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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Dune buggies a no-no
on isle freewaysQuestion: While recently heading Ewa-bound on the H-1 freeway near the airport exit, I saw what looked like a mini dune buggy traveling about 35-40 mph. Normally, I see these in Waikiki, but rarely elsewhere on the island. Are they legal to operate on the freeway? I wouldn't think so given how little protection they appear to afford the occupants.
Answer: Dune buggies are not allowed on freeways ("controlled access roadway") or highways, "because they don't meet the standards," according to Capt. Jose Gaytan of the Honolulu Police Department's Traffic Division.
They're considered recreational vehicles and are not required to be registered, he said.
A bill was introduced during the last session of the state Legislature (Senate Bill 460) to authorize "dune buggy replica vehicles" to be licensed for use on public roadways as special interest vehicles, Gaytan said.
Although the bill did pass the Legislature, it was vetoed: returned by the governor without approval.
Gaytan pointed out that although "neighborhood electric vehicles" are registered, they are specifically prohibited by Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-53 from going on freeways.
A "neighborhood electric vehicle" is defined as a self-propelled, electrically powered vehicle that is emission-free, carries no more than four persons, has a maximum speed of 25 mph, has at least four wheels in contact with the ground, and weighs less than 1,800 pounds.
Q: What happened to all the finches that used to fly around this island? The pet shops used to sell those small birds and a lot of people used to have them. They escaped and multiplied by the thousands. All of a sudden, they've disappeared. I don't see any around any more. Can you enlighten me?
A: David Smith, Oahu District wildlife manager for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, believes you are referring to java sparrows (also called java finches and java rice birds).
Their population "seems to fluctuate, but there are still quite a few of them around," he said. Because it's a new species, "typically a population will really explode and reach a high peak, then will taper off."
Smith noted that unlike native birds who have well-established niches, a species new to an environment like java sparrows will tend to move around.
"The population is bound to swing" with the birds moving around to use and adapt to different habitats, he said.
These birds are not "overtly harmful to the environment or native birds," Smith said. "They are mostly low-end habitat type of birds that don't compete with the natives."
Mahalo and Auwe
Mahalo to everyone who avoided running over the trash and even slowing down for me in the middle of Kahuhipa Street in Haiku Village, Kaneohe, on the morning of Sept. 12. A black garbage bag full of trash had broken open and was everywhere. I was trying to clean up the eyesore and vehicle obstacle (this trash wasn't even ours). Auwe to those drivers who just sped by and ran over the trash, only to spread it around even more. -- M.S.
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