Sidewalks being
redone to code

Today, they are destroying and replacing them, causing a lot of traffic holdup and a lot of inconvenience. Who is responsible for this work, how much is it costing and who's going to pay for it?

Answer: The state Department of Transportation is redoing the curb ramps for wheelchair users to conform to the latest standards set by the American With Disabilities Act for a ramp grade of 8 percent or less.

The work along Kalanianaole is part of 12 statewide DOT projects, totaling $30.9 million, to make highway facilities comply with the ADA, said DOT spokesman Scott Ishikawa. The work was ordered under a federal court-ordered consent decree that stemmed from a lawsuit in the 1990s.

The project from Hawaii Kai (Kalanianaole Highway) to Pali Highway is costing $2.77 million. The deadline for all the projects is June 30.

Nine of the projects are on Oahu and involve 1,429 curb ramps. The other three, involving 291 ramps, are on the neighbor islands.

In addition to demolishing and replacing existing curb ramps, driveways and sidewalk areas not up to current ADA standards, workers are replacing pedestrian push buttons with larger, 2-inch-diameter buttons to meet ADA requirements, installing pavement markings and moving utilities as needed.

Ishikawa said there also is an emergency telephone project to replace about 150 call boxes on Oahu with new ADA-compliant phones for the hearing-impaired, at a cost of about $3.26 million. Call boxes also will be replaced on Maui and Kauai.

Q: I haven't received my federal or state tax forms. Where do I go to get them?

A: You can download state tax forms at the state Department of Taxation Web site, www.state.hi. us/tax; call for the forms by fax/mail line at 587-7572 (only some forms may be faxed) or toll-free from the neighbor islands at 800-222-7572; or go to any district tax office.

On Oahu the most commonly requested forms and instruction packages are available after hours on shelves located outside the Punchbowl Street entrance to the tax office, 830 Punchbowl St.

For federal forms, call 800-829-3676 if you know the name or number of the form you need, or call customer service at 800-829-1040 to have them mailed. You can find copies at the IRS office at 300 Ala Moana, as well as at some banks, post offices, libraries, grocers, copy centers and office supply stores.

You can download forms from the IRS Web site, www.irs.gov, or have them faxed by calling 703-368-9694 (not toll-free) from your fax machine and following the voice prompts.

Finally, you can buy the forms and publications on a CD-ROM for $22. Call 877-233-6767 or order online; phone orders are charged a handling fee.

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