Ask the Mayor: Who Should Remove Sand From Road?

Maui Now stock photo.

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the questions submitted to his staff.

Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa at AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, 270-7855 or mail them to 200 S. High Street, 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793.

Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.

Aloha Mayor,

Q: Who is responsible for removing sand that blows onto the road—especially North Kīhei Road down near Kealia Pond?

I am a bicyclist and Maui is not the most biker-friendly place. When the sand is in the shoulder into the street, cyclists have to go out and around it. This wouldn’t be an issue if cars actually paid attention to the fact that there are other people who use the roads.

I cycle between 50 and 100 km every day and I have been hit by rearview mirrors by people who don’t slow down or who go around me when I am biking.

I ride by myself on the shoulders where possible, but that is not always possible around here.

A: North Kīhei Road is maintained by the Hawai‘i State Department of Transportation (HI-DOT); however, South Kīhei Road is managed by the county.

Our Public Works Highways Division does clean the sand out from time to time with permission from the Maui County Department of Planning.

To report a problem such as this on a state highway, visit http://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/.