Kailua to lose road 'hazard'
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
KAILUA — A year after more than two dozen traffic-calming measures were installed on Kihapai and Kaipii streets, the city has decided to remove one of the most controversial of the devices, to the relief of area residents.
A chicane, a diagonal raised concrete median that forces drivers to zig-zag through a section of road, will be replaced with a painted median. The chicane is the second traffic-calming device removed from the project, that begins where Kaipii and Kihapai join near Kaiemi Street and ends about a mile away at Kihapai Place. A bulbout — a light-bulb-shaped planter that sticks out into the road — has been removed because it interfered with a resident's ability to enter and exit her driveway.
Black tire marks on the chicane and bulbouts tell the story of automobiles hitting the objects meant to slow traffic and discourage drivers from using Kihapai as a cut-through to avoid traffic problems on other streets.
Residents tell stories of blown-out tires and over-corrections that send cars into the opposing lane.
"It's broken people's cars and old people have slammed into it," said Sharon Silva, who lives next to the chicane. "I've seen people over-correct and almost hit me with my four children in the car and I'm in my lane."
Silva said she's glad the chicane will be removed, because she thought it was a hazard from the start and whoever planned the traffic calming must not have visited the street.
"I don't think they took into consideration small street, trash pickup, mailman, pedestrians," she said. "People don't know where to ride their bikes."
But the traffic-calming measures have worked, and of 618 residents responding to a city survey, 77 percent say there's less traffic and noise, 76 percent say it's safer for pedestrians, 73 percent say it is safer for bicycles and 88 percent say they have no problem seeing the devices, said Cheryl Soon, director of the city Department of Transportation Services.
"Our before-and-after numbers show there was a reduction of traffic by 20 percent and the traffic that's still there is reducing its speed between 5 and 9 mph," Soon said, declaring the project a success.
Removing the chicane is a reasonable adjustment, she said, based on community input, the survey and belief that the reduction in traffic and speed will remain when the chicane is taken out.
Kihapai residents said they think the measures have reduced traffic but they won't miss the chicane because it is difficult to maneuver through, it's not well-lit and it prevents people living nearby from turning left out of their driveways.
Arthur Fitchett, a Kailua Neighborhood Board member who represents the area, said he's had numerous complaints and witnessed some of the problems. Fitchett said the project failed to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists who are forced into the road to avoid bulbouts.
"It does work," he said. "It has slowed down the traffic but at the expense of making another very dangerous situation."
Wendell Aoki said 12 households, including his, were affected by the chicane and he will be glad to get rid of it. When it was first installed, two to three cars a week were blowing out tires, he said.
"It was deceiving because people would try to avoid one thing, then hit the center of the island," Aoki said, adding that he and neighbors had asked the city to remove the chicane at the beginning of the project and put in speed tables. "I could live with that."
Dennis Barrett, who lives between two speed tables on Kihapai, said he thinks the speed tables have cut traffic by 50 percent and all his neighbors are happy with them.
"We used to witness high-speed chases and we don't witness that any more," Barrett said.
Removing the chicane and painting the road will cost about $7,000, and once Soon is given the go-ahead, it will take about a week to complete, she said. If problems recur, she said the city could install something else.
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.
