Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Kokua Line
Question: On the Windward side, I frequently take Kamehameha Highway from Kaneohe toward the Pali. It's early morning rush hour between 7 and 8 a.m., yet the city blocks off one of the left-turn lanes with cones for absolutely no apparent reason. Hundreds of cars are forced into one lane until after their left turn, when they regain the freedom of two lanes. I just don't get it. I've seen insanely stupid maneuvers from the Transportation Department on many occasions, but this is one of the most frustrating. I only take this path once a week, but I either move the cones or drive right through them. Please explain to me what benefit this possibly serves or tell the city they need to get a clue and stop creating unnecessary obstacles on our roads. Coning helps
traffic flow
at Pali mergeAnswer: Actually, this falls under the state's jurisdiction, not the city's.
The lane is coned in the morning peak hours "to facilitate" the movement of vehicles through the intersection of Kamehameha Highway and Pali Highway, said Tom Gabrielli of the state Department of Transportation's Highways Division.
The Department of Transportation has been coning that area "for many years with favorable results," he said.
This is the rationale, according to Gabrielli:
Most vehicles on Kamehameha Highway approaching the intersection want to make a right turn onto the Pali. There are three lanes approaching that intersection. The right lane is "Right Turn Only." The middle lane gives drivers the option of going straight or entering a second right-turn lane to go up the Pali.
"The distance between the traffic signal and the entrance to the right-turn lane is quite short, which means that the queued vehicles effectively block access to that lane," Gabrielli said. "Coning keeps that lane open. "
That, in turn, allows traffic to flow more freely by providing two right-turn lanes, thereby reducing the congestion on Kamehameha Highway, he said.
No, no to Nigerian scam
Although it supposedly has been going on for more than 40 years, the Nigerian mail fraud scheme just won't go away.Stephen Levins, the state's acting executive director of the Office of Consumer Protection, said his office has been getting a slew of calls lately, reflecting "a recent resurgence of this Nigerian scam."
It used to be mostly via mail, but now people also are reporting receiving faxes and email, he said.
In May, Big Island police issued a warning about a letter writer claiming to be a relative of the late Nigerian head of state Sani Abacha and offering $2.5 million for help.
Whatever the pitch is, Levins said, don't provide any personal information and don't send money!
Mahalo
To Joy Motonashi for finding my wallet and calling Kaiser. Unfortunately, they took down the wrong number and I have been unable to get hold of you. Please call me at 373-5768. -- Frank Uhr
Auwe
I don't understand the recent "mahalo" you had from a woman thanking the Department of Transportation for maintaining the hedges on Vineyard Boulevard. In California, they have magnificent oleanders blooming. The DOT cuts ours back so completely that you don't ever see any flowers. The ugly fences stick out and you can see all the garbage underneath. Why is there a need to destroy Nature at every opportunity or tell Mother Nature that you cannot grow into a bush that bear flowers? -- No Name
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