[§279E-1]  Statement of purpose. The legislature finds that Section 112 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973,Section 9 of the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, as amended, and otherfederal law require that a metropolitan planning organization be designated toact as an advisory urban transportation planning organization and to receivecertain funds for the purpose of carrying out continuing, comprehensive,cooperative urban transportation planning.  It is further suggested that theorganization be established under specific state legislation to coordinatemetropolitan transportation planning.

The Oahu Transportation Planning Program, aquasi-agency presently charged with coordinating transportation planning onOahu has been unable to satisfy federal requirements for a "continuing,comprehensive, and cooperative", transportation planning process.  As aresult, the Federal Highway Administration and the Urban Mass TransportationAdministration have decertified Oahu transportation programs for federalfunding.  This problem has resulted in statewide concern about the effects ofdecertification because of its impact on transportation programs andconsequently employment and also because Oahu contains the greater part of the State'spopulation and employment.

In order to be recertified, it is mandatorythat a Metropolitan Planning Organization be established and designated by theState as soon as possible.  Loss of all federal planning and construction fundsfor transit and transportation will continue until this is done.

This MPO will be primarily an advisory body tothe legislature and the legislative body of the appropriate county in affairsinvolving the continuous, comprehensive, cooperative urban transportationplanning for the county.  This chapter is designed to provide the mechanism bywhich orderly and reasoned urban transportation planning can take place withinthe framework of federal law and the need to provide for adequate and informedrepresentation from both the state and county governments and the public atlarge.

It is appropriate that each unit of generalpurpose government within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan PlanningOrganization shall have adequate representation on the Metropolitan PlanningOrganization.  The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), will, utilizinginput from appropriate state and city agencies, coordinate and develop aprospectus and a unified planning work program, a transportation plan and atransportation improvement program including an annual element of projectsrecommended for funding in order to provide this advice to legislative andgovernment agencies.  It is very important that the delineation of state andcounty functions relating to transportation within the metropolitan area becarefully considered in the designation of the MPO.

Hawaii's state government differs markedly frommost mainland states.  Hawaii has a two-tier government:  the State and thevarious counties.  The state government functions as a general purposegovernment having the responsibility for many programs, such as publiceducation, health, welfare and judiciary, which are usually controlled by localgovernment in mainland states.  In addition, land use, through the state landuse commission, is generally determined by the State rather than by thecounties as is usually the case on the mainland.  In transportation, the stategovernment has responsibility for such normally local government programs asairports, bikeways, harbors and waterways.

Hawaii's two-tier government did not come aboutby accident; it was the result of careful consideration and study of Hawaii's unique geographic configuration.  As a state comprised of islands, Hawaii has four counties, each consisting of separate islands and consequently notcontiguous.

Because the State of Hawaii is comprised ofislands, much of the transportation planning done by the State is designed tofacilitate transportation solely within the county in which the project isbuilt.  Obviously, a state highway built on the island of Oahu will only servethat island.  Hence, for example, the State's three major defense highways,H-1, H-2 and TH-3, which are all located on Oahu, while designated as statehighways, serve only the transportation needs of the residents of Oahu.  However, this is entirely consistent with the present delineation of roadwayfunctions in Hawaii.  The State is generally responsible for providing highwayfacilities that facilitate inter-community transportation, with the countiesprimarily responsible for local intra-community streets and roads.  As aresult, the State has by design a major portion of the responsibility fortransportation in each county, and more importantly for that part of thetransportation network most closely related to and impacting on planning ingeneral and transportation planning in particular.

Unlike most mainland states, Hawaii has onlyone urbanized area, the City and County of Honolulu, where eighty-one per centof the State's population reside.  In transportation, the State has programmedapproximately $149 million dollars in new highway facilities for Oahu in fiscalyear 1976 as compared to approximately $31 million dollars by the City and County of Honolulu.  Additionally, the State's major airports and harbors are located on Oahu.  In short, the State has responsibility for most of the major transportationfacilities and projects on Oahu and any designation of an MPO must take thisinto account.  Designation of an MPO which does not provide for significantstate participation simply does not recognize the existing delineation of stateand county functions relating to transportation in Hawaii.

The MPO must be designed to prevent the type ofsituation which led to the decertification of the OTPP; it must have its owncoordinating staff independent of either state or county agencies; it must beaccessible and accountable to the public; and it must provide for public input.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish andspecify the role of the organization to be designated by the governor as theMPO as required by 23 United States Code 134 and Section 4(a) of the Urban MassTransportation Act of 1964, as amended, (49 U.S.C. 1603(a)) which requirescomprehensive planning of transportation improvements. [L 1975, c 180, §1]