The Advertiser recently published an editorial on the need for quick approval of the latest revision of the 'Ewa Development Plan. But in its current form, the revised 'Ewa Development Plan will condemn commuters on H-1 and H-2 to ever- worsening traffic jams, with no possibility for relief.

The H-1 already has the among the worst freeway traffic congestion in the United States. With roughly 65,000 cars on the freeway every day, we have exceeded its carrying capacity. There is no room for more cars.

There is only one automobile corridor to town. The state Department of Transportation tells us that it cannot be expanded beyond Zipper lanes, and the people wouldn't stand for ugly double-decking in paradise even if there were money for it. We have clearly built ourselves into a "no build" situation.

But the city doesn't understand this. It has already approved zoning for 33,000 more dwellings on the 'Ewa plain. Nothing can be done to stop that construction. At two cars per family, that is 66,000 more cars. Two out of every three cars will join the rush hour traffic to Honolulu.

The rail will help, but not much. Studies show that even with rail, commuter traffic on H-1 and H-2 will grow worse.

Yet, amazingly, that's not all the planned housing that's out there. On top of these 33,000 already-zoned homes, there's another whole city of houses-12,000 homes with potentially two cars each — which is starting the approval process. This project is called Ho'opili. And the 'Ewa Development Plan embraces it by including its land within the Urban Growth Boundary, and by planning for it as if its existence is assured.

Ho'opili traffic will add to the freeway snarl for everyone on H-1 and H-2, but it will be particularly bad for those living on the 'Ewa Plain and Wai'anae Coast. Ho'opili will fill the entire open space between Kapolei and Waipahu. All of its commuters will pour onto Fort Weaver Road and H-1, headed to Honolulu in the morning rush. And all of the Ho'opili cars will be on the road to town in front of every current commuter from 'Ewa and Kapolei and beyond. There is nobody who now drives to town from the west side of the island who will not be behind all of the cars from Ho'opili.

There is another important reason to resist Ho'opili. The land it will take is some of our most precious agricultural land. Rated as A and B soils, on an A to E scale, it is all prime agricultural land. It is also low-lying land that gets plentiful sun and drains well. From sugar times, the Ho'opili land has been known as the Golden Triangle of farmland on O'ahu.

How precious are these A and B lands? Not one acre of A-quality land is found on the entire Big Island or Lana'i. No B quality is found on Moloka'i. Nearly half of O'ahu's A and B quality land has already been covered over by Mililani, Waipi'o, Waikele, Village Park, Royal Kunia, the 'Ewa developments, and Kapolei. Once agriculture land is covered with roads and houses, it can never be restored.

We may need the Ho'opili land for survival. We sit in the ocean 2,000 miles from land. We've seen the price of oil rise so high, it destroyed two airlines, caused a major drop-off in tourism, brought a huge spike in food prices, and made import of many things by air and boat economically unfeasible. In years to come, the price of oil is expected to go even higher as demand grows exponentially in face of decreasing supply.

There is further reason for concern: Rising seas could not only destroy tourist beaches, but could also engulf our ports, forcing us to be self-sufficient or perish. In the past several months, more than 30 nations have experienced food riots, and so far one government has fallen. It could happen here.

We will also need lands for biofuels to run our electric plant, our cars, and the airplanes that serve us. We must save our best farmlands. It makes no sense to cover then over. We can only save them with public action.

Write or e-mail your city council member or the Department of Planning and Permitting, and tell them The 'Ewa Development Plan must be changed to move the Ho'opili land outside the Urban Growth Boundary, and to keep it in agriculture.

Reach Kioni Dudley at (Unknown address).

Kioni Dudley is president of the Friends of Makakilo and of the Leeward/Central Community Roundtable and a member of the Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.