Barriers seem to be working

Monday’s Star-Advertiser ran on its front page an article on the "temporary" parking barriers along Kamehameha Highway at Laniakea Beach, which are meant to ease a chronic traffic jam ("Roadside barriers remain standing on North Shore," Star-Advertiser, June 30).

The article quoted a North Shore resident critical of the barriers because the resident contends that they don’t deter people from parking along the highway to view turtles at the beach. They just park farther away, with just as much pedestrian danger.

The resident attributes any lessening of a traffic jam to the barriers’ deterring tour buses and vans from visiting Turtle Beach.

I don’t know if the elimination of tour buses and vans is the sole reason for the traffic improvement. I don’t know if visiting the beach there is safer or more dangerous. I just know that the traffic jam problem at Laniakea is greatly improved since the barriers went up. So why take the barriers out?

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Tom Jacobs
Haleiwa

Isle delegates clearly partisan

I find it interesting to read the Star-Advertiser’s frequent reporting of how our congressional members voted.

Rarely do they differ on any bill or measure.

I believe this partisan party vote is extremely high and results only in gridlock and a do-nothing Congress.

Given that, does it matter whom we elect from Hawaii, if they simply rubber-stamp their party? Democrat or Republican, no one party is right on every issue.

Our congressional delegation is highly partisan and unable to compromise, and will just maintain a consistent party vote with no real individual creative input or accomplishments.

Chuck Reindollar
Makiki

New stadium best in Kapolei

It is time to retire the old rust-bucket Aloha Stadium and build a new one.

If it is possible to do so on the present site without closing the existing structure, that would be good because of its central location. If that is not possible, the state should look into developing a new stadium in Kapolei, close to the University of Hawaii-West Oahu campus and the Kapolei rail transit station.

The advantage of the Kapolei location is the ability to plan parking and traffic flow in and out of the facility on a clean slate.

One thing is for sure: We should not think too small and end up with another obsolete-before-it-is-completed facility.

I think 40,000 seats is a good number for college football and the occasional pro football venue.

Steve Fukunaga
Ewa Beach

Remove some stadium seats

If the state chooses not to raze Aloha Stadium, it should at least look at the feasibility of removing the two top layers of seating and perhaps just keeping the lowest level. This would reduce maintenance costs tremendously.

It also should switch to grass.

Paul Fasi
Kula, Maui

Headlines tell different story

Gov. Neil Abercrombie recently asserted that the state was "on the right track." He should read the newspaper:

» "Hawaii State Department of Health: FAILED."

» "Isles lag in helping special education students."

» "Patients scramble to sort out erroneous Quest cancellations."

Those are front-page headlines from just one week.Someone should tell the governor what Will Rogers once said: "Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there."

John Kawamoto
Kaimuki

Morning light is road hazard

I have one reason why the stretch of North King Street in Kalihi is dangerous for pedestrians: the time of day. I encountered this problem and luckily no one was hurt.

I wasdriving mauka on Gulick and was turning left onto North King. It was about 7:30 a.m. The morning sun was shining through my windshield.

Even with my polarized sunglasses on, I was temporarily blinded. As I was turning left, I was looking into a shaded area because of the buildings. The rods and cones in my eyeshad not adjusted.

Right there in the crosswalk was a pedestrian. She blended into the shadows. I hit my brakes.Thank God I sawherat the last minute.

If you are driving or walking in this area in the morning, be more vigilant. The morning sun and the shadows of the buildings are a deadly mix.

Robert K. Soberano
Moiliili