HONOLULU (KHON2) — Another raised crosswalk was installed on the Pali Hwy this week. It’s intended to keep pedestrians safe but some worry its design could make it more dangerous.
Most residents we spoke to say crossing the Pali Hwy is extremely dangerous and think safety measures are helping — a little.
“I just stay in the neighborhood. I don’t even attempt to go across on the Pali. I think I would. It’d just be too frightening,” Iris a Nuuanu resident said. “I see some people slowing down (at the raised crosswalk), but I also see people just ripping through it.”
“I don’t think they’re hurting at all. So yeah, I think they’re good,” another resident said, who asked to remain anonymous. “If you’re gonna put them in, you might as well put a bunch of them.”
The new raised crosswalk adds to several already installed within a one mile radius. DOT has also added traffic stanchions leading up to it.
“That really makes cars slow down. So it’s much safer,” Tom, another resident said. “But who’s going to go 30 miles an hour on Pali If it’s wide open?”
Resident Pat Taira raised concerns concerns about the design of the new raised crosswalk since it doesn’t go straight across the highway and requires pedestrians to turn abruptly in the median.
“My concern is visually impaired pedestrians. How are they going to know that? Because most of the time you go straight across the highway,” Taira explained. “Another thing is, if you have people in wheelchairs, motorized or not taking that corner too soon, and they’re going to get hung up.”
Nuuanu resident Paula Kurashige said she wants the state to do more.
“I don’t think it’s working,” Kurashige said. “We want a light. But far as I’m concerned, if they could get flashing lights, that would be really great and give some people some education on how you drive on the Pali Highway. This is 30 miles an hour, and they’re they’re still going 50 miles an hour.”
There are now over 200 speed humps and raised crosswalks in the state with over 20 more scheduled to be installed.
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If you have any concerns about the raised crosswalk or if you would like to request one in your neighborhood, click on the link here to contact the Department of Transportation.