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Kokua Line

By June Watanabe

Monday, October 1, 2001

Punahou offramp project
still has work to be done

Auwe

To the state Highways Division engineers for the new Punahou offramp project. The striping is ridiculous. If you come off the Piikoi onramp, you go straight into the Punahou offramp, where a line puts you in the wrong lane. Either re-stripe the offramp or take away the line. -- No Name

Question: Is the Punahou offramp project completed? I thought they were going to add another right-turn lane onto Punahou Street, but there is still only one right-turn lane. The far-right lane is blocked off. Was there a mistake?

Answer: Although the $2.7 million Punahou offramp project appears to be completed, it's not, according to state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Marilyn Kali.

"We cannot open the new right-turn lane until the traffic signal system is completed," she said. "New duct lines and wiring are also being installed in the traffic island."

Meanwhile, there is still final striping work to be done, as well as installing new overhead signs to help motorists with the new lane pattern, Kali said.

Work is expected to be completed this month, with the new right-turn lane opened sometime in November. Since the contract completion date is mid-December, the project is on track to finish ahead of schedule, Kali said.

In addition to adding a second right-turn lane, the project widened the offramp to two exit lanes from one.

Credit cards: a merchant's view

Regarding Visa and MasterCard forbidding merchants to require minimum charges on their cards ("Kokua Line," Sept. 26), Steve Oda, owner of the Garden House, asks consumers to think of smaller merchants like himself and to consider using credit cards for larger purchases only.

He says most people don't realize that merchants have to pay a "hefty fee" to charge card companies for charges, sometimes more than 3 percent of a total sale.

"The fee level depends on the size of the merchant's average transaction," he said. "Therefore each $1 sale on a credit card severely affects that average, negating the effect of a $500 sale, thereby increasing the operating costs to the retailer/merchant and slashing his net profits, if any. As his average drops, his fee rate rises."

These days, Oda notes, with "the widespread availability of many 'spiff cards' (where the cardholder receives mileage/ discounts or other 'spiff' credits), tiny charges are becoming ever more prevalent. In fact, on some days the presence of currency in the cash register drawer is unusual."

Ultimately, smaller merchants are really caught in a squeeze, he said.

"We do not want to raise prices to afford these credit card sales. Then, everyone loses," Oda said. "I hope more people become aware of the merchants' plight, because in this day and age, every positive consideration helps everyone."

Auwe

To whoever stole the American flag hanging in the lobby of Lani Huli Elderly apartments in Kailua on Sunday, Sept. 16. The flag was given by U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka to the Community Dining Center. It was hung in the lobby on Wednesday, Sept. 13, following the terrible attacks on our country. Did you take the flag because flags were sold out and you thought you could sell it? Or did you resent or hate seeing the U.S. flag hanging anywhere? Whatever your reason, you have made many people angry. Remember, what goes around comes around. -- Barbara Dullin

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Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
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Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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