LILIHA — In October 2004, the city approved a pedestrian-activated traffic signal for a notoriously dangerous crosswalk in front of St. Theresa School.

More than two years later, the signal is still at least a month from completion — too late for a 92-year-old Kalihi man who was struck and critically injured while in the busy School Street crossing yesterday.

Also yesterday, a 47-year-old woman was in serious condition after being hit while trying to cross Farrington Highway at Kapowai Place.

On Monday, a 63-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run accident on Farrington Highway in Makaha. He was the ninth pedestrian fatality on O'ahu this year, compared with three at this time last year.

The recent string of accidents involving pedestrians has led to calls for stepped-up safety measures, including improvements to roads and stricter laws.

Work started in November to install a signal at the crosswalk where the 92-year-old man was injured yesterday, but it's not expected to be completed until next month.

"For more than 10 years, we have petitioned the city for a pedestrian-activated signal there," said Sister John Joseph Gilligan, principal of St. Theresa School. "It's a main artery."

The 47-year-old woman, a teacher at Seagull Schools in Kapolei, was heading to work about 8 a.m. when she was hit and seriously injured, said Gabriella Ashford, who has two children at the school.

"It's a bad intersection. All of us cross that street with our children, and all of us have jumped out of cars' way," Ashford said. "People really need a reminder: Watch out for pedestrians."

In the Liliha crash, police say the victim was crossing School Street from the St. Theresa side about 8:15 a.m. when he was struck by a four-door 1997 sedan headed east.

The sedan, driven by an 80-year-old Wahiawa man, was in the far lane. No cars were in the other east-bound lane, police said, but two cars heading west had stopped for the man.

Police said speed may have been a factor in the crash.

The driver also may have been blinded by the sun.

The pedestrian was taken to The Queen's Medical Center with head and other injuries.

The last serious pedestrian accident at the crosswalk happened in 2004, when 82-year-old Santiago Comilang was killed in an early-morning crash while trying to get to church.

State Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland, whose district includes Li-liha, said the crosswalk has been a longtime concern. Three years ago, hundreds of residents petitioned for the installation of a signal. Chun Oakland said she is surprised the work has taken so long.

"There's been so many near-misses," she said. "It's really bad in that area."

Elderly clients and workers were buzzing about the accident yesterday at the Lanakila Multi-purpose Senior Center, just up the road from St. Theresa School.

"We have almost 2,000 elderly clients, and a lot of them come from Kalihi-Liliha area," said Karen Takemoto, Lanakila program coordinator. "Constantly, they're complaining about how dangerous it is crossing the street."

The center, run by Catholic Charities, is often warning seniors to be on the lookout while crossing streets. Takemoto also pointed out there are concerns about seniors getting behind the wheel. Police did not say whether the 80-year-old driver in the Liliha crash had a valid license.

Melvin Kaku, director of the city Department of Transportation Services, said the city approved a $300,000 pedestrian-activated signal for the St. Theresa School crosswalk in October 2004. Planning and design work took about a year, and construction began in November.

The project was put on hold for the holidays and will resume soon, Kaku said.

He expected the work to be completed by April.

Kaku said it is not unusual for signals to take so long to get installed.

He declined comment on the accident, but did say the city recognizes the dangers of mid-block crosswalks. In some cases, including on King Street, the city is removing mid-block crossings. In others, it is installing signals.

"We've found mid-blocks are more dangerous," Kaku said, "just because the traffic is flowing and most drivers are generally used to stopping at intersections."

Bruce Bottorff, spokesman for AARP in Hawai'i, said mid-block crosswalks are a major concern for traffic safety advocates. But problems also extend to signaled crossings, which is why the organization is backing a bill to appropriate money to target risky crosswalks statewide.

The measure passed through the Senate Ways and Means Committee yesterday, with lawmakers saying the appropriation was long overdue.

"We looked at this and saw a pressing need," said state Sen. Rosalyn Baker, chairwoman of the committee. "We need to do something now."

Bottorff said the appropriation would mostly go to installing countdown timers for pedestrian lights. "We're just hoping this signals a culture change that puts people before cars," he said.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.