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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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Pearl Harbor bike path OK for riders
Question: I use the Pearl Harbor Bike Path regularly; however, it has been closed for about a month due to maintenance or construction between Lehua Street and Waipio Access Road. Any idea when they will reopen it?
Answer: Navy Region Hawaii began a mangrove trimming project along the Pearl Harbor shoreline on April 11, affecting use of the bike path.
But officials maintain the bike path "has been minimally impacted by grinding operations" that take place during normal working hours, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
"Even then, pedestrians and bikers have been finding room to go around the work barriers and continue on their way," said Denise Emsley, public affairs officer for Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii.
Portions of the pathway are closed as needed, and the Navy does not plan to completely close it during the project, she said.
The project began in the Middle Loch area; work there has just been completed, Emsley said.
The contractor will be cleaning up the site over the next few days, then move on to the COMPACFLT (Commander, Pacific Fleet) Boat House area on Tuesday.
Portions of the bike path could be affected in that area, Emsley said, but "bike path users will be able to get around it by going up to Kamehameha Highway's sidewalks if necessary."
Work in that area is expected to take about 16 days, then continue in the Aiea State Park area, May 25-June 1, and in the Waimalu Stream Area, May 31-June 8.
The work is being done by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii, and contractor Glad Landscaping.
Glad is using an excavator to cut the mangroves. Navy personnel then take the cuttings to a tub grinder, where they are ground into mulch.
Q: Why is it illegal to park in the red zone at Honolulu Airport? It's supposed to be for firetrucks, yet valet parking does it frequently with no penalty.
A: Airport officials received clearance from the Honolulu Fire Department and the Transportation Security Administration to use the area for valet parking, said Scott Ishikawa, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.
Valet parking along the emergency lane is on the second floor of the interisland terminal near baggage check-in and near where people drop off their cars.
After airport officials consulted with the two agencies, "we were allowed to park cars along the far curb since there is adequate space for emergency vehicles to get through," Ishikawa said.
Another factor is the fact that the valet service holds onto the keys of the parked cars, so they can be moved if necessary during an emergency, he said.
Meanwhile, Ishikawa said it will take a bit longer than expected to complete work on the top floor of the interisland parking garage, which prompted airport officials to offer valet parking ("Kokua Line," April 9, 2007).
Work is expected to be completed by mid-May.
Got a question or complaint? Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered. E-mail to
kokualine@starbulletin.com.
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