City paid 4 claims of pothole damage in 11-1/2 months

Question: Thanks for printing information about how to file a claim if your vehicle is damaged by a pothole, but what are the chances that the city will actually approve the claim?

Q: A pothole on Kapiolani Boulevard flattened the tire of our brand-new vehicle. We filed a claim, and it took a lot of paperwork and months of waiting just to have the city deny the claim. Filing a claim is one thing, getting it paid is another.

Answer: Kokua Line received similar feedback from several readers after our Dec. 7 column explained how to file claims for vehicle damage caused by potholes. Step one, as that column explained (808ne.ws/1PIYKfS), is figuring out who oversees the road, because it could be the city, state, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, federal government or a private entity.

Readers generally appreciated the information, but several wanted to know how often the municipal government approves and pays damage claims. Judging from personal experience, they suspected it was not often.

So Kokua Line followed up to find out how how many pothole claims were filed against the city in 2015, and the breakdown of claims approved or denied.

Andrew Pereira, an information officer in the Mayor’s Office, said that as of Dec. 18, 124 pothole-related damage claims were filed against the city in 2015. Of those, four were paid, 45 were denied, 44 were pending, one was withdrawn and 30 were referred to another agency or contractor because they fell outside the city’s jurisdiction.

We’ll follow up on those pending claims in the coming weeks and months to see whether the approved number rises from the low single digits.

Regarding the 30 claims referred to other agencies, that large number highlights the issue we emphasized in the earlier column: The city does not oversee every road on Oahu, so it’s important to find out what entity maintains the road and file the claim properly from the get-go. The process for doing so is outlined in the earlier column.

To cite just one example, Pereira noted that HART currently oversees Kamehameha Highway through Aiea and Pearl City as Oahu’s elevated rail-transit system is built, and therefore is responsible for handling pothole damage claims related to that major thoroughfare. Some claims are mistakenly filed with the city, he said.

A total of 124 pothole claims were filed against the city in 2014, and there were 109 in 2013, Pereira said.

Q: Are mopeds allowed to park in/on bicycle racks? Is it OK or is it not OK?

A: It depends on the location, type and size of the bike rack. Signs should be present saying whether such parking is allowed. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this query, which Kokua Line receives frequently.

Chris Sayers, bicycle coordinator for the city Department of Transportation Services, explains: “Mopeds are only allowed to park on bike racks that have signage permitting them to do so, per Section 15-13.11C of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu. The bicycle-shaped racks on the sidewalks were not designed nor installed for mopeds. Although mopeds and bicycles are licensed the same, they are quite different in size. Mopeds are much larger than bicycles and most of the sidewalk racks have limited space. There are moped/bike racks in the city municipal lot on Kuhio Avenue and at Kuhio Beach Park near Kapahulu Avenue. There are also several moped/bike racks on Chaplain Lane in the downtown area.”

Mopeds, along with motor scooters and motorcycles, may also park in municipal parking garages, Sayers said. “There are designated free motorcycle/moped parking spaces at Alii Place, Chinatown Gateway, Harbor Court, Kekaulike and Marin Tower. Motorcycles/mopeds can get in free at Hale Pauahi, Kukui Plaza and Smith-Beretania garages but there are no designated motorcycle/moped spaces. They would park in regular stalls,” he said. “Mopeds can also park in on-street, metered stalls but they would have to pay the meter fee. It is illegal to park in between stalls.”

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.