Nahienaena and Kamalii on Maui Get Safe Routes to School Grants

Pedestrian signage in Wailuku, Maui. Photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

Two Maui schools will benefit from a total of $650,000 in grant funding to improve pedestrian safety, and promote walking and bicycling through Safe Routes To School programs.

A $155,000 grant was awarded to the County of Maui Public Works Department for the SRTS project at Princess Nahienaena Elementary School in West Maui.

A $459,000 grant was issued to the Public Works Department, in partnership with the Keonekai Neighborhood Association, for the SRTS project at Kamalii Elementary School in South Maui.

The SRTS is a federal program that is administered by the state Department of Transportation.  The Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Grant Awards are part of an effort to increase safety through “5 Es”: engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement and evaluation.

Improvements at Princess Nahienaena include:

• replacement and construction of new curb ramps;
• revising crosswalk striping at the intersection of Niheu Street and Kumukahi Street;
• installation of raised curbing in the traffic islands, crosswalk striping, and signage revisions at the Lahainaluna Road, Kuialua Street intersection;
• and the installation of pedestrian crossing signs with rectangular rapid flashing beacons for the Lahainaluna Road crossing.

Improvements at Kamalii Elementary include:

• construction of a midblock crossing with a rectangular rapid flashing beacon system across Keonekai Road, makai of Kanakanui Road;
• replace and construct a new sidewalk and curb ramps along the south side of Keonekai Road between Puu Hoolai Street and new midblock crossing;
• construct 700 feet of new sidewalk along the makai/west side of Kanakanui Road, south from Alaku Place;
• and install radar feedback signs on three approaches to Kamalii Elementary School on Auhana Road, Alanui Kealii Street, and Kanakanui Road.