Question: The pedestrian and bike bridge going over the Ala Wai Canal has surprisingly been totally out of the news. Is the project still a go? I hope so.
Answer: Yes, the Ala Wai Pedestrian Bridge, also known as Ala Pono, remains in development, but its design hasn’t been finalized. The city wants more public input, because people in the nearby neighborhoods of Waikiki, Moiliili and McCully have expressed so much concern.
Public workshops are planned for Nov. 20 and Nov. 23, although the times and locations have not yet been released. Those details will be posted at www8.honolulu.gov/dts/ala-pono, the project website, when they are available, according to Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services.
At the workshops, multiple bridge types will be presented, public feedback will be gathered and the preferred design will be summarized for inclusion in the project’s Design-Build Request for Proposal, which is expected to be issued in 2025, DTS said in a news release Wednesday.
Besides the workshops, DTS said that additional opportunities for community input will include:
>> “Using the ‘design- build’ procurement process to solicit design alternatives to the current cable-stayed bridge design,” which features cables running in a fan-like pattern from the bridge’s tower to its deck. Some nearby residents consider the soaring design obtrusive.
>> “Invitation of at least three National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 consulting party members to participate in the design-build procurement by providing recommendations to the evaluators as to the form of the proposed design alternatives, and;
>> “Though not required by federal regulations, the City has also elected to provide an additional public comment period prior to the adoption of the final environmental document.” Certain community concerns raised during the environmental review process already are being addressed, including plans to revamp and expand a comfort station next to the proposed bridge, and plans to build a canoe halau adjacent to the bridge, as long as its inclusion does not slow bridge construction.
The proposed bridge will align with University Avenue on the Moiliili side of the Ala Wai canal and Kalaimoku Street on the Waikiki side.
“The Ala Pono Pedestrian Bridge is a key component of the City’s Complete Streets network of bicycle and pedestrian paths,” DTS Director Roger Morton said in the news release. “This project has generated tremendous interest from the public regarding the final form of this new structure, and the City is committed to soliciting additional public input on the final form of the bridge.”
Q: So, my Hawaii driver’s license expires today, I have 90 days to renew. But before the 90 days are up, will TSA accept my expired license as a valid ID?
A: Yes, according to the Transportation Security Administration website, which says “TSA currently accepts expired ID up to a year after expiration,” for the forms of ID listed as acceptable on its website, which include a state-issued driver’s license.
As for the 90 days you have to renew your license, that’s to avoid late fees, which accrue after that period, as the column that inspired your question mentioned, 808ne.ws/3AyOVRP. The grace period does not apply to driving with an expired license.
Auwe
Too many of our fellow citizens waited until the last minute to vote and then stood in line to do so in person, keeping the only two polling places open late and delaying the election results. Everyone who was registered to vote should have received a ballot in the mail around Oct. 18 and could have filled it out then and dropped it in the mail or in a ballot drop box. Please, we need more voter education before the next big election. — A reader
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
