Wednesday, November 26, 1997
What ever happened to Henry Tuck Au, the city traffic czar who was always in the news? City's controversial
Au died in 1994Henry Tuck Au, city traffic director from 1960 to 1967 under Mayor Neal Blaisdell, died July 5, 1994. He was 76.
Au was traveling in Europe when he noticed signs directing people with pictures rather than words. Honolulu became the first city in the nation to use these now-familiar signs.
Au, who faced opposition to the idea, began installing them here in 1962. Five years later, a national traffic group urged adoption of such signs across the country.
His years at the top traffic spot also found him in controversy over street routing, parking bans, traffic lights and other issues in a time of rapid growth. A traffic engineer concerned with improving traffic flow, he was both hailed and vilified.
His innovations to ban parking on certain streets, eliminate left turns at several busy intersections and cut down trees to make room for more traffic lanes drew mixed reviews.
Au quit city government over a staffing dispute and began a traffic engineering firm here, continuing until about 1990 when he suffered his second stroke.