Kokua Line June Watanabe

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No permit was granted for removing Pensacola trees

Question: Last month, while driving makai on Pensacola Street, I noticed that several street trees had been cut down fronting an upcoming high-rise development project. The location is between Lunalilo and Kinau streets on the Ewa side of Pensacola. Was this legal, or is the developer required to replace the trees?

Answer: The trees were cut down without permission, said Henry Eng, director of the city Department of Planning and Permitting.

Inspectors from his department have contacted the owner, "who understands that they will need to address tree replacement when they come in for a building permit," he said.

If the owner is "uncooperative," the city Department of Parks and Recreation would then turn the matter over to the Honolulu Police Department. However, the "owner understands his responsibility to address the issue," Eng said.

Regarding street trees, although the Department of Parks and Recreation would normally review plans for any proposed removal, permission would be given or denied via a building permit.

Auwe

As I was driving to work at about 7:30 a.m. Dec. 13, I stopped at the traffic light at Liliha Street and Dillingham Boulevard. The light turned green for me to proceed, then all of a sudden, two city buses turned left from Liliha into South King Street, running a red light. The two drivers should get their licenses taken away and be fired! -- Upset Motorist

You should immediately report such incidents to Oahu Transit Services, which has an Automated Vehicle Location System that can track the movement of all city buses, utilizing satellite technology.

"We appreciate having the public make us aware of unsafe driving by our operators," said Michelle Kennedy, spokeswoman for OTS. "All reports of unsafe driving are investigated, and appropriate action is taken based on the findings of the investigation."

We passed on your complaint to OTS immediately after you sent it to "Kokua Line." However, based on the bus numbers you provided, the Automated Vehicle Location System showed that the two buses were not in the Liliha/South King Street area at 7:30 a.m. that day.

Kennedy said you might have seen the buses at approximately 6:30 a.m.

As it is, "the department management has since followed up with both bus operators," she said.

In the future, provide details on what exactly happened, the date and time of the incident, the location and the direction of the bus, and the bus number.

Call OTS' customer service office at 848-4500 or go online at www.thebus.org. Click on the customer comments button on the navigation bar.

"In addition to complaints, we also welcome hearing suggestions and commendations," she said. "All information about how we're doing makes it possible for us to continually improve our service."

She also added that safety is stressed in OTS' training, rules and its mission.