Disappeared News

by Larry Geller

From a City website:

MAKING STREETS SAFER FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS

Six years after the voters approved an amendment to the City Charter making it a priority for Honolulu to become a pedestrian-and bike-friendly city, the Council enacted a “complete streets” ordinance (Ord. 12-15). The ordinance requires that facilities and features that promote travel by pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and persons using assisted mobility devices be considered whenever a road is constructed, reconstructed, or maintained by the city.

The ordinance clearly applies to sidewalks and to the planters that the City has installed along Beretania Street.

The ordinance states that one of its objectives is to:

Protect and promote accessibility and mobility for all

but the location, narrowness and length of the corridor created on Beretania Street creates a hazard not only for wheelchair users but for bicyclists and pedestrians sharing the corridor with bicyclists or wheelchair users, particularly if another  bicycle or wheelchair is coming from the opposite direction.

From the ordinance it is clear that sidewalks and plantings are covered:

“Complete streets features” include, but are not limited to, sidewalks, crosswalks, accessible curb ramps, curb extensions, raised medians, refuge islands, roundabouts or mini-circles, traffic signals and accessible pedestrian signals such as audible and vibrotactile indications and pedestrian countdown signals, shared-use paths, bicycle lanes, paved shoulders, street trees, planting strips, signs, pavement markings including multi-modal pavement striping, street furniture, bicycle parking facilities, public transportation stops, and facilities including streetscapes, dedicated transit lanes, and transit priority signalization.

The ordinance also describes solutions that would be determined by stakeholder involvement, but it’s not clear from reports and statements which, if any, stakeholders were consulted before the Beretania Street planters were installed.

An article in yesterday’s Star-Advertiser reports that planters will be installed around the periphery of Blaisdell Concert Hall but does not specify whether they will be on the grass or on the sidewalk.

Severely restricting sidewalk width does not appear to be a viable solution to the City’s inability to deal with homelessness. It could also subject taxpayers to bearing the cost of liability settlements for anyone injured while trapped in one of the lengthy corridors who is hit by an oncoming bicycle or wheelchair or who falls or is pushed against one of the planters.

If bicyclists are forced into the busy street because they cannot use the sidewalk, not only are they subject to injury, but traffic on the streets will be restricted in order to allow bicyclists safe passage.

Afterthought: After posting this, it occurred to me that by blocking visibility and access, the planters may make it possible for all kinds of crimes to be committed behind them, and they also would block ambulances and first responders.

Permalink posted by Larry @ 5/08/2013 07:48:00 AM