Editorial: Safer streets for keiki and kupuna

Two more heartbreaking traffic-related deaths this week. An active, safety vest-wearing 83-year-old man crossing three lanes of traffic in a crosswalk of the Pali Highway in Nuuanu was struck by a pickup truck. And a 5-year-old girl riding a bicycle at the Aliamanu Military Reservation was hit by a garbage truck reversing direction.

The accidents marked the 54th and 55th traffic-related fatalities on Oahu this year. At this time last year, the toll was 35.

Navigating roadways without a vehicle is increasingly dangerous. A study tracking U.S. traffic-related fatalities, conducted by the Governors Highway Safety Association, found that in the decade spanning 2007 to 2016 pedestrian deaths increased by nearly 30 percent while all other deadly crashes dropped by nearly 15 percent.

Children and older adults are especially vulnerable for reasons such as still-developing risk perception and reduced vision, respectively.

Local laws, such as one Mayor Kirk Caldwell signed on Thursday, hold potential to effect needed changes. “Age-Friendly Honolulu” commits the city to folding age-friendly principles into every municipal function, including street design.

Supporters say that under the new law, safety at crosswalks will include age-minded scrutiny, such as whether the timing of traffic signals allows everyone, from kupuna to keiki, to cross safely.

In that way, it’s similar to the Complete Streets ordinance, which is focused on accommodating multimodal travel. In place for six years now, the law is part of a nationwide movement to make city streets comfortable and safe for all users.