By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
A woman waits on the median strip to cross the Pali Highway
during morning rush hour traffic. A memorial of flowers marks
the highway crossing at Niolopa Place where a
woman was killed Sunday.

Traffic solutions
are sought for the
perilous Pali

The neighborhood board hears
suggestions in the wake of Sunday's
death of an elderly pedestrian

By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

Residents suggested more traffic lights, fewer crosswalks, flashing warning signs and pedestrian overpasses as antidotes to the deadly mix of fast traffic and pedestrians on busy Pali Highway.

"I cannot hop, skip and jump across that highway," said Miriam Tollefsen of Papakolea, who suggested building pedestrian overpasses. "Senior citizens are slow like turtles."

"It's a six-lane highway through a residential neighborhood. They don't mix," said Nuuanu/Punchbowl Neighborhood Board member Paula Kurashige.

The discussion at last night's board meeting was generated by the death Sunday of a pedestrian who was struck while crossing near Niolopa Place in one of three Pali crosswalks that do not have pedestrian-activated traffic signals. Kurashige called for a brief moment of silence in memory of the victim, Anna Hara, 90.

"If it's a highway, then cut out the walkways. Just make (crossings) at the lights," said Bruce Coppa of Nuuanu. He pointed out that there are seven crosswalks through that stretch of homes and churches.

Board member Joe Magaldi, deputy director of the city Department of Transportation Services, said the city has removed some midblock crosswalks from city streets because "they give pedestrians a false sense of security."

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Nuuanu Neighborhood Board member Deborah Richards listens
intently as Honolulu Police Department officer Joseph Kim answers
questions about Sunday's traffic fatality along Pali Highway.

"We do enforce the speed limit as much as we can," said police officer Joseph Kim, describing radar monitoring and citation efforts.

"But we can't be there every minute, and when we're not there, people will speed," Kim said.

Board Chairwoman Audrey Hidano said she crossed at a Pali Highway crosswalk yesterday, and "I literally had to run. People saw me but they didn't slow down."

Board member Patt Spencer said she had suggested installing flashing yellow lights over the crosswalks but was told by the state that it couldn't be done.

---

'It's a six-lane highway
through a residential neighborhood.
They don't mix'
Paula Kurashige
NUUANU/PUNCHBOWL
NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD MEMBER

Area legislators told the board that the state Department of Transportation will begin design work in September for a traffic light at Jack Lane/Akamu Place, to be completed by May 2001. State Rep. Sylvia Luke (D, Nuuanu-Punchbowl) said the crosswalk will be laid out in diagonal paths, almost a V configuration, so that pedestrians will be facing into oncoming traffic on each side of the grassy median.

"The Department of Transportation tells us that more lights can create more accidents, more rear-end collisions," Luke told the board.

Coppa said officials don't have to wait until completion of the planned light to address the problem. He suggested setting up electronic signs that display radar readings of motorists' speed as they pass.

Kurashige recalled past campaigns, including a petition drive to add traffic lights. Last year, residents turned out to hold signs along Pali Highway urging drivers to slow down. She pointed out that a woman pedestrian was killed crossing at Waokanaka Street two years ago.

"I hope and pray it doesn't happen again while we wait for something to be done," she said.