Speeders pose Waikele threat
By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Central O'ahu Writer
WAIKELE — Bobbi Takao got a rude awakening one Sunday morning last month when a Honda Accord plowed through the front door of her family's home.
The vehicle was traveling through the Classics subdivision down Lumiauau Street when the driver failed to negotiate a curve and ran up a curb wheelchair ramp at the corner of Anapau Place and into the Takao residence.
"Although the family was home at the time, no one was hurt," Takao said of the March 10 accident that caused substantial damage to their home. "We've lived here the last 2 1/2 years, and the number of speeding problems has increased."
Takao took her concerns to the Waikele Community Association, which held a sign-waving event last week with police to encourage motorists to follow the 25-mph speed limit along Lumiaina and Lumiauau streets.
Newer planned residential communities such as Waikele tend to have wider streets, and traffic experts say that encourages faster driving because motorists believe there is more room for error.
Police have reported two fatal accidents along the four-lane Lumiaina Street since 1996, although one of the cases involved police chasing an auto thief who lost control of the stolen vehicle he was driving.
Malcolm Ching, covenants manager at the Waikele Community Association, said there have been other crashes along Lumiaina and Lumiauau streets since June 2000, including:
• June 2000 — Driver loses control near intersection of Lumiaina and Pulelo streets and runs over 200 hibiscus plants.
• July 2000 — Driver loses control while speeding near same intersection and hits a city fire hydrant.
• Dec. 2000 — Driver loses control along Lumiaina Street and knocks over five natural-gas lamps.
• March 2002 — Vehicle veers off Lumiauau Street and causes about $500 damage to a resident's wall.
Ching said there have been about 15 other undocumented accidents and instances when autos caused damage to the community association's landscaping.
"My biggest worry is we have pedestrians — joggers, parents with baby-strollers — walking along those streets every day," said Ching, who testified before the City Council earlier this week in hopes of getting the money for traffic-calming measures.
Rep. Nestor Garcia, D-37th (Waipahu, Crestview), who helped organized last week's sign-waving event, said Lumiauau Street is "boulevard-ish and heads downhill" to the intersection of Lumiaina Street, making it susceptible to speeding. Lumiaina is the main thoroughfare through Waikele heading to the shopping center.
"I'll be working with the city to see if an engineering study can be funded to look at what type of traffic safety measures are possible," Garcia said.
Ching said the community association may also ask police to step up enforcement in the area.
"At the same time, I understand that police can't be everywhere at once, so hopefully we can get some traffic safety measures there," he said.
Reach Scott Ishikawa at sishikawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.
