Pedestrian project underway at King and Isenberg streets

Question: What is going on at the intersection of King and Isenberg streets? There are new asphalt bumpers protruding beyond the four corners and what looks like planter pots on two corners.

Answer: The additions are part of a Complete Streets demonstration project that is principally designed to improve pedestrian safety, said Mike Formby, director of the city Department of Transportation Services. The project was coordinated through the Honolulu City Council and Oahu’s neighborhood board system, he said.

The intersection of South King and Isenberg streets is a busy one that includes vehicle lanes and the King Street Protected Bike Lane.

Construction of the project began June 8 and is expected to take about a month to finish, at a cost of $52,000, according to a project summary provided by Formby.

The bumpers you described are known as “bulb-outs,” which are rounded extensions of the curb line. They are made of asphalt and painted white.

According to the project summary, the primary benefits of bulb-outs are that they reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians and bicyclists; provide a buffered area that serves as a refuge for pedestrians; reduce the speed at which motor vehicles can turn through the intersection by tightening the turning radius at the corner; deter illegal parking; and improve the visibility of pedestrians.

As mentioned, the curbs of the bulb-outs are painted white, while the pavement surface in the buffered area is painted reddish-brown, to distinguish it from the street and bicycle conflict zones, which are black and green, respectively.

The round planters you mentioned seeing are there to provide a sense of place and space, according to the summary. What type of greenery to place there will be determined by the city Department of Parks and Recreation’s Urban Forestry Division, and should not interfere with sight distance.

Q: Will there be fireworks in Hawaii Kai this Fourth of July?

A: No, there won’t be a community fireworks celebration at Maunalua Bay Beach Park, although we can’t predict whether illegal aerials will erupt elsewhere on Oahu’s East Side.

Maunalua Communities Foundation organized a popular fireworks celebration at the park for six years, but fundraising fell short in 2014 and 2015, and the event was canceled both years.

The Hawaii Kai Chamber of Commerce has assumed sponsorship and coordination duties, with the goal of reigniting the fireworks show next summer, on July 4, 2017.

The year’s delay is intended to allow time to raise enough money so that the event resumes on solid footing. We called the chamber Thursday to see how the “Bring Back Da Boom!” campaign is going but didn’t hear back by deadline.

You can learn more by checking the chamber’s website, hikaicoc.com, or by emailing questions (and suggestions) to hawaii kaicc@gmail.com.

Fireworks that are free and open to the general public are scheduled for Monday night at Ala Moana Beach Park, Kailua Beach and Kahuku (Turtle Bay Resort). Details of these and other Fourth of July events can be found in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser at 808ne.ws/29v7Ls8.

Parking restriction

The city says special parking restrictions have improved traffic safety in congested Lanikai on recent holidays, so it’s no surprise the rules will be effect over the Fourth of July weekend. The Special Enforcement District restrictions mean that no parking will be allowed on any Lanikai streets or shoulders from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, the actual holiday, there will be no parking on Mokulua and Aalapapa drives from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. and no parking on side streets in Lanikai as designated by “no parking” barricades from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., according to an advisory from the city. People driving into Kailua for Monday night’s fireworks can park for free at several nearby sites and take a free shuttle to a beach access point.

For details see kailuafireworks.net.

Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.