A group of Kapolei residents and officials are pushing for several short- and long-term measures in an effort to step up pedestrian safety along a stretch of Kamaaha Avenue where they say speeding, poor lighting and other unsafe conditions pose a danger.

At a Tuesday meeting, representatives from the Hawaii Bicycling League, Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu Fire Department and state Department of Health; community members; and other city and state officials discussed solutions and recommendations as part of an islandwide pedestrian safety initiative by the bicycling league.

The meeting was held on the sidewalk at the intersection of Kamaaha Avenue and Kekuilani Loop, the site of a fatal pedestrian crash in May 2015. Guillerma Balanza, 70, was struck by a truck and killed while crossing Kamaaha Avenue in a marked crosswalk. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Residents at the time had expressed safety concerns about the intersection.

“This (Kamaaha Avenue) is a main artery in the Villages of Kapolei,” said Home Schaedel, a longtime resident who has witnessed several near accidents between pedestrians and drivers at the intersection. “We have to start with a plan. Not everybody’s going to agree about what the right solution will be. (But) let’s just keep in mind that it’s not just for our adults or keiki, it’s for all of us.”

Several residents expressed concerns that drivers regularly speed along Kamaaha Avenue even though the speed limit is 25 mph. Others said some parents will drive their children to the three nearby schools — Kapolei Elementary, Middle and High — fearing that walking would be too dangerous.

Some suggestions included adding crossing guards and speed bumps or rumble strips on Kamaaha Avenue, organizing more educational programs, stepping up enforcement, putting up more signs warning drivers of pedestrian crossings, and installing better lighting and flashing beacons near all the crosswalks along the stretch.

Others said long-term solutions are needed, such as putting in roundabouts at the intersections. Scott Stensrud of the Blue Zones Project in Hawaii added that the traffic lights are a constant problem because drivers speed up to beat red lights.

State Rep. Sharon Har, who lives in the area, agreed that more needs to be done to improve conditions for pedestrians, pointing out that some cars speed down Kamaaha Avenue at 50 mph. Har (D, Kapolei-Makakilo) recalled that when residents held a sign-waving event the day after Balanza died, drivers were speeding along the stretch, and many were issued tickets by police officers.

Chad Taniguchi, Hawaii Bicycling League executive director, said the nonprofit would take back the suggestions and vet them with stakeholders and government agencies. He added that the league is working on providing flags for pedestrians to wave while crossing at Kamaaha Avenue and Kekuilani Loop, similar to those already in place on Farrington Highway in Waianae and other areas of Oahu.

“We’ve been trying to do solutions meetings all around the island,” Taniguchi said. “Even though it’s been two years (since the pedestrian fatality), it’s still a problem. People are really hungering for some kind of solution to make this a safer community.”

Taniguchi said the flags installed in Waianae have helped residents feel more empowered when crossing the highway. So far the group has provided about 800 flags at 25 crosswalks not located near traffic lights along the Waianae Coast. Additionally, the bicycling league plans to put up flags at 15 crosswalks in Waimanalo next month. He said the group is looking for businesses or community groups willing to sponsor a crosswalk, which would cost $100.

After the meeting, Kanani Wond, a Villages of Kapolei resident, used one of the nonprofit’s bright orange flags to cross the street and said she was surprised at how in control she felt while waving down cars. Wond, a Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board member, said she would take the suggestions back to the board to discuss.

“I think we just need to bring back attention … that our streets need that aloha,” Wond said. “This is just the first of many things.”