Question: I am writing in response to the “auwe” comment directed at the “jaywalking” on Makakilo Drive, as I believe it is directed at me. In January the city removed at least three crosswalks on Makakilo Drive, leaving a distance of almost a mile between marked crosswalks. The yellow signs designating the crosswalks were removed on Jan. 29 and replaced the next day, but the striping remains removed. It is my understanding that these are now legal unmarked crosswalks due to the distance between marked crosswalks. These are heavily used crossing areas, and they should not have been removed. I find the tone of the original comment to be disrespectful and an attempt at “shaming.” I always cross safely, at a legal place, making sure there is enough time to cross safely before stepping out. The original commenter should educate themselves on the law before making judgmental remarks; not all legal crossing areas have striped crosswalks. — Thank you, Kelly
Answer: The “auwe” published March 16 chastised “two moms who jaywalk with their kids across Makakilo Drive every morning” to reach Makakilo Elementary School, which is a few blocks makai of the busy thoroughfare. We don’t know whether it was aimed at you, and it didn’t say the people were crossing at an intersection, but you are correct that not all legal crosswalks have painted lines.
As police and city officials have told Kokua Line in the past, intersections in residential or business districts that lack painted lines are generally considered unmarked crosswalks, or extensions of the sidewalks at those locations. Jaywalking, as described on the Honolulu Police Department’s website, is “crossing the street outside of a crosswalk or away from a street corner.”
Moreover, your response has alerted us to broad concern about pedestrian safety on Makakilo Drive, which intensified when a teenager was hit by a car earlier this month. Many people want the city to repaint crosswalks at Aoloko, Newa and Nohohale streets, which were covered when Makakilo Drive was repaved, and also to install pedestrian lights. Sign wavers plan to be at those intersections on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday urging action.
“This is a community safety issue,” said Kioni Dudley, chairman of the Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board, which passed a resolution on the matter.
Dudley quoted the city as saying crosswalks at those street corners were not well used, but he insists that’s not the case. “People do cross there. It’s a safety issue because the closest stoplight is so far away,” he said. “Cars are going around bends there, and the traffic coming down the hill is pretty fast.”
A teenage boy was hit by a car walking across Makakilo Drive at Aoloko Street, where a crosswalk used to be painted, Dudley said. The March 3 accident left the 17-year-old with a badly broken leg that required surgery, according to news reports.
In your email to Kokua Line, you said that you had emailed City Council member Kymberly Pine but received no response. We followed up with Pine, whose district includes Makakilo, and also contacted the city Department of Transportation Services.
Pine has since responded to your email and “submitted a Request for Investigation and Services Report to DTS regarding the crosswalks, as well as a report to HPD for increased patrol in the area to address speeding issues,” said Cathy Lee, her spokeswoman.
Although DTS did not respond by deadline, a city spokesman assured us that information would be forthcoming; we’ll include the department’s response in a future column.
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.
