Latest news with #DepartmentofTransportationServices
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kokua Line: How many phases left for Kalapawai Roundabout?
Question : The city is in Phase 9 of the Kalapawai Roundabout project. How many more phases are there after this ? When will this project be completely finished ? We've suffered long enough with road closures and detours. Answer : Construction is in its final phases (2A and 9 ) and should wrap up within a few months. 'The entire project is set to be done by the end of summer. However, the roundabout itself is completed and functioning. The remaining work includes sidewalk and utility improvements /relocations, ' Travis Ota, a spokesperson for Honolulu's Department of Transportation Services, said in an email Wednesday. Work on Phase 9 of the Kalapawai Roundabout Improvement Project began Wednesday, with construction scheduled from 7 a.m. to 5 :30 p.m. Monday through Friday along South Kalaheo Avenue between Kailua Road and Kuukama Street. This section of South Kalaheo Avenue will be closed 24 /7 in both directions, although the roundabout will remain open. Lanikai inbound traffic along South Kalaheo Avenue is detoured at Kuulei Road to South Kainalu Drive to Kailua Road and then through the roundabout to resume travel on South Kalaheo Avenue, according to the Phase 9 map at. It's the reverse for Lanikai outbound traffic (roundabout to Kailua Road, to South Kainalu Drive to Kuulei Road to South Kalaheo Avenue ), it shows. 'Visitors are encouraged to explore other beaches along O 'ahu's east shore or use TheBus Route 671 from Kailua Town for convenient access to Lanikai, ' DTS said in a news release Tuesday. Phase 9 is tentatively expected to be completed by mid-June, it said. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. Meanwhile, construction work on Phase 2A is on hold because a previously undocumented waterline alignment was discovered that conflicts with planned drainage infrastructure in front of Kailua Beach Center, the news release said. Work will resume after a new design solution for the utilities is finalized, it said. The overall project's drainage infrastructure, meant to reduce stormwater ponding that is a problem in the area, includes permeable pavements, trench drains and pre-treatment tanks. An interim traffic roundabout at South Kalaheo Avenue and Kailua Road fronting Kalapawai Market was first built in 2018, to improve the flow of motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians to and from Kailua Beach and Lanikai. Work on the permanent version began in 2022, with the broader project also including new sidewalks, raised pedestrian crossings and upgrades to improve drainage. Q : Has Social Security made all the retroactive payments to people hurt by WEP /GPO ? I did not get a payment by the end of March as expected. A : No. The Social Security Administration says it has processed 82 % of known cases affected by the Social Security Fairness Act, which repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset. These provisions had reduced or eliminated Social Security benefits for nearly 3 million people who get a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security. Although the agency did say in February that many of those affected would receive retroactive payments by the end of March, it also said that complex cases that must be processed by hand would take much longer (early November is the target for 100 % processing ) and that some eligible people must apply for the benefit—they wouldn't be paid automatically. See for details. Mahalo On Friday I did a very dumb thing in a parking space near Foodland Kahala. I could not get the car out of the space, which was a nightmare. Luckily, three kind men came and offered their help. I was so very grateful and appreciative. Again, thank you so much for your help.—Sincerely, a desperate senior------------Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813 ; call 808-529-4773 ; or email.------------
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Bus stops along Kalia Road to be temporarily relocated
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The City and County of Honolulu's Department of Transportation Services announced the temporary relocation of bus stops along Kalia Road due to a Kalia Road Repair Project done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Kalia Road Repair Project will begin on March 18 and last until Nov. 7. Blood Bank of Hawaii looking for donations The following routes will no longer stop along Kalia Road, and will use a detour along Ala Moana Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue instead: 10 facts about Obama's $18M Hawaiʻi beachfront mansion Route E Route 20 Route 42 Route W1 Route W2 Route W3Bus stops on Kalia and Saratoga roads will be temporarily relocated to these locations: Eastbound Ala Moana Boulevard after Kalia Road/ʻEna Road intersection Kalakaua Avenue at the intersection of Olohana Street, which will only be served by Route E Westbound Ala Moana Boulevard after the Kalia Road/ʻEna Road intersection Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Handi-Van driver narrowly escapes falling tree
