On an island where most of the population is squeezed between the mountains and the sea, our open spaces are a precious resource that helps us connect with the outdoors while also developing a sense of community with our fellow residents.

Whether it’s visiting Ala Moana Beach Park, taking a stroll along Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki, or casting a fishing pole off a rugged East Oahu coastline, all of us have a connection to the open space that has been set aside by government for our enjoyment.

But as Oahu developed into a large and thriving city, less consideration was given to the most abundant and accessible public space that all of us visit each and every day: our public streets. That changed in 2009 when Hawaii passed a law requiring all counties and the state Department of Transportation to adopt a Complete Streets policy, which takes into account pedestrians, transit riders and bicyclists, not just automobiles.

The state law was bolstered even more when the Honolulu City Council passed the current Complete Streets ordinance in 2012 without a single dissenting vote. Luckily for all of us who call Oahu home, former Councilman and current state Sen. Breene Harimoto had the foresight to see that our streets are one of our most valuable open spaces and they should be designed for the use of all stakeholders.

Harimoto’s original bill stated that the goal of Complete Streets is to “balance the needs and comfort of all modes and users” of transportation, and above all else, “improve safety.” This is why the City Council approved the new law 9-0, and health, pedestrian, bicycle and kupuna advocates were in strong support of Complete Streets principles.

The final piece of the Complete Streets puzzle was put into place in 2016 when the city’s Department of Transportation Services, in collaboration with three other city departments, finalized Honolulu’s Complete Streets Design Manual and hired a Complete Streets program administrator. This allowed our city to move toward implementation of the Complete Streets ordinance to make our neighborhoods safe and inviting to all users.

However, it’s important for us to remember why this push for safer streets occurred in the first place. According to the AARP, from 2003 to 2012, 262 pedestrians died while walking on Hawaii’s streets, with 180 of those deaths, or nearly 69 percent, occurring on Oahu. Even more shocking, a 2014 national report called “Dangerous by Design” ranked Hawaii first in the nation for the death of pedestrians over the age of 65.

This is why we must remain focused on making sure the Complete Streets ordinance approved by the City Council just six years ago is not watered down.

Bill 82 would have done exactly that by outlawing the placement of bulb-outs at five Chinatown intersections. Mayor Kirk Caldwell rightly vetoed Bill 82, noting that the 12-month pilot project still has two months to go, and so far has resulted in fewer collisions.

Change is always difficult, but short-sightedness to new ideas is often the enemy of long-term positive outcomes. And while the administration will take a fresh look at the issue of bulb-outs in Chinatown, the overriding goal is to make area streets safer for all users.

We have taken this same approach to communities across Oahu, and we are listening to what residents have to say. In fact, the city’s approach to Complete Streets is always evolving as we gather more information about best practice across the globe and what really works to improve safety.

As our island community moves toward a modern transportation future, the city is focused on delivering safety, comfort and usability to all users of our streetscape.

With the continuing evolution of transportation technology including transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft, bike share, car share, autonomous vehicles and recent efforts to deploy electric scooters, we are tasked with crafting policies that allow all users of the road — private and municipal — to coexist harmoniously and equitably in our multimodal environment. That is the goal of Complete Streets and this vision should be completed, not cut short.

Wes Frysztacki, a licensed civil and traffic engineer, is director of the city Department of Transportation Services.