KAPA‘A — It matters little to Jerome “The Shadow” Freitas of Kealia if government inaction about his concerns for pedestrian safety in Kapa‘a are due to forgetfulness, ambivalence, broken promises, lack of funds or lack of concern. He just wants
KAPA‘A — It matters little to Jerome “The Shadow” Freitas of Kealia if government inaction about his concerns for pedestrian safety in Kapa‘a are due to forgetfulness, ambivalence, broken promises, lack of funds or lack of concern.
He just wants action.
It has been around two years since he said County Engineer Donald Fujimoto and a crew of other county Department of Public Works employees came to the Kapa‘a bypass road roundabout to see firsthand his concerns about pedestrian safety, especially for several dozen children who walk from Kapa‘a Middle School to Kapa‘a town after school nearly every school day.
Other than adding a crosswalk across Malu Road, nothing has been done, and a wooden staircase to facilitate pedestrian access between Olohena and Malu roads is closed off with red caution tape, several steps rotted away.
“I was concerned about that stairway” two years ago, said Freitas, 66, who suggested the wooden structure be built out of concrete instead.
County officials — including Fujimoto, Ryan Nishikawa, Wally Kudo and Ed Renaud — took pictures and promised action, Freitas said Thursday while walking the area.
Fujimoto said via e-mail Friday that “we agreed with Jerome that the county should fix the damaged stairway (which we did) and provide a higher level of maintenance of the road shoulders, which is ongoing, to ensure safe passage of pedestrians.
“A work crew has been assigned to again assess the condition of the stairway and schedule necessary repairs as soon as possible,” said Fujimoto.
Regarding pedestrian safety and roundabouts, Fujimoto said, the problem with this particular intersection is that Malu Road does not tie into the roundabout the way a normal access would.
“We are still investigating ways of providing a crosswalk a little ways down from the existing crosswalk with an improved shoulder from the bottom of the wooden stairway to ensure that whatever is done conforms to ADA (federal Americans with Disabilities Act) standards,” he said.
“A final recommendation is still being developed and is expected to be completed early next year.”
Lots of the roads in the vicinity of the roundabout lack sidewalks and are even less user-friendly to those in wheelchairs, Freitas said.
His biggest concern, though, is for some 40 children from Kapa‘a Middle School who each school day traverse Olohena Road to the roundabout and farther into Kapa‘a town, parts of that route without sidewalks in the high-traffic area.
While he said county officials did put in one crosswalk over Malu Road, there is no crosswalk over another portion of Malu Road, and no sidewalks mauka, for those heading home to state low-income housing and other homes along Malu Road and points mauka, near the Kapa‘a Refuse Transfer Station.
Both pedestrians and those in wheelchairs have to walk on the narrow road, he said, which is dangerous.
“I’m concerned for the safety of the children. Why hasn’t anything been done in two years?” he asked.
“This has been going on too long,” said Freitas, inviting fellow Kauaians to call him at 635-3528 if they see unsafe conditions on any state or county properties around the island.
“Don’t wait to complain.”
