DRIVE TIME
Senior pedestrians asking for a 'brake'

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

City and state officials are expanding their new initiative on pedestrian safety in Hawai'i. This time the target audience is drivers, though.

Officials launched the Walk Wise Kupuna program early this year to cut down on the number of accidents in the state, which has the fourth-highest per capita rate of pedestrian fatalities in the nation.

Gene Tolentino, left, and Stacey Erese, General Growth Properties maintenance workers, mopped up after a water main break yesterday in front of their building on the 1500 block of Kapi'olani Boulevard disrupted traffic in the area. Construction crews worked to repair the broken line that forced the closure of all three lanes of Kapi'olani Boulevard in the diamondhead direction. All traffic was diverted onto nearby streets, creating a backlog in the area. Board of Water Supply officials said they did not know if the break in the line was related to work on another sewer project in the area. They hoped to have two lanes of traffic opened by this morning. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

The education effort, supported by the city Department of Transportation Services and Honolulu Police Department, has been enthusiastically received, Haraga said.

Now, the focus is on taking the safety message to drivers.

The new "Drive Wise ... Give Seniors a Brake" program targets business and civic organizations. More than 100 organizations, including all island Rotaries and Chambers of Commerce, have been asked to participate.

Many of them have responded by reminding drivers at the end of their meeting to watch out for pedestrians. Others are sending e-mails to their members.

Studies have found that drivers and pedestrians often have adversarial attitudes, typically blaming each other for reckless or unsafe behavior that leads to people getting hurt. One key part of the new program is to remind drivers that they become pedestrians once they step out of their cars.

Red-light deaths up

The number of people killed by drivers running red lights jumped last year, even as the total number of traffic fatalities in the country went down, according to new statistics from the federal government.

Officials say they're worried by the trend, in which 934 people were killed.

That's one reason there's likely to be another push at the Legislature this year to bring back automated traffic cameras to catch drivers who run red lights at intersections.

Queen Street extended

The new Queen Street extension was officially opened to drivers earlier this month, giving motorists a new direct link between the Ala Moana and Ward Centre commercial areas.

The Hawai'i Community Development Authority, which controls development in Kaka'ako, says the new roadway should provide a strong incentive for starting and completing future projects in the area.

The new roadway, running from Kamake'e and Waimanu streets, includes 22 metered curb-side parking spaces and a wide sidewalk. Two vest-pocket parks also are planned for the area.

Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.