Ask the Mayor: Are There Plans to Add Wailea Ike Drive Crosswalks?

Maui Now stock photo. Aug. 2016

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

Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via email at AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, call 270-7855 or send them by mail to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.

Dear Mr. Mayor,

Q: With all the development on Wailea Ike Drive, are there any plans to add in crosswalks?

We now have many tourists walking up the hill going to Monkeypod, etc., running across the street. It can be very dark and people speed up and down the hill. I fear there will be fatalities eventually if nothing is done for the pedestrians.

Monkeypod also has its employees park off Kalai Wa‘a St., which requires them to jaywalk every time they go to and return from work. And with the new hotel almost open, there will be even more people crossing the street.

Are there any plans to add in cross walks? Why was this overlooked for so long?

A: This is a very good question. Our Department of Public Works has been actively engaged with the new hotel management on getting a crosswalk installed. Although nothing has been finalized yet, I am confident that the hotel will see that a crosswalk benefits everyone, including their guests.

In general, we need to look more carefully at how projects affect pedestrian traffic as well as motorist traffic, especially if we want to build walkable communities.