Share your ideas on ‘Complete Streets’ solutions for Honolulu

News Release from City and County of Honolulu, November 2, 2017

Honolulu – The City and County of Honolulu Complete Streets Program invites community input on solutions to make streets within Honolulu’s urban core safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, bus riders, and motorists. The project includes portions of King Street, Kapi‘olani Boulevard, Pi‘ikoi Street, Pensacola Street, Punchbowl Street, Ward Avenue, Kalākaua Avenue, Kamake‘e Street, and others.

An online interactive website, a survey, and a series of public events are being launched this month to gather input on issues, ideas, and possible solutions being considered. Community input will inform design solutions that balance the needs of the urban core’s diverse users and match community character.

Solutions being considered include pedestrian safety improvements at intersections, traffic calming measures to keep cars moving at safer speeds, dedicated bicycle facilities that separate bicyclists from sidewalks and moving traffic, improvements to better accommodate transit users, and streetscape features to improve the walking environment and the livability of the community.

Eight Sit-Down Sessions will be held during the week of November 13-17, 2017.  Each two-hour public workshop will focus on a particular neighborhood and will include a presentation and discussion of neighborhood-level issues, ideas, and solutions. Refreshments will be provided; please RSVP online at http://bit.ly/2yOfgJj. The schedule for the sit-down sessions is below.

Neighborhood Focus - Date – Time - Location

Ward/Ala Moana

• 11/13 11 am - 1 pm Neal Blaisdell Center, O‘ahu Room 777 Ward Avenue Kaka‘ako
• 11/14 11 am - 1 pm Hawai‘i Community Development Authority 545 Queen Street Kaka‘ako
• 11/14 5:30 - 7:30 pm Hawai‘i Community Development Authority 545 Queen Street Downtown/Punchbowl
• 11/15 11 am - 1 pm MOA Hawai‘i Wellness Center 600 Queen Street Kalākaua/Mō‘ili‘ili
• 11/15 6 - 8 pm Mō‘ili‘ili Community Center 2535 South King Street

North King Street

• 11/16 9 - 11 am AIA Center for Architecture 828 Fort Street Mall #100

​Lower Makiki

• 11/17 11 am - 1 pm Neal Blaisdell Center, O‘ahu Room 777 Ward AvenueWard/Ala Moana
• 11/17 6 - 8 pm Neal Blaisdell Center, Oahu Room 777 Ward Avenue

The public can explore the project through an online “story map” and provide Online Input by visiting www.honolulu.gov/completestreets/urbancore or e-mailing comments to completestreets@honolulu.gov.

A series of Pop-up Events will take place around town during the month of November. These events allow the community to casually stop by to get information, talk with members of the project team, and provide input and ideas for the project area. Visit the Complete Streets program Facebook page for the latest information and announcements on scheduled pop-ups: https://www.facebook.com/hnlcompletestreets/.  The schedule for the pop-ups are below.

Date – Time -- Location

• 11/7 11 am - 1 pm Fort Street Market at intersection of Fort Street Mall and King Street
• 11/8 11 am - 1 pm SALT at Our Kaka‘ako, next to Moku Kitchen, 660 Ala Moana Boulevard
• 11/9 12 pm - 2 pm Honolulu Design Center, 1250 Kapi‘olani Boulevard

Stakeholder Meetings or Group Presentations are available for groups or associations interested in learning more. Contact mwhite@ssfm.com to request a meeting or presentation, subject to availability.

Background

The City and County of Honolulu is changing how it plans, designs, and constructs its streets. In accordance with its Complete Streets Ordinance adopted in 2012, the City is required to address safety, accessibility, mobility, and comfort for users of all ages and abilities in all roadway projects.

Complete Streets support healthy and sustainable communities through promoting physical activity, reducing vehicle emissions, increasing pedestrian and bicycle safety, and beautifying neighborhoods. The end result is a transportation network that provides safe travel, promotes public health, and creates stronger and more livable communities.

In 2016, the City and County of Honolulu finalized its Complete Streets Design Manual and hired a Complete Streets Program Administrator under the Department of Transportation Services (DTS) to move towards the implementation of Complete Streets.

Planned roadway rehabilitation, repaving, and restriping projects in Honolulu’s Urban Core provide an exciting opportunity to make improvements that accommodate pedestrians, bicycle users, transit, and vehicles. In addition to addressing community-expressed desires, these proposed improvements answer the need to accommodate increased multimodal demand from the planned rail system, transit oriented development, and current Biki bike share program.

As Honolulu’s urban core grows and becomes denser, a shift to encouraging more sustainable transportation will provide people more options to get around safely, comfortably, and affordably. With this transformation, Honolulu can realize the social, economic, and environmental benefits of becoming a more safe and walkable city.

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