I received some interesting questions in the past week, so I decided to get them answered.
If there are any traffic-related questions, send them my way and I’ll see what I can do.
Question: Can you please tell me what the bicycle rules are on sidewalks in commercial districts, like Kapiolani Boulevard?
Answer: Riding a bike on a sidewalk in a business district is against the law.
According to the law, Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-148(b), a bicycle may be driven at a speed of 10 mph or less on a sidewalk or sidewalk area. The cyclist must yield right of way to any pedestrian when doing so.
But bicycle riding “shall be prohibited on sidewalks in business districts.”
Q: I’ve always wondered if violating the “Do Not Enter” and “No Left Turn” signs on private business properties would result in a traffic violation, thus a ticket. Generally, are these traffic signs considered official?
A: Great question, and one that I’ve always wondered myself.
The Honolulu Police Department says signs that are not posted by the city or state are not enforceable.
The law, HRS 291C-31(c), refers to signs as “traffic-control devices” and says drivers shall obey the instructions of any “official” signs.
A Honolulu police spokeswoman said temporary signs placed by a police officer may also be enforced.
Q: What the heck are they doing on the H-1 freeway, eastbound in Kaimuki? They seem to make very little progress while closing extremely long portions of the highway for a relatively small work area.
A: This is one of the most common questions I get. Turns out, it’s also one of the most common questions hurled at the state Department of Transportation, too.
State crews have been performing what’s called a dowel bar retrofit. The freeway is made up of panels. Over time the slabs start to pull apart, making the ride bumpy.
So crews have been slicing into the freeway to place bars to hold the pavement together, and pouring concrete into the slots. It’s kind of like Botox for the freeway.
State transportation spokesman Dan Meisenzahl says the work is expected to be finished by November. Once the work is done, the pavement should be good for 30 years, he says.
The left eastbound lane on the H-1 freeway, from the King Street offramp to the Waialae Avenue onramp, is closed on Saturdays from
7 a.m. to 6 p.m., 7 a.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday, and Monday night to Thursday morning, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. All onramp and offramps in the area will remain open.
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Reach Gene Park at gpark@staradvertiser.com or Twitter as @GenePark.
