Honolulu road deconstruction

I know someone who lives in Minnesota. He says that Minnesota has four seasons. Snow. More snow. Still snowing. And road construction.

Isn’t it remarkable how states with such severe weather manage to have better streets and roads (not bridges, apparently) than Hawaii, though we can repair and build ours 12 months a year?

A few readers sent me a number of reasons why roads in Honolulu are in such disrepair. In brief, here are the basic arguments:

1 – Technology: Honolulu and Hawaii are decades behind new pacing designs and technologies. Many roads are resurfaced with one inch of hot mix asphalt known as a “political paint job.”

2 – Quality: Potholes develop quickly because of poor mix materials, poorly laid.

3 – Competition: Grace Pacific was allowed to acquire competitor Hawaiian Bitumuls and Paving. No competition means higher prices, lower quality.

4 – Tax Money: Where does Hawaii’s gasoline tax money go? If it is intended for streets, roads, highways, bridges, why is it diverted for other purposes by state legislators?

5 – Repair Priorities: streets and roads that need repair don’t get it. Streets and roads near politician’s home get all the repairs they need.

6 – Standards: Honolulu design standards are outdated so developers who build roads and turn them over to the city often construct sub-standard roadways which later need repair at taxpayer expense.

Finally, one reader noted the not-so-painfully obvious question: how can the City of Honolulu design, construct, and operate a complex high-technology rapid transit project when they struggle to maintain streets and highways?