Question: I’m calling about the monkeypod tree. Probably there are a lot of people like me who would like a piece of that tree. Monkeypod is valuable to woodcrafters.
Q: What will they do with the wood from the monkeypod tree they’re cutting down in Pauoa?
Answer: Friday’s Kokua Line column (808ne.ws/62kline) about a large monkeypod tree being removed this week from the grounds of Kawananakoa Neighborhood Park generated numerous calls from readers hoping that the wood would be up for grabs by the general public.
But no, it is not. As the tree comes down, the wood will be transported directly to a private lumber mill, according to H.T.M. Contractors, which won the $48,750 city contract to remove the tree at the corner of Nuuanu Avenue and Pauoa Road. The tree, which has extensive decay at its base, is about 50 feet high and has branches extending 90 feet from the trunk, according to the city.
The removal is scheduled for this week, with work conducted daily from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Traffic will be disrupted, with multiples lanes of traffic in the immediate area expected to be closed.
Q: They closed the Piikoi onramp to the H-1 recently for maintenance. They also said it was for a study of whether closing the onramp would ease congestion. When they reopened the onramp, the potholes were still there, and it didn’t look like any maintenance was done. What was done?
A: Maintenance on the Piikoi Street onramp in late April included landscaping and upgrading reflectors on the street and wall, said Shelly Kunishige, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation.
We also asked whether the DOT has decided yet whether to permanently close the onramp to ease freeway congestion. That decision is pending.
“HDOT is continuing to analyze the data from the study period, which included numerous public comments, and will take a thorough and thoughtful approach with the analysis. There is no timeline for a decision on the status of the onramp, but we will keep the community and our media partners advised when a decision is made,” she said.
Fewer crosswalks
The city’s rationale for removing crosswalks at three intersections along Date Street that lack traffic signals did not resonate with some readers. People who use wheelchairs, mobility scooters or walkers are especially affected, according to the feedback Kokua Line received. Here’s a sampling:
“In response to your article about the crosswalks on Date Street (808ne.ws/65kline), may I state that the city’s plan as presented by Mike Packard is flawed. My mother lives on Ekela Avenue and uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. In the past, to get to the Ala Wai Golf Course side, she would use the crosswalk at Ekela Avenue. With the new plan, the crosswalk has been removed. If she needs to use the nearest crosswalk with a traffic light (at Olokele Avenue), she would need to traverse through a section that has no sidewalk (just grass and gravel), which is difficult if not impossible. So she must risk danger and cross at the unmarked crosswalk at Ekela. … I see only two viable solutions to this problem: (a) Paint the crosswalk at Ekela, as before. At least drivers tend to slow down when there is a pedestrian at a crosswalk. (b) Complete the sidewalks along Date Street so that people with wheelchairs can get around.” — Gordon Lee
“Absent a crosswalk, cars are parking alongside the disability ramp, blocking it.” — A reader
“Complete Streets should make it easier to get around, not harder.” — Senior advocate
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.
