Question: The new concrete bus stop pads being installed on Waialae Avenue are mostly lower by several inches than the surrounding surface and thus encircled by a collar of raised blacktop. This makes driving like dropping into a continuous series of giant rectangular potholes. Is anything going to be done about this?
Question: Have you had any complaints about the new trend of sunken concrete pads for bus stops? There are a couple on Waialae Avenue that, if you drive over them going the speed limit, are like hitting a speed bump.
Answer: The bus stop pads remain a work in progress, with work to even out the differences in heights to take place over the next few months.
The pads are part of the city’s $9.3 million project to repave the entire length of Waialae Avenue as well as many side streets in Kaimuki. The project, which began last summer, is expected to be completed by mid-December, said Chris Takashige, director of the Department of Design and Construction.
The contract calls for installing the concrete bus pads and asphalt paving in two phases, he explained.
The first phase involves installing the pads to their original heights and trying to match them to the original curb and gutters, which are usually lower than current road surfaces, which have been built up over the years, Takashige said.
"Current drivers are experiencing the difference of heights between the new concrete pads and the old paved roads," he said.
The next phase involves paving the road with blacktop around the new concrete pads, at which time the finished grades are matched as much as possible.
When that phase is completed, "a close height transition will be realized," Takashige said. "It will not be a perfect match as the two materials differ greatly in composition and how they wear over time, but we feel it is a good compromise to providing longer-lasting roadways for both cars and the heavier buses."
Question: At about 2:30 p.m. Feb. 27, I witnessed an HPD patrol vehicle pull into a handicap stall in the front of the Foodland in Pearl City. The officer got out of the vehicle, with the engine running, and proceeded into Foodland. I also went inside, made a purchase, and was walking back to my vehicle when I saw the officer get into his car and leave. About 15 minutes had elapsed. Is it OK for police vehicles to use handicap parking stalls just for their own convenience? How many times have you told yourself, "I’m just going to the ATM" and want to park in the handicap stall? You and I would be short $250 if we were cited! To that police officer, lead by example, please! People are always watching you.
Answer: You were not able to provide any license number or other details of the vehicle, so it’s difficult to identify the officer or ascertain why he was at Foodland, said HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu.
In an emergency an officer would use the nearest available parking area, she said. If the officer was not responding to an emergency, he should not have been using the handicap stall.
"Either way, the officer should have turned off and secured the vehicle," Yu said. "The district commander will be issuing a reminder to the officers."
Mahalo
To Lou Young, head of the Academy of the Pacific, and the student, parent and teacher volunteers who helped clean up after a fire on my property. The school has a community service day to help their neighbors with various projects. It is their way of saying thank you for being a good neighbor. The young people who came were focused, well-mannered and just plain fun to be with. How great that the Academy of the Pacific offers young people an opportunity to feel good about themselves while making a positive difference in someone else’s life. I am most grateful for their help. — Patricia Greene
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.