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Death spurs
Kapalama traffic
light installation

A pedestrian-activated signal
will likely be in place this weekend
at North King and Peterson Lane

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By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

One more traffic accident at North King Street and Peterson Lane. Two more pedestrians hospitalized.

Cheryl Soon, city transportation director, had had enough.

Yesterday, she authorized the installation of a pedestrian-activated traffic signal at the Kapalama intersection.

It is expected to be operational by the weekend. A crosswalk at nearby Auld Lane will be eliminated as part of the improvements aimed at encouraging more people to use the Kapalama intersection.

The latest accident, about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, sent a 74-year-old man and 73-year-old woman to hospitals with injuries after being struck by a pickup truck.

It was at least the fourth accident involving a pedestrian injury since November, when 68-year-old Taisi Fautanu Sr. was struck and killed while walking along King near the Peterson crosswalk.

What prompted Soon to act so quickly after Tuesday's incident was that both victims were in the marked crosswalk.

"I think it really grabbed me (Tuesday) night," she said. "I had been focusing a lot on jaywalking, and these guys were in the crosswalk."

Transportation officials were supposed to meet with community leaders through February about the traffic signal, which had already been under design. The city most likely would have put in the signal in the coming weeks anyway, Soon said.

Following November's fatality, her department took intermediate steps that included larger crosswalk striping and a switch to brighter approach signs.

"And we still had an accident," Soon said.

"So I said, OK, we're just going to move."

People who live and work in the community said they are relieved that the traffic signal is finally being installed.

"We're ecstatic," said May Akamine, executive director of the nearby Kalihi-Palama Health Center, which had led previous efforts to get a signal installed.

"Hopefully, the pedestrians will go and use that light," she said.

"That's the only thing that will save lives, that will save people from getting injured," said Lois Arakaki, a health educator at the center.

"I think it's about time they did something about it," said Hana Eliapo, who heads the junior police officer program at nearby Kaiulani School.

Both Akamine and Eliapo pledged to help Soon and police in educating the public.

"It's very important that the community is more aware -- both drivers and pedestrians," Eliapo said.