We Reported On A Dangerous Crosswalk. State DOT Fixed It!

The traffic signals at a busy Honolulu intersection that once pitted pedestrians against vehicles driving into their path have been modified by Hawaii Department of Transportation engineers after Civil Beat highlighted the issue in April.

The change in timing means that vehicles turning left from Ala Moana Boulevard onto Atkinson Drive have to wait a little longer for the green arrow. But pedestrians can complete the 45-50 second crossing with more peace of mind.

Before, vehicles were often driving through a yellow light and turning onto the crosswalk after signals had given pedestrians right-of-way to cross the eight lanes and two pedestrian islands between the Ala Moana shopping center and the Yacht Harbor Towers.

That, according to Towers resident Lani Michael, turned the crossing into a risky situation, especially for kūpuna and people with strollers or mobility issues.

At the time a Civil Beat story about the concerns was published on April 23 (linked above), state DOT did not respond to a request for comment. The Hawaiʻi DOT has authority over the Ala Moana/Atkinson intersection because it sits on Hawaiʻi Route 92.

But it appears they did pay attention to the reporting because on July 13, Michael sent an email after meeting with two state DOT engineers who had spent the morning checking out the crossing.

"They could easily see the problem where the cars had a yellow light when the crosswalk light came on," Michael said. "They will be making the adjustment. The crosswalk light will now come on after the left red light comes on. It will take them about two to three weeks to make this change."

The change adds a separate phase to the cycle where all the vehicle signals are red, minimizing potential conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians.

A site visit July 30 by a Civil Beat reporter confirmed that the modification had kicked in.

Setting off on foot as soon as the white "walk" signal allowed, the crossing took a total of 51 seconds at a relaxed pace, and the cars bunched at the Ala Moana turning lanes stayed glued in their spots.

Michael saluted the expertise of the DOT engineers, but so far DOT has not responded to a request to provide more details about the changes.

However, the new equilibrium of the intersection may be relatively short-lived because a new development is on the horizon at 1588 Ala Moana. The project is planned to cover a large section of the current Ala Moana parking garage with a 400-foot residential tower that would loom over the current crossing.

That project could prompt the developer to make major changes at the intersection including the addition of a scramble "all-ways" pedestrian intersection or even a four-way pedestrian bridge, the plans show.

Fix It Update: Traffic Stacks At Chick-fil-A

Itʻs been 10 months since we wrote about traffic congestion issues on busy South Beretania Street connected with the opening of a new Chick-fil-A franchise in Makiki. The issues included cars blocking the driveways to a nearby condominium complex and the bus lane while drivers waited to order.

A drive-by of the location Thursday showed there were new prominent signs reminding drivers in the queue to stay out of the driveways of the Queen Victoria Residences. There was also a new "No Parking" sign outside of a neighboring Chinese eatery where drivers queued.

During a recent driveby at lunchtime, a No.2 bus was delayed because cars were backed up out of the driveway into the bus lane and the adjacent lane.

The popularity of the food outlet has been shown to create its own "traffic weather" in many cities on the mainland, where major impact studies have been required before the stores open. That did not happen in the case of the Makiki operation.

An email to the current Makiki franchisee asking about the traffic management plan was forwarded to the company's corporate office in Atlanta. Spokesman Jeff Lennox said Friday the company was working on a response.

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