Question: Will all-red traffic signals on Ala Moana Boulevard be permanent?
Answer: No, not right off the bat. Before getting into the state Department of Transportation’s explanation, we’ll clarify that traffic signals on Ala Moana Boulevard at Ena/Kalia Road and Hobron Lane won’t be red all the time. These Waikiki intersections will be converted to “all-pedestrian crossings,” meaning that all traffic lights at a particular intersection are red simultaneously so that pedestrians can cross safely, according to a Sept. 28 DOT news release. The lights will cycle through yellow and green phases as well.
“An all-pedestrian crossing phase is used to reduce potential conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians by providing a separate phase where all traffic signals at the intersection are red. Signs to caution pedestrians to cross only on the walk or walking person signal will be installed on poles at the subject intersections. The all-pedestrian crossing differs from a pedestrian scramble (also known as a Barnes Dance) because there are no diagonal crossings,” the news release said.
The changes are to take effect Oct. 22, and will be evaluated for a month, after which the DOT will decide whether to continue with the new configuration, revert to the old one or try a pedestrian scramble, it said.
Kokua Line has heard many complaints about these intersections over the years, mainly from motorists who say they are delayed by pedestrians crossing Ala Moana Boulevard against the light. Computer modeling showed that converting to all-pedestrian crossings at these intersections would reduce the average vehicle delay by 30%, while increasing pedestrians’ wait time by 13 seconds, from 26 seconds to 39 seconds, the DOT said. Pedestrian-vehicle conflict areas were cut from six to one.
See an illustration of an all-pedestrian crossing at 808ne.ws/newcross, and the current layout at 808ne.ws/oldcross.
Q: Some time ago you wrote about a color-coded warning system for international travel regarding COVID-19. Please repeat the website. We might fly to Germany for the Christmas markets and I want to check the alerts.
A: You are referring to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s travel health notices, which Kokua Line last mentioned in April. At that time, the advisory system routinely listed countries’ COVID-19 risk, from Level 1 (least risk) to Level 4 (avoid travel). However, it no longer does so. News reports said the CDC dropped standard COVID-19 designations for international destinations on Monday. Moving forward, the agency will handle travel advisories for COVID-19 as it does for other infectious diseases, highlighting specific health risks in particular countries as they emerge. Prior to this week, the CDC had updated COVID-19-specific travel advisories weekly, after first posting them early in the pandemic.
Check the CDC’s notices at wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices. They include three levels: Watch Level 1 (green), Alert Level 2 (yellow) and Warning Level 3 (red). No travel health notices were posted for Germany on Tuesday.
Auwe
Auwe to the salesperson who ignored the posted signs stating Beware of Dog and No Soliciting and trespassed on my property to try to sell us internet service. Luckily my pets were in the house when we heard the person at our door. If my pets were in the yard they could have run past the salesperson and been maimed or killed by a car in the street or hurt the salesperson or an innocent passerby because the salesperson disregarded the signs. All companies should train their salespeople to respect the property owner and observe their signs. — A reader
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
