Synopsis: Speeding cars in Honolulu pose a constant hazard to pedestrians in marked crosswalks as the rate of fatalities and injuries suffered by pedestrians while using city crosswalks continues to increase.

———

Aloha mai nō kākou e nā pua o Hawai’i nei. Pōmaika’i nō kākou i ka nui o ka ua o kēlā mau māhina i hala aku nei, ka mea ho’i ia e uliuli ai ka ‘āina. Pehea lā ho’i kākou? No’u iho nō, ke lana nei ko’u mana’o no ko ‘oukou ‘olu’olu i kēia wā ho’omaha o nā lā nui. He ua paha, he mālie paha, ‘o ia pōmaika’i nō.

No ke po’o mana’o e kau maila ma luna, ke maka’u nei au no ka nui o nā ‘elemākule e hele nei ma nā ‘a’ehina alanui. I kekahi lā aku nei, ua ho’oku’i ‘ia kekahi luahine ‘oiai ‘o ia ma kekahi ‘a’ehina o ke alanui ‘o Nimitz. I nā pō a pau, nui hewahewa nā kānaka e hele wāwae ana ma nā ‘a’ehina a me nā pīpā alanui. ‘O ka pō’ele’ele na’e, pa’akikī ka ‘ike ‘ana iā lākou. Ua lilo kēia he pilikia nui.

Ke pō’ele’ele mai ke ao, a no ka lawa ‘ole ho’i o nā kukui alanui, he pōwehiwehi ka ‘ikena a nā mea kalaiwa, a he hana nui ka ‘ike ‘ana i nā kānaka ke ke’ehi mai ka wāwae i ka ‘a’ehina alanui. ‘O kekahi amu ‘a’ehina alanui, ua mamao loa ka hiki ‘ana aku i kekahi ‘ao’ao, a ‘o ka mālie loa o ka hele ‘ana o kekahi po’e ‘elemākule, lō’ihi ko lākou wā i waena o ke alanui. Inā e hele ana kekahi kanaka ma ka ‘a’ehina o ke alanui Mō’ī a Beretania paha, he mau ala nō e ‘a’e aku ai. I kekahi manawa, he ‘ehā ka nui.

Ke pi’i nei ka helu o nā kānaka i make ma loko o nā ‘a’ehina i loko o nā makahiki i hala iho nei. Wahi a Hawaii News Now, he kanahā ka heluna o nā kānaka i make i ke ku’i ‘ia mai ‘oiai i loko o kahi ‘a’ehina alanui. ‘O ke kaumaha o nā kaumaha, ‘o ka hapa nui o ia mau kānaka i make, ua ‘elemakule lākou. Nui ko’u hopohopo, no ka mea, he mea ma’a mau i ko’u mau kūpuna ka hele wāwae ‘ana mai ‘ō a ‘ō o nā alanui. Mali’a o ho’oku’i ‘ia mai ma muli o ka pō’ele’ele a me ka ‘ike ‘ole ‘ia e kahi mea kalaiwa e holo nui ana.

Pehea lā e pono ai? Aia ka pono i ka maka’ala ‘ana o nā mea kalaiwa ke ho’okokoke aku i nā ‘a’ehina alanui. E maka’ala ‘ia ka hele ‘ia a me ka ‘ole o ia ‘a’ehina. He kanaka nō paha ko laila. E nānā ho’i i nā ‘ao’ao ‘elua. Eia hou, e koikoi ‘ia paha ke kūlanakauhale a me ke kalana o Honolulu e ho’onui i ka helu o nā kukui alanui e kūkulu ‘ia mai ana. Aia ka pono ‘o ka loa’a mai he kukui no kēlā me kēia ‘a’ehina alanui. ‘O ia nō ka mea a ka po’e kalaiwa e nānā ai. ‘A’ole nānā pono ‘ia nā ‘a’ehina i pena wale ‘ia nō ma luna o ke alanui.

He mea ko’iko’i kēia no ka pono o ka po’e hele wāwae, ka po’e ‘elemākule ho’i. He mea kēia e pono ai ke kanaka nui a me ke kanaka iki, a pakele ai ho’i ke ola o ko Honolulu po’e ‘elemākule i ka pō’ino. No kēlā me kēia mea kalaiwa kēia kuleana. Ke ‘auamo ‘ia, e emi mai ana ka nui o nā ulia pō’ino. Mahalo iā ‘oukou, e nā makamaka heluhelu, no ka ho’omanawanui ‘ana i kēia ‘ōlelo a’oa’o a ko ‘oukou wahi mea kākau nei. I ola nō kākou iā kākou iho nō!

———

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.