COURTESY OF JOHN L. WERRILL
Brainstormer John Leonard Werrill and others think the excess corners should go green.
WHAT TO DO, oh what to do with those little triangles of street that are left over when the one-way signs go up? You know, those chunks of city property that are neither street nor sidewalk, but some sort of uneasy amalgam of both, and serve mostly to trip up pedestrians. Last month we asked citizens for their thoughts on these no-man's-lands and got several thoughtful answers. John Leonard Werrill of Honolulu even supplied the handsome drawing shown at right.
MANY FELT THAT going green was the best solution:
>> "I would add trees and flowers to the island, or just bust up and recycle the concrete." (Nell Ava, Honolulu)OTHERS SAW MORE business-like uses for the strategically placed sites:>> "I would suggest plantings and fountains, something similar in design to those along Kalakaua, especially in the Kuhio Beach area where small fountains are 'strategically' placed. Make something 'pretty' and eye-pleasing for the city residents and daily workers of Honolulu, not something primarily for the tourists in Waikiki. Mini-parks to stroll through would provide a gentle respite to the eyes (and ears), and also tend to have a calming effect on uptight drivers stopped for a traffic light. And perhaps a bench or two for weary pedestrians to take a break while scurrying to their destinations? Don't make the sidewalks straight -- a little curvature to the walk, with a touch of "meandering path" thrown in would make the city walk a bit more slow-paced." (John Zabita, Westampton, N.J.)
>> "Take them back to nature!" (John Leonard Werrill, Honolulu)
>> "How about turning them into parking zones for policemen -- oh, I'm sorry, they already are. It would be a good spot to add some greenery to the concrete to bring back the sense of nature. (Rodney Evans, Honolulu)
>> "Don't you think lei sellers in their little grass huts would bring a touch of 'old Hawaii' back to Waikiki and Honolulu?" (Dorothy Klopp, Honolulu)STILL OTHERS SIMPLY wished the eyesores would disappear, or at least be recycled:>> "Move the Chinatown street vendors there." (Clyde Nagatoshi, Honolulu)
>> "Hold a lottery to allow street vendors/concessionaires to operate on the triangle for one month." (David Crosby, Kailua)
>> "With some careful design, nice kiosks could be built and used by vendors to sell Hawaii-grown/made flowers, leis, coffee beans, coconut hats, baskets, plants and produce. The kiosks should have a solar fan, solar lighting, and large eaves for shade and product cover. It would be nice for people to see Honolulu giving Hawaii products a boost. A lottery would be held every two years to determine the operators of each location. This would boost the small-business family operators and make locations nonpolitical. Cement planters for color and traffic separation should be installed and maintained by each vendor. Each triangle should also have bike racks for bicycle commuters and a space for motorcycle parking. Let's live aloha with Hawaii products." (Kathleen Moore, Honolulu)
>> "Plant trees there; let manapua vendors have their carts there." (David Kimo Frankel, Volcano)
>> "Anything would be better than another big, ugly, yellow 'speed sting' sitting in the triangle, or an intimidating cop sitting on a motorcycle singling out the locals! Aren't we under enough stress here in Hawaii?" (Monica Lewis, Honolulu)HERE'S THE STAR-BULLETIN'S own suggestion, illustrated here -- large "you are here" maps of the corner and the surrounding neighborhood in colored concrete. It would help orient both local pedestrians and tourists.>> "Why not break them up and use them for speed bumps on small streets in Nuuanu and Liliha?" (Pat Conroy, Honolulu)
>> "Dump the excess concrete in the ocean to make artificial reefs. They will attract fish (especially juveniles), and will improve the fish population." (Bill Georgi, Kalaheo)
>> "Nothing! Two words: neighborhood signs. Anybody got a half-million bucks to burn on more nonsense?" (James Ko, Honolulu)
>> "The easiest way to get rid of them is to dump them in Mayor Harris' front yard." (Tom Clarke, Honolulu)
>> "Do absolutely nothing with it. There's no money budgeted to even fix the potholes!" (Phyllis Tachibana, Honolulu)
And then there were more creative solutions:
>> "Many years ago I read about a 'white bike' program in Europe. I think it started in Denmark. The larger cities have a bunch of white bikes all over town and anyone can borrow one to get around. When you arrive at your destination, you just park it outside, then someone else can use your discarded bike. How about 'white bike islands' around Honolulu? Each island would have a map showing where other such islands are located. Maybe it's too far-fetched for Honolulu, but it would be nice to try, and it would cut down on traffic congestion." (Kay Radford, Wahiawa)
>> "Since so many of your readers suggest we 'put to death' our drug dealers and car thieves, why not put them in cages on those little triangles for the whole world to see?" (Monica Lewis, Honolulu)
>> "Why not make the little triangles a Graumann's Chinese Theater (walk) with a local celebrity of some sort with a hand or footprint, name and date in small square blocks?" (Monica Lewis, Honolulu)
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
BURL BURLINGAME / BBURLINGAME@STARBULLETIN.COM
Using colored concrete, create huge "you are here" maps of the surrounding neighborhood to help orient pedestrians. These maps also could direct citizens to nearby sights and public facilities.
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[ BRAINSTORM! ]
Can’t see the forest
for the wires ...Next month's Brainstormer!
Unsightly utility lines. You may not be able to avoid them right in your own neighborhood, but what about along major thoroughfares? Why do they often string along both sides of a highway? Wouldn't ganging them up on the median at least cut the number of poles in half? Is some sort of invention needed to enable the burying of utility lines along highways, or is legislation required? Wouldn't the roads be safer with fewer poles to run into?The picture below is a good example. This stretch of Kalanianiole Highway near Kailua has utility lines on both sides of the road, despite being one of the most scenic spots on Oahu -- with Olomana mountain on one side and Kawainui Marsh on the other -- and the ironic thing is that the highway department recently dug a trench along the median to bury the power supply for the new streetlights.
BURL BURLINGAME / BBURLINGAME@STARBULLETIN.COM
This stretch of Kalanianiole Highway has utility lines blocking some of the most scenic views on Oahu, despite a utility tunnel recently dug in the median to serve the streetlights.
"What needs to be done
to improve the view
from our highways?"Send your ideas and solutions
by July 14 to:
brainstorm@starbulletin.comOr mail them to:
Brainstorm!
c/o Burl Burlingame
Star-Bulletin
500 Ala Moana
7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813Fax:
Brainstorm!
c/o Burl Burlingame
529-4750
