Accident gives
traffic signal
new priority

Residents have asked for a light
at the Ewa intersection for years

The traffic accident that injured a woman and three children Monday may hasten the installation of a traffic signal to protect pedestrians at a dangerous Ewa intersection.

Engineers for Belt Collins Hawaii Ltd. said they were told by officials with developer Gentry Homes to withdraw a combined plan for a traffic signal and road improvements at the intersection of Iroquois Point Road and Keaunui Street. The plan was submitted to the city on Aug 10. By removing the road improvement proposal, the city may be able to approve the traffic signal faster.

"This is in direct response to the accident," said Jon Young, a senior manager for Belt Collins. "We are doing it because we thought it would expedite review and approval of the plan. The critical thing is to get in those plans for the traffic signal."

On Monday a woman and three children were walking in a crosswalk when they were hit by a pickup truck.

Six-year-old Nathan Mallari, a student at nearby Holomua Elementary School, was hospitalized with a broken leg. His aunt was pushing a stroller with Nathan's sister and cousin. One of the children in the stroller also was hospitalized.

Residents said they have been asking for a signal for years because of the heavy traffic and the high number of pedestrians.

"It's very dangerous," said Mary Dellorso, who lives near the intersection. Yesterday, she was strolling through the neighborhood with two of her four children. "It's like that every day," she said about the traffic.

Resident Jamie Ross said she had "talked to the principal, and he said to me they won't be able to put up a stoplight for four more years. I want to know the truth," Ross said.

Even with the decision to expedite the traffic signal, things may get complicated.

The intersection is under the jurisdiction of multiple entities, so even when the plans are resubmitted, they still must go through more than one approval process.

Iroquois Road is state property, while Keaunui Street is the property of the City and County of Honolulu.

"It can take six to nine months," Young said.

City spokesman Bill Brennan said yesterday that final approval for the traffic signal will have to come from the state's Department of Transportation, although the city Department of Transportation Services will provide a "courtesy review" once the plans are resubmitted.

"I believe that's the case," Brennan said. "Gentry Properties has agreed to install a traffic signal there. ... But we just got those plans last week."

The intersection was made a four-way stop only a year ago, state Sen. Willie Espero (D, Ewa Beach) said Monday. Espero said Gentry Properties is committed to installing a signal light, but delays in the city permitting process have pushed it back to a 2007 completion date from 2006.

Young said he could not comment about when Gentry hired Belt Collins to begin plans for the traffic signal.

"You'll have to address those questions to Gentry," he said.

Gentry spokesperson Glenna Wong said the state approved the installation of the traffic signal in 2003, but it took two years to resolve issues regarding Gentry's plan for road and area improvements.

"We finalized the construction plan in 2005 and submitted it to the City and then this happened. "The problem was that road and area improvements involve the state, the Navy and the City and County," Wong said.

Honolulu police officials said that there had been a crossing guard assigned to the intersection but that he quit for unknown reasons two months ago. A replacement has not been found.