Ted Shanks stood in the Lihue 7-Eleven on the Kuhio Highway Wednesday morning, watching a woman with a baby stroller dash across the busy street outside the store. “That was a rough place to cross the street, even when there
Ted Shanks stood in the Lihue 7-Eleven on the Kuhio Highway Wednesday morning, watching a woman with a baby stroller dash across the busy street outside the store.
“That was a rough place to cross the street, even when there was a crosswalk there,” the Kapaia man said after seeing the woman make it across safely. “There were no lights or anything to let you know that people were crossing. I always stopped but other drivers, especially in that other lane, they wouldn’t, so you end up having to weave through traffic like that lady with her baby.”
The crosswalk in question was a basic one with the regular pattern of white stripes. It was located at the intersection of Kuhio Highway and Kali Street on a stretch of road that passes through the heart of Lihue.
The speed limit on that street is 25 mph, but it’s not uncommon to see drivers moving much faster.
It was installed a little over a year ago in conjunction with a $2.5 million project to restore the pavement along the highway between Rice Street and Laukini Road.
There wasn’t a lot of fanfare when the crosswalk went in, and now, just as quickly and quietly, it disappeared.
It was recently power washed, and the former white marks are almost gone.
Not that everyone thought it was the most efficient crossing, anyway.
Omao resident Joy Zepeda, who drives on Kuhio Highway often, told TGI when the crosswalk was put in place earlier this year that drivers had a hard time seeing it and often used the outside lanes to pass through the crosswalk without stopping even while a pedestrian was using it.
“The drivers need to know a little bit in advance that there’s a crosswalk there,” Zepeda said. “I hardly ever notice it.”
Clammie Manipon, assistant manager at the 7-Eleven, said Wednesday that it never got any better.
“My customers always complained about that crossing. They said it’s dangerous and I’m glad that it’s gone,” Manipon said. “That’s probably why they took it out.”
The Kali crosswalk was part of the 2010 Lihue Town Urban Core Design, which recommended the addition of several crosswalks across Kuhio Highway and falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation.
The DOT didn’t respond to questions regarding the removal of the crosswalk Tuesday or Wednesday.
But those who were familiar with it offered their opinion on why it disappeared.
“It’s just unsafe when there’s no signal or light or anything and you’re just waiting to cross,” Manipon said, adding she thinks it should have been put in near an intersection with a stoplight to ensure safe crossings.
Shank said he’s glad the crossing is gone, but he wishes that they would have upgraded it instead of power washing it away.
“They could have put up some lights to make it more safe,” Shank said. “It’s a busy street and there should be a crossing, but it needs to be safe.”
