Question: Regarding your March 13 column about red flags being used at a Kaahele Street crosswalk in Aiea: My daughter lives in Salt Lake City and tells me that they have a flag-crossing system in place. Perhaps their system may be of some interest to you. Apparently, they have found it is a safe and sensible preventive measure.
Answer: Using flags to boost pedestrian safety at certain crosswalks and intersections has been tried in different cities in the United States, but not all have succeeded.
Pilot projects in Seattle and Berkeley, Calif., for example, didn’t last because of funding problems (replacing stolen flags) and what officials said were mixed or inconclusive results on whether the flags increased pedestrian safety.
However, the flag program is said to be working well in Salt Lake City and Kirkland, Wash., where a mix of government and community involvement appears to be the formula for success.
Kirkland takes credit for being the first city to institute its pedestrian flag program, called PedFlag, in 1995, while Salt Lake City launched its version in 2000.
Salt Lake City soon found it difficult to meet the demand for pedestrian flags in outlying areas, so created an Adopt-a-Crosswalk program in 2001, allowing individuals or businesses within 700 feet of a marked crosswalk to install flags.
The sponsors have to monitor flag supplies and provide replacements.
Since it started, the city maintains 40 flag crossing locations downtown, while more than 100 other crossings have been adopted by schools, residents and businesses.
For more information on both programs, go to www.slcgov.com/node/875 and is.gd/cDABiB.
PALI PEDESTRIAN FLAGS
Locally, we also want to note that the pedestrian flag-crossing project initiated by one caring woman in January 2010 along Pali Highway is going strong.
“Although flags were disappearing the first few months, the flags were always replaced,” said Kailua resident Virginia Kawauchi, who decided something needed to be done after an 81-year-old woman — someone she did not know — was killed trying to cross Pali Highway in 2010.
Using her own resources, she installed the first 30 flags.
“The multicolor flags have been in place and used regularly (at three crosswalks at the upper end of Nuuanu) for three years now and no longer disappear, but are replaced when faded,” she said. “Bins are also repaired as needed.”
As in the Kaahele Street project, it’s because of an involved community that the flags-for-safety idea works.
“The local community in Nuuanu keeps the flags rotated so they are usually available in the six bins. Congratulations to the Nuuanu residents for taking on this flag rotation project,” said Kawauchi, who will turn 76 in May.
She said the “pilot project” is working well and seems “to be a good aid to pedestrians and drivers.”
The cost is about $5 a month.
Kawauchi would be glad to help other neighborhoods interested in starting a pedestrian flag project.
Call Kokua Line at 529-4773 and leave a name and contact number. We’ll pass the names on to Kawauchi.
“I’d be glad to help because I believe the flags save lives,” she said.
AUWE
To the driver of a Lexus with dark window tint heading west on Kuhio Avenue last month. The city bus had its left-turn signal on and was changing lanes when you sped up and tried to cut it off. When the bus pulled to the next stop, you drove by and said, “Don’t you know how to drive the bus?” I was behind you and saw the bus was in the right. You are the one who needs to learn how to drive before you cause an accident. — Witness to an Idiot Driver
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Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
