Salt Lake roundabout permanent
| • | Map: Traffic-calming configuration |
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
The city has decided to make a temporary Salt Lake roundabout permanent despite a thumbs down from the area neighborhood board.
Cheryl Soon, city director of transportation services, told the Aliamanu/Salt Lake/Foster Village Neighborhood Board last week that after considering the improved safety record and all the public comments, she decided to make the roundabout at Ala Napunani and Likini streets a permanent fixture.
Soon said the city will conduct a public information campaign on how to use the roundabout two to three weeks before construction is completed. The city is talking with the contractor about a starting date for construction. Work is expected to take about six months to complete and cost $635,000.
The temporary roundabout will stay in place until the new one is built.
In September, the board voted 5-4 against the permanent roundabout after hearing testimony from dozens of residents, most of them opposed to the project. But a door-to-door survey conducted by Rep. Glenn Wakai, D-31st (Salt Lake, Tripler) showed that of nearly 400 households surveyed, 241, or 60 percent, supported the roundabout.
Board member Howard Shima said the roundabout is at the wrong intersection.
"Personally, I think it is a mistake," Shima said. "The hazard is one block up at Ala Ilima and Napunani, where most of the kids cross. My plea has been to build a traffic light there. The roundabout is down at Likini where not too many kids cross. We just listened to (Soon) and like some people say, it was a done deal."
In April, workers set up cones and painted temporary lane markings, reducing busy Ala Napunani Street from two lanes in each direction to one circle lane, slowing cars in the 25-mph zone in an attempt to make it safer for pedestrians to cross.
The demonstration project, which cost about $60,000, was expected to be in place for 90 days, but was extended to allow the effects on traffic to be documented when Moanalua High School was in session.
Moanalua High Principal Darrel Galera supports the roundabout, saying it makes crossing the busy street safer for students because they negotiate only one lane of traffic at a time, and there is a safe area in the center of the circle for pedestrians to wait until traffic clears.
Soon said the roundabout has reduced traffic accidents, with no accidents in six months compared with four or more in the same six-month period for each of the past three years.
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
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