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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Put trash cans on
driveway flare for pickupQuestion: I live close to the University of Hawaii. Cars park along our street, many times very close to the driveway or even blocking the driveway. I know police should be called about the illegal parking, but what about the trash cans that are put out curbside? If the cans are on the sidewalk, they can't be collected. If they are put in the street, the drivers either move them to the middle of the driveway where they are collected (but blocking the driveway), or too close to a parked car, where they aren't collected. Where should the cans be placed and what else should be done?
Answer: "What works best for the householder as well as the refuse collection operator" is to place the container "right on the flare" of a driveway, said David Shiraishi, the city's refuse collection administrator.
That way, he said, the container doesn't get blocked by a vehicle and neither is it "in the middle of the driveway" blocking entry or exit.
Shiraishi pointed out that, by law, "one isn't supposed to park within 4 feet of that flare," although that space is encroached upon in "real dense areas" where parking is at a premium, such as in the UH neighborhood. "But, usually, if (the container) is in that flare, we'll have enough room" to pick it up, he said.
Asked about people moving the container, Shiraishi said the law refers only to licensed haulers handling the rubbish, "but that relates more to collecting the rubbish rather than the specifics of what we're talking about" in your case.
Also, your situation might be a little more difficult to address because you're probably dealing with non-neighbors. But if it continues to be a problem, Shiraishi said the city can place a form letter, explaining where cars should not park and including a sketch, on the windshields of vehicles.
In some cases, "we've put letters out repeatedly and got no help," he acknowledged. "Only then would we call the police."
In your case, call the Honolulu Yard at 523-4424 for more information.
The numbers of the other yards are: Kailua, 262-7298; Koolauloa (Laie), 293-5657; Aiea-Pearl City-Ewa, 455-9644; Wahiawa-Mililani, 621-52411; Haleiwa-Waialua, 637-4795; and Waianae, 696-3421.
Update
In the Nov. 24 Kokua Line, a reader asked if the city could restrict parking on Lumikula Street at Penakii Place because the parked vehicles were obstructing the sight of approaching cars.The city Department of Transportation Services said it reviewed a three-year history of traffic accidents in the area and concluded there was no need to restrict parking there.
However, Transportation Director Cheryl Soon said a field inspection showed that an overgrown hedge in the sidewalk area was restricting the available sight distance and that the city Department of Parks and Recreation was asked to cut back or remove the hedge.
Parks Director William Balfour sent us a letter saying the hedge in question was privately owned and that the city's Housing Code Section was asked to follow up by contacting the owner.
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