In November 1994, we dedicated the Tetsuo Harano Tunnels on Interstate Route H-3. The tunnels are named for the department's former Highways Division Administrator, Tetsuo Harano, who retired at the end of 1994 after spending 52 years at the department. In his over half a century at DOT, Harano was involved in the construction of almost every mile of highway improvements in the state. In an effort to help reduce traffic congestion, DOT established the Vanpool Hawaii program, which provides comfortable 9 or 15 passenger vans to groups of commuters who use them as their way of getting to and from work each day. Van drivers generally are responsible for gas and keeping the van clean, but don't pay the monthly fee.
Drivers also have personal use of the vans during non-work hours.
The first of the vans took to the road in FY95 and by the end of the year 15 were in operation. The Big Island, with its long commuting distances, had 13 operating vans, while Oahu had two. Efforts were underway to expand the program to Maui and Kauai. In conjunction with the Governor's Highway Safety Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, we convened a year-long Impaired Driving Task Force that included nearly 100 members from all levels of government, the private sector and the general public. The work of the Task Force was presented at a one-day conference on impaired driving.