It’s Aloha Friday, time again to reach into the reader mailbag and answer some of your questions. I might opt for this format more regularly, as long as you keep sending in questions.

Something about traffic law puzzle you? Wonder what you can do about a certain issue or area? Drop me a line and I’ll try my best to get you answers.

Question: I walk across the street when the walk sign is on. However, when I’m a third of the way across, the hand signal appears and starts counting down. Would I get a ticket?

Answer: Nope, you will be fine as long as you entered the crosswalk before the countdown started.

Last week I wrote about pedestrians who begin to cross the street when the countdown starts. That would get you a ticket. No pedestrian should start walking across the street toward the “don’t walk” or upraised palm signal whether it’s flashing or steady.

Q: There’s a sight-distance problem that’s been bugging me for years. In Manoa on the corner of Cooper and Manoa roads, it’s impossible to see cars coming down Manoa Road heading into the valley when trying to turn out from Cooper. The line of sight is blocked by parked cars, a bird of paradise plant or trash bins. Is there anyone I can contact at the city to have this looked at?

A: Anyone with line-of-sight issues should call the city Department of Transportation Services. You might want to try the agency’s Traffic Engineering Division at 768-8321.

The city would send traffic engineers to the location to assess the situation, said Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka.

“If it’s landscaping or something like that, we’d usually refer that to the Department of Planning and Permitting,” Yoshioka says. “In that case, DPP will cite the owner for obscuring sight.”

If it’s parked cars, the city would have to determine whether to remove the parking stalls from a certain area.

Q: The sidewalk at Aala Street, makai of Vineyard Boulevard, is being pushed up by the roots of a tree that sits on private property. I’ve tripped over the uneven sidewalk, and I’ve seen elderly people fall. I contacted the city about three months ago, but nothing has been done. How can the city ignore this hazardous condition?

A: The issue must be addressed to the city’s Planning and Permitting Department. If work is necessary, it would be done by the city Department of Facility Maintenance.

Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka says even though his department isn’t in charge, he would follow up with the other agency directors today on why nothing has occurred.

“In this case they probably would cite the owner,” Yoshioka says.