LIHUE — Bev Brody of Get Fit Kauai demonstrated her elation Monday as she wheeled down Hardy Street to the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall with Lee Steinmetz, the county’s transportation coordinator. “It’s safe!” Brody said, waving her arm in
LIHUE — Bev Brody of Get Fit Kauai demonstrated her elation Monday as she wheeled down Hardy Street to the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall with Lee Steinmetz, the county’s transportation coordinator.
“It’s safe!” Brody said, waving her arm in excitement. “I ride my bicycle on this street a lot! I also drive this street, and it’s safe, and easier. I would ride my bicycle to work from Kilauea, but they haven’t reached a point where I can do that.”
Brody and Steinmetz were among the guests for the blessing of the Hardy Street improvements. Sidewalks were improved, a bike lane was added, built-in travel restrictions were incorporated by reducing the lanes, and landscaped medians added.
“It is a wonderful feeling to see a completed project,” said JoAnn Yukimura, representing the Kauai County Council. “For people in government, the feeling of accomplishment comes when you see gobs of children using the sidewalks and bike lanes, mothers with strollers walking along the sidewalks.”
The $8.4 million project was funded 80 percent with the federal government funding, while the county footed 20 percent of the pricetag. Construction started in September, 2014.
“This was a demonstration project to show Kauai, and the state, a Complete Street,” said Doug Haigh, the county’s project manager from the Department of Public Works. “It is designed to transform roads from the park-and-ride to a more bike-and-walk community.”
Rev. Jade Wai‘ale‘ale of Ke Akua Mana Church, who officiated the blessing, said her family lives across the street.
“My husband and I would walk our daughter out to the sidewalk when she was going to school and we would see Bryan working,” Wai‘ale‘ale said. “At one point, our daughter said ‘I got it,’ but still was reminded to check with the workers before crossing the street. One day, she came home from school and asked if she could bring drinks for the workers, and we all went out to bring them water.”
Wai‘ale‘ale said while using the improved Hardy Street, she was behind an elderly woman who stopped at each of the inlets of the roundabout.
“Thank heaven I was behind her, and not an impatient driver,” Wai‘ale‘ale said. “I thought it was cute because they never grew up with roundabouts, and now, they are learning to live with this new road.”
Jeff Fisher of Earthworks Pacific said this was a team effort with the firm’s Bill McCune and Bryan Davidson leading the charge on the Design-Build project.
“The county gave us the concept and we received input from everyone,” he said.
