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Question: Recently Date Street was resurfaced from Kapahulu Avenue going Ewa. The crosswalk on Date Street at the foot of Ekela Avenue was not re-striped. Why? This is a very busy, well-used corner, with bus stops on both sides, a 186-unit condo building on this block, children walking to four elementary schools in the area, older students catching the bus to area schools, slow-moving seniors with wheelchairs and walkers, folks walking to work or exercising on the bike path, bicycles attempting to reach the other side. It was difficult in the past to get cars to stop; now it’s next to impossible. Please see that the crosswalk is returned for everyone’s safety. Actually, a crosswalk is minimum; bells and whistles would help too.
Answer: Ekela, Palani and Kamuela avenues all lost their Date Street crosswalks in the recent repaving project because none of the those intersections has traffic lights and the city wants people to cross at safer “signalized” intersections; Olokele Avenue, two blocks mauka of Ekela, would be the closest in your case.
It’s still legal to cross at Ekela, Palani and Kamuela avenues, but, as you said in your query, more difficult to accomplish. Informed of the city’s reasoning, you found it faulty, saying it would be better to make the crosswalks safer than to remove them and expect seniors and disabled people to traverse farther to cross Date Street.
You have contacted your community representatives, and your concern is on the agenda at Thursday’s meeting of the Diamond Head/Kapahulu/St. Louis Heights Neighborhood Board, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Ala Wai Clubhouse, 404 Kapahulu Ave.
Here’s the complete response to your question from Mike Packard, administrator of the city’s Complete Streets program:
“The intent of the Department of Transportation Services (DTS) Complete Streets program is to take the safety of all modes of transportation into account when designing our roadways, as well as the abilities of all users, whether they be pedestrians, people on bicycles or motorists.
“In accordance with the DTS Complete Streets guidelines, we studied all of the ‘uncontrolled’ marked crosswalks along Date Street in advance of the Date Street repaving project and final restriping effort to determine the appropriate placement of marked crosswalks.
“The study showed that with an average daily traffic volume of 13,000 vehicles per day and a posted speed limit of 35 mph, the safest place for pedestrians to cross is at the signalized intersections. Uncontrolled crosswalks along Date Street at Kamuela and Palani avenues have also been removed in accordance with the study’s recommendation.
“Pedestrians may still legally cross Date Street at the intersections where the crosswalk markings have been removed, but DTS urges caution for those who do so. We will continue to work to improve Oahu’s pedestrian environment through design that encourages safe crossings and raises driver awareness of pedestrians and people on bicycles.”
Q: Why don’t people born before 1957 have to get vaccinated even with all the mumps in Honolulu (808ne.ws/sa6217)?
A: Because they most likely had the disease as a child, before vaccines were developed, and are therefore immune, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People born before 1957 are presumed to be immune to measles, mumps and rubella. However, if a test indicates the person is not immune, at least one dose of MMR vaccine should be given. Read more at 808ne.ws/mmrcdc8.
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To everyone who stands in the checkout line, rides TheBus, etc.: If you don’t know by now to cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, stay home. Please follow common courtesy. — A reader
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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