Speed Limits Now Official on HPP Side Roads

Those speeding in Hawaiian Paradise Park beware: You can now be ticketed by county police.

Unless you’re on one of the Puna subdivision’s main roads, that is. But it’s just a matter of time before speeding on those roadways will also be taboo.

The Hawaii County Council on Wednesday gave unanimous final approval to two bills establishing speed limits on HPP’s side roads.

Bill 82 sets a 15 mph speed limit on all of the subdivison’s unpaved roads.

HPP’s community association is hopeful that the speed limit will reduce the amount of dust raised by motorists, an issue which has caught the attention of not only residents but also the state Department of Health.

Meanwhile, Bill 83 established a 25 mph speed limit on all of its paved roads except for Shower Drive, Kaloli Drive, Paradise Drive and Maku`u Drive.

Those four roads, which provide access to the sprawling subdivision from the Keaau-Pahoa Road, will be the subject of Bill 84.

Most of the roadways in the sprawling Puna subdivision now have official speed limits. File photo.

That bill, which proposes a 35 mph speed limit, had been held up by a procedural issue involving the Hawaii County Code.

But that has since been resolved, and the legislation is expected to be taken up at its next meeting of the council’s Committee on Public Works and Parks and Recreation.

Council staff could not immediately provide a date for that meeting.

Legislation is needed to establish the speed limits because all of the 138 miles of roadway in HPP are privately and collectively owned by the subdivision’s lot owners.

Police say they regularly receive complaints about speeding in HPP but could not issue citations without the enabling legislation.

Hawaiian Paradise Park is the fifth Big Island subdivision with speed limits set for their private roads.