QUESTION: Now that the Waialae Avenue resurfacing project is completed, a bike lane has been added on both sides of the street. While I am thrilled to have a bike lane to promote alternative forms of transportation, as well as safety for the riders, it appears that we are no longer coning during rush hour. This has really impacted morning and afternoon commutes on Waialae as well as the H-1 freeway. Will the coning be reinstituted?
ANSWER: No.
First, there was no morning contra-flow lane, only in the afternoon, said Michael Formby, director of the city Department of Transportation Services.
He also explained that adding the bike lanes required removing one lane from five lanes along portions of Waialae, reducing the number to two in each direction.
Before re-striping to add the bike lanes, the department did a study on the impact of removing one lane of travel (through the use of coning in the morning), as well as eliminating the afternoon coning.
"The study showed only minor effects on travel times," Formby said.
It also showed that an afternoon contra-flow would reduce downhill traffic to one lane, which would be "negatively impacted" by transit stops, he said.
Since adding the bike lanes is consistent with the city’s Complete Street Ordinance, the afternoon contra-flow was eliminated, he said.
Engineers have been assessing travel times since the bike lanes were added, monitoring morning travel times "to see if we need to tweak the system," he said.
"All of this data will be compared to the pre-change data for an assessment as to how the changes are working."
Formby explained that engineers typically will monitor and assess a situation for a minimum of 30 days, "as historically the traffic begins to settle down and stabilize after commuters understand the changes and adjust their schedules accordingly."
Monitoring on Sept. 16, for example, showed it took motorists traveling Ewa on Waialae Avenue 14 minutes to get from 16th Avenue to the H-1 freeway at 6:50 a.m.; 20 minutes at 7:14 a.m.; and 22 minutes at 7:41 a.m.
COMPLETE STREETS
The Complete Street Ordinance, passed by the City Council in 2012, requires the city to make it safer and easier for everyone to get around — motorists, bicyclists, individuals on mobility devices, transit riders, pedestrians and others "who depend on the transportation system to move people and goods."
"Complete Street" features include bike lanes and parking facilities; dedicated transit lanes and transit priority signals; accessible curb ramps and curb extensions; raised medians; refuge islands; roundabouts or minicircles; traffic signals and accessible pedestrian signals, such as audible and vibrotactile (vibration through touch) indications and pedestrian countdown signals; shared-use paths; paved shoulders; and street trees and street furniture.
MAHALO
To an awesome auntie at the Waipio Costco. My daughter had a dollar’s worth of coins to buy bottled water, but the coin slot kept returning the coins to her. She kept saying, "I need water, Daddy," but the machine wasn’t cooperating. I was about to go to the customer service counter when a kind patron came up and said to try this, handing over a $1 bill. My daughter put the dollar in the slot, and out came the water bottle. We turned to give the lady her change, but she was already on her way out. My daughter ran to catch up with her to give her the $1 in coins. She winked at us and with a wave goodbye said, "Have a great weekend." Aloha and mahalo for your kindness, auntie. — Jeff and little Emma F.
MAHALO
To the employee of the Cookie Corner in the Kaimuki Shopping Center for calling to return my elderly father’s wallet, which he had inadvertently left after purchasing some cookies. Your honesty and integrity are appreciated, and you will certainly have return customers. — A Grateful Son
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