Ask the Mayor: Brighten Cross Walks on Intersection of Papa Ave and Lāʻau Street

Mayor Michael Victorino answers some of the most-asked questions submitted to his office staff.

Q: What can be done to brighten the marked crosswalk on West Papa Avenue at the intersection of Lāʻau Street for our kūpunas and community?

Mahalo for your question and time. My staff contacted our Department of Public Works to review future plans for this area.

The improvements to West Papa Avenue and Lāʻau Street are being consolidated into the Papa Avenue Complete Streets project. The proposed improvements include constructing bulbouts at the Papa/Lāʻau intersection to reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians – similar to the improvements Public Works has done at the Papa/Lono intersection – and also installing a street light at the west/southwest corner. Currently, there is one existing street light on Lāʻau Street, approximately 20 to 25 feet east of the intersection.

Unfortunately, we do not have a timeline for construction yet as we are still working on getting a consultant under contract for the project. The County Council, however, has appropriated funding for the
safety improvements in the FY20 budget.

As a reminder, whenever we look at making changes to the brightness of our streetlights, we always need to ensure that the installed lights are in accordance with street light ordinance. We are very much looking forward to these improvements to provide a brighter and safer walking area for our residents.

For a list of Current and Future Projects by the Department of Public Works, click here.

Want to Ask the Mayor? Submit your Maui County related questions to Mayor Michael Victorino by emailing askthemayor@mauicounty.gov, by phone at 270-7855, or by mail at 200 S. High St., ninth floor, Wailuku 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column; to request a personal response to a concern, email mayors.office@mauicounty.gov.