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Kokua Line
Question: At least two garbage trucks and two city trucks are parked all the time at Ala Wai Community Park (McCully and Kapiolani). There are a lot of paddlers and hula dancers and others who use the park. Why is the city taking up valuable parking spaces? Why can't they park at a more appropriate location? City trucks play
musical chairs at parksAnswer: Similar complaints have been voiced "from time to time" and the Department of Parks and Recreation has tried different ways to resolve the parking problem, said parks director William Balfour.
Unfortunately, attempts to find an alternative parking site for these parks maintenance vehicles have been unsuccessful, he said.
The problem is that the department's District I office is based at the Ala Wai park. That office is responsible for maintaining parks and recreation programs for all of East Honolulu, from McCully/Manoa to Hawaii Kai/Sandy Beach, Balfour said.
In a previous Kokua Line item, a reader asked why a refuse truck was parked at Manoa District Park. The answer then was that the truck was assigned to the parks department and was there to alleviate the parking problem at the Ala Wai.
But subsequently, the department received more complaints about that situation; plus, the truck was vandalized, Balfour said. "The same was true when it was parked at Old Stadium Park."
The department also tried parking the fleet at the Diamond Head end of Ala Wai park, but vandals flattened tires and contaminated gas tanks, so the trucks were moved back to their more visible location, Balfour said.
At one time, there was a proposal to build a two-level parking structure on the heavily used Ala Wai site, but nearby residents opposed the plan, he said. Somewhere down the line, that might be the only solution left, he said.
"We have looked at several places for a motor pool for eight vehicles and will continue to try to find a suitable site," he said.
Q: My office is at the corner of Waiakamilo Road and Kalani Street. At least twice a week, delivery truck(s) unloading goods for Foodland in the Dillingham Plaza park on Kalani, blocking the Ewa-bound lane. Cars are forced to go around the truck(s) by using the Diamond Head-bound lane. This creates a hazardous situation, since it occurs around 8 a.m., when people are trying to get to work. Is it legal for delivery trucks to obstruct traffic in this manner? Even if it is legal, shouldn't Foodland at least have someone directing traffic during these deliveries to prevent an accident?
A: We passed your complaint on to Foodland, which took immediate action.
Foodland Dillingham will monitor the situation and remind delivery truck drivers that they are not allowed to park on Kalani Street, said spokeswoman Sheryl Toda.
Foodland also distributed notices to drivers reminding them not to park in the area and will work with them "so that deliveries are made safely and efficiently," she said.
"We care about the safety of our community and will do our very best to improve this potentially hazardous situation," Toda said.
Mahalo
To the two men (father and son) who helped push our gray Mazda 323 across a busy intersection near Puck's Alley on March 1. We do not recall your names, but greatly appreciate that you would help out, as others, knowing we were stranded, only beeped their horns. -- Ruth and Clyde
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com