livelihoods of many hard working, local citizens.
BICYCLE-TOUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND RELATED LITIGATION
CONCERNS (GREAT-44)
I support the revisions as long as the changes included in my attached letter are included. I have included both a MSWord and PDF version of my testimony.
Dick Mayer