With a $25 million federal grant in hand to continue work on a $63 million pedestrian bridge over the Ala Wai, the city is targeting 2025 to begin construction, once environmental and National Historic Preservation Act reviews are completed.

It’s about time. The bridge will provide a convenient, carless way to move between the Kapiolani/University areas and Waikiki, crossing the Ala Wai on foot, by wheelchair, on a bike or with roller skates. With federal funds expected to cover 80% of the cost, and valuable, praiseworthy benefits to both safety and community cohesion, it’s a winning investment in a more connected, pedestrian-friendly city.

The recently awarded federal grant allows Honolulu to move forward on the pedestrian bridge, dubbed Ala Pono. A draft environmental assessment was issued for public comment in 2021, and with this funding, the project’s environmental assessment should be completed by early 2024, with design-build plans completed next summer.

The bridge is integrated into Honolulu’s Complete Streets initiative to make pedestrian and bicycle passage safer and more practical throughout the city. Benefits build on each other. The new crossing will stretch across the Ala Wai from University Avenue, providing a connection for walking and biking between the areas without conflict with motorized traffic. That relieves pressure on the congested McCully crossing, with its car-centric design.

The city calculates that a new bridge would allow more than 3,000 people on either side to walk or bike to work, rather than drive or take a bus. Use estimates range from 1,300 to 4,300 daily trips generated.

For Waikiki residents and tourists, the bridge also provides a much-needed additional evacuation route in case of an emergency, such as a tsunami or flood. The Waikiki Improvement Association supports the bridge in large part because of this safety benefit.

In 1994, gridlock developed when drivers attempted to evacuate Waikiki after a tsunami alert; since then, individuals have been advised to seek haven on the upper floors of steel-reinforced buildings. This bridge would provide another alternative for those on foot or wheels.

Illustrations of the project portray a concrete bridge with a contemporary, asymmetrical design, stabilized by cables attached to a tower on the mauka side. The single, 180-foot-high tower and cables resemble a sail or wing; the city says the design contains elements reminiscent of local cultural touchstones such as “fishing nets, waterfalls, and traditional musical instruments.”

Objections to the single-tower design have been expressed, with a Diamond Head-Kapahulu-St. Louis Heights Neighborhood Board resolution to the city in 2021 objecting that the structure would interfere with viewplanes from the Waikiki promenade and McCully bridge pedestrian crossing.

However, it can certainly be said that the soaring design of the bridge provides a pleasing, contemporary view — and rising 14 feet above the level of the canal, offers no visual interference for those who use the waterway for paddling, its primary use.

Other objections came from users of the open park space mauka of the canal, where the Waikiki Surf Club canoe halau holds an historic koa canoe, Malia, listed on the National Historic Register. While the tower and a ramp for disability access to the bridge would be constructed near the halau, however, the site is on public parkland that should be accessible for use by all.

Finally, some bridge opponents say they’re concerned criminals from Waikiki will infiltrate their neighborhood. However, there is reason to believe the bridge would actually improve safety in nearby neighborhoods by enlivening areas and putting more “eyes on the street,” as Complete Streets describes it.

By connecting Waikiki and points mauka, the Ala Pono bridge improves the quality of life for nearby residents, and could boost foot traffic to businesses on both sides of the bridge. It’s a thoroughly contemporary gift to the community, and should be welcomed.