Foster roundabout is 'major debacle'
The results are in, and they are not pretty. As predicted by its opponents last May, Foster Village's new roundabout is a disaster. Decreased emergency vehicle response times, accidents and ambulances, buses and street sweepers becoming stuck within its circle have been major debacles. Fire engines must creep slowly through it, and TheBus had to be rerouted to narrow side streets.
A light pole in the middle of the median crosswalk failed to meet ADA requirements, and planned landscaping was scrapped for a pile of rocks. Swaying palms have been replaced with a visual blight of signage. Meanwhile, DTS Director Ed Hirata's prediction that less traffic from nonresidents driving through the village to avoid traffic lights on Salt Lake Boulevard has not materialized.
A simple cost-efficient solution of two stop signs would have saved more than a quarter-million tax dollars and preserved the residents' right to speedy emergency responses. In the future, perhaps Mayor Hannemann will listen to the vast majority of a community's residents and its neighborhood board instead of to a tiny minority of complainers.
Janice Pechauer
Honolulu
http://starbulletin.com/print/?fr=/2005/10/12/editorial/letters.html
The results are in, and they are not pretty. As predicted by its opponents last May, Foster Village's new roundabout is a disaster. Decreased emergency vehicle response times, accidents and ambulances, buses and street sweepers becoming stuck within its circle have been major debacles. Fire engines must creep slowly through it, and TheBus had to be rerouted to narrow side streets.
A light pole in the middle of the median crosswalk failed to meet ADA requirements, and planned landscaping was scrapped for a pile of rocks. Swaying palms have been replaced with a visual blight of signage. Meanwhile, DTS Director Ed Hirata's prediction that less traffic from nonresidents driving through the village to avoid traffic lights on Salt Lake Boulevard has not materialized.
A simple cost-efficient solution of two stop signs would have saved more than a quarter-million tax dollars and preserved the residents' right to speedy emergency responses. In the future, perhaps Mayor Hannemann will listen to the vast majority of a community's residents and its neighborhood board instead of to a tiny minority of complainers.
Janice Pechauer
Honolulu
http://starbulletin.com/print/?fr=/2005/10/12/editorial/letters.html
on October 18, 2005, 8:13 am
This is in response to Janice Pechauer's Oct. 12 letter to the editor.
The Foster Village roundabout is still under construction and is not expected to be completed until the end of the year, and many of Pechauer's concerns are misplaced. During any type of roadwork, there will be disruptions to traffic. The city informed and will remind the contractor to take measures to minimize the inconvenience to motorists. The contractor is not allowed to work on the road during morning and afternoon peak hours and must have off-duty police officers present to regulate traffic during construction hours. City buses have been rerouted to side streets during the construction period. Emergency response agencies also have been notified so they can plan alternate routes.
The construction of the roundabout at the intersection of Ala Napunani and Likini streets in Salt Lake faced the same challenges Pechauer cites. That roundabout, once finished, reduced speeding, improved pedestrian safety and minimized traffic congestion in the area. We are confident the one at Foster Village, once completed, will do the same.
Alfred A. Tanaka
Acting director
Department of Transportation Services
http://starbulletin.com/print/?fr=/2005/10/18/editorial/letters.html
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