Leeward road plan is
jammed in debateCampus security fears easier access
will mean a rise in crime as well
Students and faculty members say a second access road will make it easier to get to Leeward Community College, but security officials say it also will make it easier for thieves to get in and out of the area.
"To me, one road is a blessing in terms of deterring crime," campus security supervisor Talbort Hook said. "In all honesty, one of the best things about Leeward (Community College) is that it's isolated."
$10 MILLION PLAN The state Transportation Department plans to build a second access road to Leeward Community College, with construction to begin in 2007 at a cost of $10 million. The project will:
» Create a second access road from Waipio Point Access Road.
» Improve Waiawa Road to increase roadway capacity and to provide pedestrian walkways from the bus stop.
» Widen Waipio Access Road to accommodate a second left-turn lane from Farrington Highway.
The college has one access road via Waiawa Road that connects to AlaIke, which fronts the campus, causing traffic jams during peak times that could make it difficult for emergency vehicles to pass.
The Transportation Department is planning a second access road for the campus that would start from Waipio Point Access Road, near Waipahu High School, and continue through the back of the high school campus and connect to the community college's parking lot.
The mile-long road would alleviate traffic in the nearby Sam's Club area, Kamehameha Highway and Farrington Highway.
"The road is absolutely essential and way overdue," said engineering and physical science professor Ron Flegal. "It's crazy to build a school this size with only one road. That's bad planning."
"The longest I've been in line was half an hour," computer science student Tyler Matsubayashi said. "It's one road, and it's not that far from the onramp, but there's just lines of cars on the way out."
Hook said he and his staff will remain vigilant, but he is dreading the increased crime the new road might attract.
Cliff Togo, director of administrative services, said security is a minor issue of the project. The benefits outweigh the additional risk of crime, he said.
The second road will divert the traffic to other already congested areas, some say. Rep. Alex Sonson (D, Pearl City-Waipahu) said the road will add more cars in Waipahu with the high school students in the mornings.
"The traffic on that intersection is very heavy right now," Sonson said. "If you're going to add the road, that area will be a parking lot."
Sen. Cal Kawamoto (D, Waipahu) said the road is an opportunity for Waipahu businesses. "This road provides us the ability to capture some of the students," he said. "The Waipahu businesses really support it."
