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By Dennis Oda Star-Bulletin
Officer Beth Shultis gives a motorist a warning on blocking
intersections and on stopping in crosswalks.The campaign
is geared to prevent traffic jams caused by roadblock.

Police warn motorists
who block intersections

By Harold Morse
Star-Bulletin

Don't block intersections.

Honolulu police are working hard to get that message across.

They began monitoring various intersections and passing out hundreds of fliers to educate drivers against blocking intersections yesterday and will continue it the next few days.

Eventually, officers will issue citations at unannounced times and places.

"Drivers who block intersections cause traffic to back up on cross streets and contribute to road rage-related incidents," said Police Chief Lee Donohue. "We're asking drivers to show some consideration for everyone else who must share the road and who's just as anxious to get to their destinations."

Last year, police issued 274 citations to Oahu motorists for blocking intersections.

Police say the most blocked intersections occur in Chinatown and other downtown spots, where 129 tickets, or 47 percent of the overall 1999 total were issued.

Last year's count also included 79 Oahu citations just in December, said patrol Sgt. Eric Zarriello.

Officers were monitoring afternoon rush-hour traffic yesterday along Piikoi Street at its intersections with Lunalilo, Kinau, Beretania, Young and King streets, also at other points on Beretania, King and Kalakaua Avenue, he said.

"We're just trying to spread the word out to everyone as an education thing to aid the motorists," said Zarriello.

Altogether, about 20 officers are handing out fliers this week, he said.

Motorists blocking the Piikoi-Lunalilo intersection -- mostly those making left turns from Piikoi to get onto the freeway -- jam things up, said monitoring officer Ross Tadaki.

"I think it's better now that we're out here," added officer Beth Shultis.

The flier cites a city ordinance that says no driver of a vehicle shall enter an intersection or a marked or unmarked crosswalk unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the intersection or crosswalk to accommodate the vehicle the person is driving without obstructing passage of other vehicles or pedestrians.

Blocking an intersection can bring a ticket that carries a $77 fine, which becomes a $102 fine if it's not paid until after the assigned court date.

"Blocking traffic does not promote the spirit of aloha," the flier says. "Let's express the aloha spirit and help "cage the rage.' "