Kokua Line June Watanabe

---

Parking lot rule at public library will be enforced

Question: Why is there no enforcement of the no-parking-during-nonbusiness-hours ordinance that is clearly stated in the lot of the McCully-Moiliili Public Library? It has become a secondary lot for nearby residents and visitors in the after-hours. With that are constant problems with people working on cars, car stereos booming at all hours, people congregating and talking loud, etc. In the evenings and on days when the library is closed, the lot is sometimes more than half full. What good is having a law if it isn't enforced?

Answer: The situation should be improving.

"The branch manager of the McCully-Moiliili Public Library has spoken with various Honolulu Police Department officers on this beat in the past, and HPD is well aware of this ongoing problem," said Paul Mark, spokesman for the Hawaii State Public Library System.

But there obviously was some misunderstanding, according to HPD. The manager said officers had indicated that someone needed to file a complaint in order for HPD to take action, Mark said.

That's not true, said HPD spokesman Capt. Frank Fujii.

If officers see people in the lot after hours, "we'll take whatever action is warranted," he said, adding that beat officers would be making routine checks of the lot.

But both Fujii and Mark said neighbors who see or hear any disturbance in the lot should call 911 immediately.

Meanwhile, library officials are looking into an agreement with a private towing company, and consulting with state law enforcement departments on how to address the problem, Mark said.

He said maintaining 24-hour security at all 51 public libraries during nonbusiness hours "would be too costly and impractical."

---

Q: I normally cross Vineyard Boulevard at Nuuanu Avenue about 6 a.m. There's not much traffic at that time. But when I start crossing Vineyard when the light is green for motorists, before I get to the halfway point, it's already flashing red for pedestrians. Do I stop at the halfway point or can I continue because it was green when I started? The signal for traffic is still green.

A: In this instance, you can continue on, said Lt. Jerald Wojcik of HPD's Traffic Division.

Wojcik checked the intersection, "just to make sure," and looked at other intersections in the area, as well.

"If you start to cross the street while the walk symbol is showing, you can continue to cross to the other side and have enough time to do so, even if the red flashing hand is showing," he said.

However, if you have not already started to cross, you should not enter the street when the "Don't Walk" sign is flashing.

"There is enough time to cross the entire street if you start to cross when the white walking figure is present," he said. "It is illegal to enter a crosswalk when the red hand is showing ... no matter if the hand is flashing or steady, once the red hand is visible, it is illegal to enter the crosswalk."