This past Sunday’s focus on Oahu’s “Complete Streets” issues was very welcome (“The bumpy road for ‘Complete Streets,” Star-Advertiser, Insight). There is much more to say, so the discussion needs to continue.

Facts on the ground: The city administration has ignored community participation, a key requirement that protects the interests of the public in improving our urban environment. Instead, unilateral decisions have been, and continue to be, made that violate the letter and spirit of the Complete Streets legislation. These decisions also continue a pattern and practice of removing public facilities from public access.

The proliferation of protected bike lanes is a clear positive. But other street users have not fared so well, and for many, their safety is endangered. Complete Streets is intended to benefit transit riders and pedestrians, as well as bicyclists and motorists.

The Caldwell administration has replaced bus stop seating with low concrete “toadstools” that are not in conformance with ADA design specifications. It is impossible for many seniors and those with mobility issues to sit on them because they cannot then stand up. These “toadstools” represent a lawsuit in the making.

Also, check out the lampposts installed not at the outside edge of the grass but in the middle of the sidewalks on Ala Moana Boulevard between Ward Avenue and Punchbowl Street. At Punchbowl, there is one installed obstructing access to the crosswalk. Motorized wheelchairs may require more clearance than what has been allowed, and so those with mobility issues are deprived of access to basic city facilities — the sidewalks themselves.

Would the community have agreed to this if asked? I think not. Nor would we have agreed to the narrowing of the sidewalks around Thomas Square.

Perhaps the most hazardous threat is the systematic removal of painted crosswalks (“People urge city to repaint Makakilo Drive crosswalks,” Star-Advertiser, Kokua Line, March 23). It was reported elsewhere that the city has so far removed 34 crosswalks despite community opposition. Some of these crosswalks are regularly used by people rushing to catch a bus across the street. Some people will still cross at the now-unmarked crosswalks, risking their lives.

Imagine “Granny,” who walks slowly and painfully with a cane, now having to walk to a marked crosswalk two blocks away, wait until it is safe to cross, then walk two blocks back to the bus stop. Or “Grandpa,” who needs to use a walker and now won’t be able to ride that bus at all. After Granny has missed her bus, she can’t sit down to wait for the next one because of Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s “toadstools.”

We deserve to have safer crosswalks, not fewer.

If ordinary Honolulu citizens were allowed to participate in, or even to lead, urban planning in our city, the professional guidance we would need is there for us. The University of Hawaii has a competent urban planning department that could facilitate citizen interaction. See, for example, the six “Kakaako: Our Kuleana” programs on TV’s Olelo on Demand or online. The workshops attracted hundreds of participants. We can complete our streets properly if allowed.

Larry Geller, a downtown Honolulu resident, is a former president of the Kokua Council and a public-interest advocate.