HONOLULU (KHON2) — A Handi-Van driver narrowly missed getting serious injuries from a tree crashing down onto his vehicle on the afternoon of March 4. Those who live near Kalakaua Homes said they heard it first before seeing it. Woman, 88, dies after being hit by car in Hawaii Kai 'It sounded like maybe two cars crashing into each other at the time it went down,' stated Makua Alii resident Jennifer Sedino. 'It sounded like a real loud banging sound. I got scared. I didn't know what it was.' The City's Department of Transportation Services said a falling tree struck one of its Handi-Vans. Photos taken by a resident show the roof of the Handi-Van caving in, its windows busted with metal frames hanging outside the van. 'People, they walk by that place almost practically every day,' Sedino said. 'That tree could've taken that poor drivers life.'Residents were left shaken but according to EMS, nobody in the surrounding area was injured when the tree fell. 'It busted two windows too at two different apartments,' Sedino said. 'No passengers were on board at the time, and the Handi-Van operator did not sustain any serious injuries,' DTS said in a statement. KHON2 also reached out to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, but have not heard back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City audit finds Honolulu's Skyline falls short of expectations
JAMM AQUINO / 2023 A westbound Skyline train approaches the Pearlridge station during the inaugural run of Honolulu's rail system on June 30, 2023, in Aiea. JAMM AQUINO / 2023 A westbound Skyline train approaches the Pearlridge station during the inaugural run of Honolulu's rail system on June 30, 2023, in Aiea. Honolulu's Skyline rail operation suffers poor ridership, has less-than-adequate features for the disabled around its stations and does not offer multilingual signage to better inform its ridership base about ongoing changes to the city-run transit system, according to an Office of the City Auditor report released this week. The city's over-$10 billion automated fixed-guideway rail system, which runs along Oahu's South Shore, connecting East Kapolei and Halawa and which has plans to extend to the Civic Center in downtown Honolulu by 2031, is operated and maintained by the city Department of Transportation Services. But in a final report submitted Thursday to Mayor Rick Blangiardi's administration, the city auditor determined DTS suffers outstanding deficiencies in its Skyline operations, including over its ridership. To that, the audit—conducted from January through December 2024—states DTS' goal to operate Skyline was to accommodate 8, 000 riders per day after a full year of service. 'According to ridership statistics, the highest number of daily riders in December 2023 was 3, 637, less than half of that goal, ' the audit states. 'Since its opening in July 2023, ridership has decreased 77 percent from 151, 633 monthly rides to 85, 460 rides in December 2023.' 'We found that despite a favorable reliability rate of 99.2 percent, ridership on the Skyline rail system has fallen short of expectations, with a 77 percent decline from its opening in July 2023 to December 2023, ' acting City Auditor Troy Shimasaki stated in a written message to the city administration. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. He added, 'This decline is attributed to several factors, including limited service area coverage, inadequate operating hours, and insufficient integration with other transportation modes.' Shimasaki noted the audit determined that 'public transportation commuters face disproportionately longer travel times compared to solo drivers, diminishing Skyline's appeal as a commuting option.' 'Lastly, marketing efforts, including social media campaigns, have been less effective compared to peer transit systems, resulting in missed opportunities for collaboration with local events and businesses, ' he said. 'Despite generally positive rider feedback on the overall experience, concerns persist regarding limited payment options, insufficient station amenities, and the need for extended operating hours.' He said these challenges highlight the need for 'strategic changes ' to improve ridership and enhance the system's overall performance. In addition, the auditor said issues surrounding station areas presented 'safety and usability concerns that undermine the accessibility goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act and local pedestrian access guidelines. 'Observations conducted at Skyline stations revealed a variety of hazards, including trip hazards, poor sanitation, and insufficient infrastructure for individuals with disabilities, ' he said. He added that these issues 'not only pose safety risks but also increase potential liabilities for the city.' 'To ensure equitable and safe transit access, the department should address the gaps in compliance and infrastructure surrounding these stations, ' he said. Finally, the city auditor found that in its effort to create a multimodal system with Skyline, DTS did not include multilanguage information when changes were made to existing bus routes that were used by people with limited English proficiency, or LEP. 'As the agency overseeing Honolulu's multi-modal transit system, DTS is obligated to ensure equitable access for LEP individuals. Despite this mandate, Skyline lags behind TheBus and TheHandi-Van in providing comprehensive multi-language resources, ' he said. 