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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, August 20, 2002

Not all like 'Ewa commute shortcut

By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writer

'EWA VILLAGES — A new connector road that provides a shortcut for 'Ewa Villages residents to Kalaeloa and Kapolei has proved popular the past three months, but neighbors want some minor safety improvements put in.

The city opened up a 150-foot stretch of road next to the Hawaiian Railway Society, at 91-1001 Renton Road in Varona Village, to allow access to Roosevelt Avenue in Kalaeloa.

Some 'Ewa residents have used the road to avoid the horrendous morning rush-hour traffic on Fort Weaver Road by backtracking through Kalaeloa and Kapolei to reach H-1 Freeway.

The connector road, which has no name, used to be a street that ended at the chain-link fence separating 'Ewa Villages from Kalaeloa, previously Barbers Point Naval Air Station. The city opened the fence in May to allow access to Roosevelt Avenue.

'Ewa resident Desiree Silva, who learned about the shortcut only last month, said she likes the new road.

"It's convenient, because I don't have to drive down Fort Weaver Road to Geiger Road to get to Kalaeloa and Kapolei," Silva said.

But residents living along the connector road said opening it has been both positive and negative, turning a quiet neighborhood into an actively used thoroughfare.

"I think the neighbors are split on the road. I'm OK with it because it makes it more convenient," said Ed Kaanehe Jr., who has lived in the area since 1963.

"From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., traffic is all right," Kaanehe said. "It's at night that we have problems with speeders that I'm worried about."

Kaanehe said he regularly hears screeching tires as drivers negotiate tight turns at both ends of the road.

"It's a narrow gate entrance near the Roosevelt Avenue side, and we already had some near-misses," he said. "Either they're speeding or they're not aware where the road is until the last second. Maybe there needs to be more road signs to let them know."

The area lacks streetlights, and Kaanehe suggested the city add more reflectors on the connector road to increase visibility.

City spokesman Doug Woo said no road improvements were planned for the connector, since it is an interim bypass. The city plans to make improvements to Park Row to connect Renton Road with Kapolei Parkway, although no timetable has been set for the project.

In other traffic news, the city Department of Transportation Services plans to post signs that lower the speed limit throughout 'Ewa Villages from 25 mph to 15 mph by the end of the year. All residential streets will be affected except Renton Road, which will remain at 25 mph.

Reach Scott Ishikawa at sishikawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 535-2429.