Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: They spent thousands of dollars making the sidewalks on Kalanianaole Highway wheelchair-accessible. Now they are repairing the sidewalk on the mauka side of the highway (just east of the fire station) and are leaving the water hydrants right in the middle of the sidewalk. Even someone who was not disabled would definitely have to make a point of not running into them. Why are they replacing the sidewalk, and why are they not rebuilding to code? Kalanianaole sidewalks
allow access to disabledAnswer: The sidewalk is being repaired in conjunction with the Kalanianaole Highway resurfacing project, from Ainakoa Avenue to West Hind Drive. "It needed to be rehabilitated," according to the state Department of Transportation.
(The Board of Water Supply also has an 8-inch water main project from Ainakoa Avenue to Laukahi Street.)
As for work not being rebuilt to code, there is enough space around the fire hydrants to satisfy the clearance width of 36 inches required by Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, according to Vincent Llorin, the DOT's Highways Division ADA coordinator.
"In other words, the new sidewalk meets ADA guidelines."
Asked why the hydrants weren't just moved to the edge of the sidewalk, he said they were relocated if they needed to be moved to meet ADA guidelines. Otherwise, they were left as is.
Q: I live behind St. Louis School. They've got a big Dumpster parked by the stream edge. For years, I've been trying to get them to pick up all the rubbish that blows out of the Dumpster into the stream. There is so much trash that blows off. Can you help?
A: St. Louis School has not ignored your complaints and, in fact, has been trying to resolve the problem, said Principal Burt Tomita. When rubbish has blown out of the school's bin, "We've gone there and cleaned it up," he said. However, he said you need to recognize that a lot of the trash is generated upstream. Whenever there is a big storm or rainfall, the amount of trash washed down increases, and much of it is deposited along the natural embankment on the school's side.
It's a community problem, not just St. Louis' problem, Tomita said. However, Tomita, with the approval of the presidents of St. Louis School and Chaminade University, has been working with the Marianist Center, which owns the property that both schools sit on, to get rid of the existing trash. He's enlisted the senior class, about 150 students, to tackle a cleanup of the stream area as a community project on Feb. 22. Because it's an imposing task, the class has enlisted the help of the Waikiki Rotary Club. Maybe you can join the effort.
Auwe
Regarding those trash containers at the bus stops ("Kokua Line," Jan. 30): To me and a number of other people -- a number of tourists -- they look like porta-potties. They say, "How convenient, they have put them by the bus stops." -- No Name
Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com