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Question: Why are the red-light cameras at the intersection of Vineyard Boulevard and Liliha Street aimed only at drivers on Vineyard? I noticed that there are cameras, but only on Vineyard. What about putting cameras on Liliha? I don’t believe that people run the red light only if traveling on Vineyard.
Answer: Enforcement at that intersection won’t focus on vehicles traveling along Liliha Street, for a couple of reasons. Shelly Kunishige, spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation, explains: “The northwest approach and the southeast approach from Vineyard Boulevard had a higher amount of total crashes than the southwest approach from Liliha Street. The northeast approach from Liliha Street did have a similar crash history, but it was not selected for the two-year pilot because an existing utility pole and an existing bus stop would have interfered with camera views. As the pilot is for a two-year period and our agreement with the vendor covers 17 approaches, the decision was made to focus on approaches with clear camera views and historical crash data.” Here, that’s Vineyard Boulevard.
The camera system at Vineyard and Liliha was authorized to begin generating citations Monday, after a 30-day warning period ended. It is the second Oahu intersection where tickets are being issued based on evidence captured by an automated camera system.
The first location was at Vineyard Boulevard and Palama Street; tickets were issued beginning Nov. 20. Straight-through red-light running at Vineyard and Palama has dropped from an average of 10 violations a day to an average of two violations a day since the system went live, the DOT said.
An engineering study posted on the DOT website explains the rationale for camera placement at these and other intersections that are or will be included in the Red-Light Safety Camera pilot program. Read the study at 808ne.ws/3FtGdmx.
Q: My mother is losing her central vision to macular degeneration and no longer drives. Can I get a disabled parking permit for her as her chauffeur?
A: No, not based on her failing eyesight alone, according to the state Disability and Communication Access Board. Disability parking permits are issued to people who can’t walk 200 feet unassisted due to lung, heart or other conditions that impair their mobility, as verified by the applicant’s physician, physician’s assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, it says.
Advanced age, blindness, deafness, pregnancy, mental illness or developmental disabilities including autism don’t qualify the applicant on their own, according to the application.
To be clear, if your mom did have a qualifying condition, the parking placard would be issued to her, not you, and she could attach it to the rearview mirror of whatever car she rides in.
Auwe
The other day while wearing a mask and shopping at Ross in Hawaii Kai, an older, unmasked man walked toward me, and just as we were passing, he remarked, “Some people are going to insist on wearing masks forever!” I was too shocked to respond at the time, but later I said to myself, “I’m the primary caregiver for my 97-year-old invalid mother, who can’t afford to catch anything!” Please learn to keep your mouth shut if you don’t know the whole story! — G.N.
Mahalo
Many thanks to the young woman who held the elevator for me on the makai side of Ala Moana Center on Sunday afternoon. Thanks also to her friend, a young man who helped me retrieve gifts that had fallen out of my shopping bags in my initial rush to reach the elevator before the doors closed. — L.M.
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.
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