'Barriers to riding Skyline increased as a result of not having multi-language resources and people with LEP may have difficulty using Skyline.' The audit made 10 recommendations to improve current Skyline operations. Those include offering service amenities similar to other jurisdictions and best practices to increase ridership and public satisfaction. Other recommendations include expanding social media efforts to target core and untapped demographics through tailored campaigns across various platforms to increase engagement. And the audit claims DTS needs to prioritize repairs to sidewalks, potholes and pipes, and implement regular maintenance to address hazards and ensure ADA compliance, among other recommendations. In response to the audit, DTS Director-designate Roger Morton disagreed with many of its negative findings. Those included the 77 % decrease in ridership from when the system first opened for public ridership on June 30, 2023—in which there were four fare-free days during that Fourth of July holiday weekend. 'Comparing ridership during the four fare-free days in July 2023 with ridership in December 2023 is an 'apples to oranges' metric, meaning a comparison between two things that are fundamentally different and cannot be meaningfully compared directly, ' Morton wrote. As far as station accessibility and meeting federally mandated ADA requirements, Morton said DTS 'does not have site control over all of the 'surrounding areas' around Skyline stations.' 'Many are on state rights-of-way, ' he explained. Still, the auditor found positives to Skyline operations. The audit report noted that in its first six months of operation, from July to December 2023, Skyline achieved a 99.2 % operational performance rating. 'According to the city's contract with its operations contractor, Hitachi, the operational goal is a reliability rate of 99.5 percent, ' the audit states. 'Although falling just short of this performance benchmark, the contractor is incentivized to maintain high operational standards. As a result, Skyline riders experienced on-time, reliable operations.' In addition to rail operations, rail contractor Hitachi—with a city-issued contract valued at $323, 124, 844—is also responsible for cleaning and janitorial serv ice, parking and support vehicle services. 'One of the favorable features of the city's contract with Hitachi is that the contractor is penalized for poor performance, ' the audit states. 'The contractor incurs a $200, 000 penalty for exceeding more than one 10-plus minute delay occurrence per month, ' the report reads. 'This contract provision incentivizes the contractor to maintain reliable operations.' In the end, Morton said, 'DTS will review all recommendations provided in this report from the Office of the City Auditor and strive towards implementation and improvement of our Skyline operations.' On Friday, DTS announced that starting Sunday, it will begin service changes for select TheBus routes in the Ewa, Kapolei and Makakilo areas, locales not far from existing Skyline stations. Asked whether these bus route changes were connected to the city audit over rail operations, DTS responded that the auditor's report and these transit shifts were not at all related. 'These changes were planned well in advance of our second Skyline opening later this year, ' DTS told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser via email. 'We consider these changes as a first phase of TheBus network redesign for this second opening as we design better connections to the existing and expanding Skyline and TheBus multi-modal network.'
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City audit reveals Skyline falls short of expectations
JAMM AQUINO / 2023 A westbound Skyline train approaches the Pearlridge station during the inaugural run of Honolulu's rail system on June 30, 2023, in Aiea. JAMM AQUINO / 2023 A westbound Skyline train approaches the Pearlridge station during the inaugural run of Honolulu's rail system on June 30, 2023, in Aiea. Honolulu's Skyline rail operation suffers poor ridership, has less-than-adequate features for the disabled around its stations and does not offer multilingual signage to better inform its ridership base about ongoing changes to the city-run transit system, according to an Office of the City Auditor report released this week. The city's over-$10 billion automated fixed-guideway rail system, which runs along Oahu's South Shore, connecting East Kapolei and Halawa and which has plans to extend to the Civic Center in downtown Honolulu by 2031, is operated and maintained by the city Department of Transportation Services. But in a final report submitted Thursday to Mayor Rick Blangiardi's administration, the city auditor determined DTS suffers outstanding deficiencies in its Skyline operations, including over its ridership. To that, the audit—conducted from January through December 2024—states DTS' goal to operate Skyline was to accommodate 8, 000 riders per day after a full year of service. 'According to ridership statistics, the highest number of daily riders in December 2023 was 3, 637, less than half of that goal, ' the audit states. 'Since its opening in July 2023, ridership has decreased 77 percent from 151, 633 monthly rides to 85, 460 rides in December 2023.' 'We found that despite a favorable reliability rate of 99.2 percent, ridership on the Skyline rail system has fallen short of expectations, with a 77 percent decline from its opening in July 2023 to December 2023, ' acting City Auditor Troy Shimasaki stated in a written message to the city administration. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. He added, 'This decline is attributed to several factors, including limited service area coverage, inadequate operating hours, and insufficient integration with other transportation modes.' Shimasaki noted the audit determined that 'public transportation commuters face disproportionately longer travel times compared to solo drivers, diminishing Skyline's appeal as a commuting option.' 