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Kokua Line
Question: Urgent! Urgent! Every day I drive up Likelike Highway to the Wilson Tunnel. Approaching the entrance about 150 feet on a slight curve, the sun is blinding. I cannot see the road or the white lines. Twice, I nearly hit cars that almost stopped. Two cars that I know of hit the concrete barricade in the left lane. Can the state or county plant some trees at the bend of the road to block the sun? Sun glare hazardous
on LikelikeAnswer: Planting trees as a glare screen is a possible solution, but not necessarily the right one, says Tom Gabrielli, an engineer with the state Department of Transportation's Highways Division.
The impact of sunrises and sunsets on drivers is an ongoing concern, he said, noting how the sun affects morning eastbound traffic from the Leeward side and westbound traffic in the afternoon and early evening.
Gabrielli this week personally assessed the situation you described, but said before he went that the size and number of trees needed to effectively screen the sun may not be appropriate, because the sun does not rise in the same spot every day.
The area that would have to be screened may be so large as to be prohibitive and impractical, he said.
As an alternative, the DOT will make sure that the striping and pavement markers on the roadway are visible. He also said that the 4-inch edge lines on the left and right sides of the Likelike Highway, as you enter the curve approach to the tunnel, will be increased to 8 inches "to enhance visibility."
If necessary, Gabrielli said "flexible delineators" also will be installed along the edges to aid drivers.
Q: Every afternoon, a driver parks a 40-foot trailer rig, with an attached 20-foot fingerlift, on Hoolana Street in Pearl City. Then someone drives it away around 6:30 a.m. Are commercial vehicles that big allowed to park on a residential street?
A: Officers checked the area after receiving your complaint and did not see the vehicle, but would check again, Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu said Thursday.
If the vehicle is there, they will mark the tires. If it hasn't moved after four hours, "they will cite" the owner, she said.
Section 15-15.6 of the Traffic Code states: "It is unlawful for the driver or owner of any bus, truck, truck-trailer, trailer, van, house trailer or any vehicle used for commercial purposes whose gross vehicle weight is 10,000 pounds or more" to park for more than four hours on any public street.
The exceptions are "vehicles of public utilities and construction equipment while actually engaged in repair or construction work or vehicles actually loading goods, wares or merchandise."
Auwe
To M.K. who, on Dec. 23, filled your red truck on our credit card at the Kaaawa 7-Eleven. You paid $10 to the cashier who told you to wait because we had put in our credit card. As we turned to get the nozzle, you picked it up. While one of us was checking with the cashier, you remarked to the youth in the back of your truck that you had paid only $10, but were getting a fill-up. As I approached you about your fill-up being charged to our card, you said you had paid and took off. I got your license and you were identified through police. You are lucky we have chosen not to prosecute a Windward neighbor. The clerk kindly gave us your $10 toward the $36 bill, but my concern is for the youth who watched what you did. What kind of example is that? -- C.H.
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