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Enlightening work
Oahu traffic signal workers
maintain more than 750 lights
Steven Kunihisa was rewiring some cables when a man working from the top of a 20-foot tall traffic light pole caused a 5-pound metal cap to fall on his head.
Bright guys
Fast facts about the city's traffic signal electricians:
Question: What do they do?
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"It wasn't anyone's fault," he said, "but I still get the chills whenever I hear it fall."
After doctors got him stitched up, he had some convulsions, but at least there was no fracture or permanent damage, he said, rubbing the scar, which is a little bigger than the size of a quarter.
That was 30 years ago, and it didn't stop him from returning to work less than two weeks later. His job as a traffic signal technician can be dangerous -- but that was the only time in 36 years he ever got seriously injured on the job.
He said the job is never boring.
"Every day is different; it's not the same old thing each day," he said. "It's a different scenario, different problem."
Not many people know about them or give them a second glance -- except maybe when their truck is blocking the road. Traffic signal electricians are the guys who fix the traffic lights or pedestrian crossing poles whenever something's wrong.
Sounds simple, but it's not always, Kunihisa said, recalling days where he worked almost 24 hours straight, rushing from intersection to intersection.
These guys fix anything from a burned-out bulb to poles brought down by accidents and rainstorms. With a staff of only six traffic signal electricians and more than 750 lights to maintain on the island, work can get pretty hectic.
"Just take it one thing at a time," said Russell Murakami, who's been with the city Transportation Department for 21 years. "It gets overwhelming, but you got to remember you can't do everything at once."
Four men are out on the job during the day, while two are on standby for 24 hours a day in case of any emergencies. The Honolulu police dispatch operators or citizens call for the electricians whenever they see a traffic light in need of repair, and there are calls every day.
Things can get scary for the workers sometimes, said traffic signal electrician Scott Matsumoto. Drivers get angry as traffic backs up. And many times, the workers are 20 feet off the ground in a "bucket truck" (a truck with a cherry picker attached to a lift) while cars are speeding past underneath them.
"I'm worried about dropping tools and crazy drivers banging into you while in the air," Matsumoto said.
The busiest days for the workers are those after heavy rainstorms and in the rainy months like November and December, which also means more traffic accidents, said Ty Fukumitsu, acting chief of the traffic signal and technology division with the city Transportation Department. Water can leak into the wiring and scramble the signals, causing the lights to flash.
"After rainstorms we are swamped, busy every second," said Murakami.
Some days, the guys will work throughout their whole workday from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and have to take their lunch break back at their office in Pearl City. Other days are slower, with two to three calls an hour.
For a burned-out bulb, they have it replaced in a jiffy -- one man goes up in the "bucket truck," takes out the old bulb, screws in a new one, sprays the lens with some water, and they're out of there in five minutes.
Other jobs, like installing a new turn signal or fixing a fallen traffic pole, can take much longer.
These jobs include rewiring dozens of cables, reprogramming the censors to the control box computer system and installing new equipment.
Traffic signal electricians must have five years' experience through an apprenticeship at Honolulu Community College and then pass a test for a state license as a journeyman electrician.
A city electrician earns about $34,000 a year.
Even then, most of the work is learned on the job, the workers said.
"It takes many years to understand how the traffic signal works," Kunihisa said.
Like most jobs, it gets easier after time.
"After a while it just comes naturally," said Matsumoto.
