Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Kailua traffic alterations
have residents ticked off
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Question: What is going on in the middle of Kihapai Street? Large, planter-type curbing is being installed on the side of the street where parking is at a premium and mid-lane oval plant dividers are taking up a lot of parking and limited road space. I would expect a revolt by many of the residents and myself if I was living near this obstacle course.Answer: The "obstacle course" in the Coconut Grove area of Kailua is part of a multi-year, islandwide plan to "calm" drivers down; in other words, to try to curb speeding.
It's the city's version of the state's speed vans, but without the photo-ticket in the mail. However, city transportation officials, like their counterparts on the state level, are realizing they need a public information effort to let people know through what will happen before it happens.
Despite it being in the works for more than two years and despite being initiated by people in the community, the city Department of Transportation Services is taking flak for the roadwork on Kihapai. The $430,000 project, which started in December and is about 75 percent complete, is to install 14 "bulbouts," which are sidewalk extensions either paved or grassed, and sometimes planted with trees; four "speed tables," like speed humps, only with flatter, wider tops; and a "shicane," a method of funneling cars between nonparallel concrete barriers to slow speeds to 15 miles per hour.
But the effort to slow drivers on Kihapai Street has riled people to the point that city DTS Director Cheryl Soon says it has registered on "my antenna screen."
"The nature of the calls has certainly caught my attention," she said, both in the animosity expressed as well as the realization that perhaps some of the methods may not fit the community.
Some Kihapai Street residents have complained they either weren't made aware of what was taking place, or don't like the bulbouts because they're in front of their house, eliminating parking spaces, Soon said.
Also, although the city's Traffic Calming Program began in other communities, Coconut Grove is the first to have a "shicane," or "angle slow point," Soon said. That device, although only 1 1/2 car lengths long, has been the lightning rod for criticism, with complaints about cars scraping the barriers, getting flat tires, skidding, etc.
If that's happening, however, the vehicles were probably going too fast, Soon said. Still, because of the nature and intensity of the Kihapai complaints, "There's something there that I want to listen to more carefully. We, maybe, don't know how to do traffic calming in this beach community that doesn't have sidewalks."
Staff has been spending time on the phone with each complainant, trying to figure out the exact problems. On that basis, "field adjustments" already have been made or will be made, especially since the roadway will remain a construction site for several more weeks, Soon said.
For example, two people reported hitting a construction barricade for the bulbouts. The type of barricade used has been changed, Soon said. Also, the bulbouts will be painted either white or yellow to give them more visibility.
There will also be better signs to warn motorists of continuing construction and a fact sheet, explaining what's going on, will be sent to neighborhood residents.
"This addresses some of the problems," Soon said.
But for the longer term, city DTS wants to give the project at least six months, "to see if it is achieving its true objectives": reducing speed and the number of "cut-throughs."
"We'd like everyone to give it a chance," Soon said.
DTS undertook the Traffic Calming Program in 1998, after the Honolulu City Council directed it to come up with a program "to increase safety in residential neighborhoods on Oahu."
Under the program, each Council member gets to have one traffic calming program in his/her district each year, Soon said, with the budget dictating the limitation.
Two years ago, Coconut Grove was selected by Councilman John Henry Felix for his district, Soon said. Her staff met several times with the Coconut Grove Community Association, which voiced concerns with speeding and people using Kihapai to get to H-3.
The city DTS traffic calming consultant explained the different traffic-slowing techniques, residents decided which ones they liked and didn't like, and city engineers designed a plan for the area.
If a community says OK, "then we program funds for it," Soon said, noting that this typically is a two to 2 1/2 year process.
In Coconut Grove's case, "They were approved by people who came to the traffic calming meetings," Soon said. "We did not send out surveys." However, the area neighborhood board was informed of the plans, she said.
"It's very possible that a lot of people who were at the meeting use that street, but don't live on it," she said. "Community input is critical for successful traffic calming. A community asks for it, a community lives with. We're not above making changes and corrections. We just want to make sure that we've lived with it enough to say we really want this correction."
Other Projects
The first traffic calming devices were the bulbout at Koko Head and 12th avenues in Kaimuki; a diverter median and bulbouts at Kaimuki and 6th avenues; the roundabout at Keeaumoku and Heulu streets in Makiki; bulbouts and narrowed lanes at Piikoi Street/Mott-Smith Drive/Lewalani Drive in Makiki; and the roundabout at Ala Lilikoi/Ala Ilima/Likini Street in Salt Lake.The next projects scheduled are in Kaimuki (Alohea Street) and two in Mililani (one by a high school and one by an elementary school). Two others going out to bid are in Salt Lake and Pearl City.
Meanwhile, 33 other traffic calming locations are being planned.
Got a question or complaint?
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Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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