Kokua Line: Bring in form for combat veteran plate, city says

Question: How do I go about requesting a “combat veteran” license plate? I’ve been to the city’s motor vehicle website but can’t find the information.

Answer: The application isn’t processed online, but you can download the form there to get started. Randy Leong, deputy director of the city’s Department of Customer Services, explains:

“Anyone who requests a combat veteran license plate should complete an application form that can be obtained at 808ne.ws/cvplate. We recommend that applicants submit the completed form in person at any satellite city hall. We strongly recommend against mailing in the completed form, as you would have to provide your vehicle registration card and cannot drive without it in the vehicle.

“A combat veteran license plate is considered a specialty plate. The registered owner will be required to submit the certificate of registration for the vehicle and the license plate and $5.50 emblem fee, along with proof of eligibility documents.

“The most common type of documentary evidence that we accept are copies of DD Form 214, which indicate any one of the medals being awarded to the service member. An example of such documentation is certification from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or the state Office of Veterans’ Services, that an applicant is a combat veteran, or a veteran of the Vietnam conflict, the Korean conflict, World War II, or the Persian Gulf conflict.

“While the application for such a plate can be obtained online, it cannot be processed online. If veterans have questions about their eligibility or the DD Form 214, we encourage them to call 433-0420.”

That phone number reaches the state Office of Veterans’ Services, within the state Department of Defense. You can also reach OVS by email at OVS@hawaii.gov.

Combat veteran license plates can be affixed only to noncommercial vehicles.

Q: Are they really adding bike lanes downtown? Traffic is already so tight down here.

A: Yes, that’s the plan, which you can review at 808ne.ws/bikemtg. There’s a public meeting about it tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Laniakea YWCA, 1040 Richards St. At the meeting the city Department of Transportation Services’ Complete Streets program will present proposed designs for bikeways on South King, Punchbowl and Bishop streets downtown, according to the city.

The plan would extend the King Street protected bike lane and make mauka-makai connections, removing one lane of motor vehicle traffic along the way. Among the details:

>> The two-way protected King Street bike lane would advance along the mauka side of South King Street between Alapai and Bishop streets.

>> Bicycle facilities would be added on Punchbowl Street between Vineyard and Ala Moana boulevards. These would include sharrows between Vineyard Boulevard and South King Street; a two-way protected bike lane on the Diamond Head side between South King and Pohukaina streets; and a one-way protected bike lane (mauka-bound) and sharrows (makai-bound) between Pohukaina Street and Ala Moana Boulevard.

>> A two-way protected bicycle lane would be added along the Diamond Head side of Bishop Street between Beretania Street and Nimitz Highway.

No street parking will be lost, according to the city, which says the number of stalls would remain the same along King and Bishop streets and rise slightly on Punchbowl Street. Loading zones would be retained, and a new one would be added on King Street between Fort Street Mall and Bishop Street.

If you can’t make it to tonight’s meeting, you can follow along live on the program’s Facebook page, facebook.com/hnlcompletestreets.

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.