'Lastly, marketing efforts, including social media campaigns, have been less effective compared to peer transit systems, resulting in missed opportunities for collaboration with local events and businesses, ' he said. 'Despite generally positive rider feedback on the overall experience, concerns persist regarding limited payment options, insufficient station amenities, and the need for extended operating hours.' He said these challenges highlight the need for 'strategic changes ' to improve ridership and enhance the system's overall performance. In addition, the auditor said issues surrounding station areas presented 'safety and usability concerns that undermine the accessibility goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act and local pedestrian access guidelines. 'Observations conducted at Skyline stations revealed a variety of hazards, including trip hazards, poor sanitation, and insufficient infrastructure for individuals with disabilities, ' he said. He added that these issues 'not only pose safety risks but also increase potential liabilities for the city.' 'To ensure equitable and safe transit access, the department should address the gaps in compliance and infrastructure surrounding these stations, ' he said. Finally, the city auditor found that in its effort to create a multimodal system with Skyline, DTS did not include multilanguage information when changes were made to existing bus routes that were used by people with limited English proficiency, or LEP. 'As the agency overseeing Honolulu's multi-modal transit system, DTS is obligated to ensure equitable access for LEP individuals. Despite this mandate, Skyline lags behind TheBus and TheHandi-Van in providing comprehensive multi-language resources, ' he said. 'Barriers to riding Skyline increased as a result of not having multi-language resources and people with LEP may have difficulty using Skyline.' The audit made 10 recommendations to improve current Skyline operations. Those include offering service amenities similar to other jurisdictions and best practices to increase ridership and public satisfaction. Other recommendations include expanding social media efforts to target core and untapped demographics through tailored campaigns across various platforms to increase engagement. And the audit claims DTS needs to prioritize repairs to sidewalks, potholes and pipes, and implement regular maintenance to address hazards and ensure ADA compliance, among other recommendations. In response to the audit, DTS Director-designate Roger Morton disagreed with many of its negative findings. Those included the 77 % decrease in ridership from when the system first opened for public ridership on June 30, 2023—in which there were four fare-free days during that Fourth of July holiday weekend. 'Comparing ridership during the four fare-free days in July 2023 with ridership in December 2023 is an 'apples to oranges' metric, meaning a comparison between two things that are fundamentally different and cannot be meaningfully compared directly, ' Morton wrote. As far as station accessibility and meeting federally mandated ADA requirements, Morton said DTS 'does not have site control over all of the 'surrounding areas' around Skyline stations.' 'Many are on state rights-of-way, ' he explained. Still, the auditor found positives to Skyline operations. The audit report noted that in its first six months of operation, from July to December 2023, Skyline achieved a 99.2 % operational performance rating. 'According to the city's contract with its operations contractor, Hitachi, the operational goal is a reliability rate of 99.5 percent, ' the audit states. 'Although falling just short of this performance benchmark, the contractor is incentivized to maintain high operational standards. As a result, Skyline riders experienced on-time, reliable operations.' In addition to rail operations, rail contractor Hitachi—with a city-issued contract valued at $323, 124, 844—is also responsible for cleaning and janitorial serv ice, parking and support vehicle services. 'One of the favorable features of the city's contract with Hitachi is that the contractor is penalized for poor performance, ' the audit states. 'The contractor incurs a $200, 000 penalty for exceeding more than one 10-plus minute delay occurrence per month, ' the report reads. 'This contract provision incentivizes the contractor to maintain reliable operations.' In the end, Morton said, 'DTS will review all recommendations provided in this report from the Office of the City Auditor and strive towards implementation and improvement of our Skyline operations.' On Friday, DTS announced that starting Sunday, it will begin service changes for select TheBus routes in the Ewa, Kapolei and Makakilo areas, locales not far from existing Skyline stations. Asked whether these bus route changes were connected to the city audit over rail operations, DTS responded that the auditor's report and these transit shifts were not at all related. 'These changes were planned well in advance of our second Skyline opening later this year, ' DTS told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser via email. 'We consider these changes as a first phase of TheBus network redesign for this second opening as we design better connections to the existing and expanding Skyline and TheBus multi-modal network.'
