Question: What is the speed limit on the rehabilitated stretch of the H-1 freeway, between Punahou Street and Likelike Highway? The signs I see, which are few and far between, state 45 mph. Wasn’t it 50 mph before the rehab? The lanes are narrower, but drivers are still driving 55 mph and above, making my daily commute very stressful. More signs need to be posted to let drivers know of the reduced speed limit.

Answer: The speed limit on the H-1 between Punahou and Middle streets was reduced to 45 from 50 mph for safety after the lanes were narrowed to create room for an additional lane in each direction.

The speed limit is further reduced to 40 or 35 mph through curves with limited sight distance, such as near Middle and Liliha streets.

Forty signs are posted through this 4-mile stretch — about 20 in each direction — warning motorists of the speed limits, reduced speed zones ahead and narrowed lanes, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation said.

There are no plans to add more signs, he said.

There is no federal regulation dictating how many or how far apart speed limit signs should be placed.

For freeways, speed limit signs are posted after onramps, at locations where speed limits change and at locations where reminders are necessary between onramps.

H-1 speed limit decreases were publicized as part of the H-1 rehabilitation project, from Middle Street to Pali Highway, and the previous pilot H-1 re-striping project, from the Pali to Punahou Street.

H-1 Speed limits

Speed limits along the H-1 range from 35 to 60 mph.

Factors such as traffic volume, visibility, lane widths and distances between entrance and exit ramps are among the criteria used in determining the speed limits.

For example, the speed limit is 60 mph between Kapolei and Kunia because this stretch of the freeway has lower average daily traffic counts and long, straight distances between entrances and exits.

Speed limits in other H-1 sections vary from 45 to 55 mph in areas with greater traffic volume and from 35 to 45 mph around curves with limited visibility.

"As on all roadways, motorists are asked to drive responsibly and adhere to the posted speed limits," the DOT spokesman said.

Question: I went to Honolulu Hale for early walk-in voting in the general election. I was disturbed by the amount of personally identifiable information required to get a ballot. I recall a news story that said an ID was not required to vote, but I had to fill out a form that asked for, among other things, my Social Security number and birth date. Why can’t we just write the last four digits of our SSN? Or just match our face to our driver’s license? What happens to these forms after the election?

Answer: As we’ve reported previously — bit.ly/1xTEwGl — a photo ID is not required to vote in Hawaii, but you will be asked for information to verify your identity. If you are voting early as an "absentee" voter, you are required to fill out an application form.

Workers do not have a printed pollbook at an absentee polling site, so the application form takes the place of that document, said Glen Takahashi, the city’s election administrator.

"Being able to provide the personal information is one indicator that the person is who they claim to be," he said. "It serves as the proof that a voter actually appeared to vote, which adds to the integrity and auditability of the elections process."

Section 15-4 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes says any registered voter may request an absentee ballot and that the request "shall include information such as the person’s Social Security number, date of birth, and the address under which the person is registered to vote."

Takahashi said application forms are kept under locked files for 22 months, pursuant to federal law. After that they are destroyed.

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