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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
City will watch
roadwork site’s
safety concernsQuestion: Does the contractor doing work on the makai side of Komo Mai Drive in Newtown have permission to use the wheelchair ramp and part of the crosswalk at Komo Mai and Nahele Street to enter and exit the job site? Elders and wheelchair persons cannot use the crosswalk or the access ramp, and this intersection is the only location where there is a traffic light on Komo Mai Drive in Newtown. The bus stop is about 50 feet away, and we now cross Komo Mai Drive without using the traffic light and the crosswalk. We understand the wheelchair access ramp was constructed with federally funded money and must be made available. The contractor also has dug a deep trench, closing off the makai side of the sidewalk on Komo Mai Drive for more than a month. Pedestrians have to cross to the makai sidewalk at the project site with no crosswalk. The contractor has also dug a trench about 30 feet on the Honolulu side of this intersection across Komo Mai Drive and covered it with steel plates for a month with no sign cautioning drivers, and has not been cleaning up the rock and dirt on Komo Mai Drive.
Answer: A grading permit was issued to Western Construction for work on a drain line and to put in new electrical lines for traffic signals at that site, according to Eric Crispin, director of the city Department of Planning & Permitting. The work included trenching.
Also as part of the approved plans, Western Construction was to demolish the sidewalk and the curb ramp to construct a new driveway for Calvary Chapel and a new curb ramp on Komo Mai Drive.
A temporary concrete curb ramp was to have been built last week.
A city inspector has advised Western Construction to clean up the site at the end of each day "and to be cognizant of the community's concerns and to assist elders or handicapped individuals," a city spokeswoman said.
Asked what that meant, she said the contractor has informed workers and subcontractors to assist pedestrians, as needed, during work hours.
City inspectors will drive by as often as they can "to make sure the contractor is cleaning up and doing what they're supposed to do," she said.
Francine Wai, executive director of the state Disability and Communication Access Board, said in a case like this, there should be an alternate route provided for people with disabilities and to either have signs or "someone there to direct people."
Current work may be completed as soon as this week, after which it will shift to the Diamond Head side. You can contact Western Engineering directly at 671-6715 with any questions or concerns.
Auwe
To the lady driving a white cargo van the wrong way by the Kapolei McDonald's on May 8. You were not watching where you were going and had the nerve to start cussing and calling me out. Your license number was reported to the police. Maybe next time you will be more careful and watch for arrows, but if you do make a mistake, "sorry" is the appropriate answer. -- No Name
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