Posted on: Friday, April 4, 2003

Vote backs limited traffic calming

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Opponents of the city's traffic-calming measures support a two-year moratorium on financing for speed-deterring devices, but object to a list of projects the City Council has selected to continue.

In addition, some residents who live near traffic-calming devices complained about a provision that would prevent removal of a calming device without having an alternative safety measure to replace it.

Meanwhile, some residents of streets where speeding is a problem urged the council to continue financing for the projects in their neighborhoods.

After two hours of discussion, the council's Transportation Committee yesterday approved a resolution establishing a moratorium with a list of 25 projects that would be exempted. Councilman Mike Gabbard was the only person voting against it, saying that it would hold back communities that want traffic-calming devices.

Foster Village residents testified for and against proposed traffic-calming devices at four points along Haloa Drive, the main thoroughfare in the area.

Bob Kilthau, a member of the Foster Village Community Association and a Haloa Drive resident, urged the council to proceed with construction of a roundabout on his street. He said the small vocal minority opposed to it don't live along the drive. "They either don't know the problem exists, or they don't care," he said.

However, two Foster Village residents opposed to the traffic-calming devices denied there was a speeding problem on the road, and complained that the community was not given adequate notice of the city's plans to put traffic-calming devices in the neighborhood.

George and Lila Marantz, who have a speed bump in front of their Kahalu'u home, said residents didn't know that a device would be installed until after the work started.

While George Marantz said he did not want speeding on his street, he said he did not agree that traffic-calming devices are the right solution. "We have been exposed to the worst of it," he said. "Devices that are intentionally designed to do harm to innocent people should they fail to negotiate these obstacles should be banned."

City Transportation Services Director Cheryl Soon said she supported the resolution, but said it would be irresponsible to consider alternative speeding solutions that were not included in the official manual addressing traffic-calming devices. She noted that stop signs and traffic signals are not approved solutions.

Transportation Committee Chairman Nestor Garcia said he would amend the resolution to require that replacement solutions undergo a demonstration period before a permanent device is installed.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.