Page 5 - MidWeek West - May 10, 2023

Waipahu High School stu- dents have a particular chal- lenge making their way to and from school along Ka- huali‘i Street, Waipi‘o Point
The club’s well-researched presentation caught the atten- tion of myself, state Rep. Ra- chele Lamosao and state Sen. Henry Aquino, and resulted in both the state House and Sen- ate introducing resolutions
Several Waipahu High Model UN members sub- mitted testimony supporting these resolutions, including seniors Cayla Jurison and Rani Richardson, who testi- fied in person at the Capitol.
Rani shared a similar ex- perience as a driver unable to get through the light for several cycles because of “pe- destrian blockage, pedestrians spilling into roadways and surrounding vehicles, as well as unpredictable jaywalking situations.”
The state Department of Transportation offered comments supporting the intent of HCR31. They ac- knowledged the benefit of all-way crosswalks before and after school but noted that it may delay vehicular traffic outside those hours. DOT concluded that it “will look for the best op- tion to optimize pedestri- an safety and intersection operations for all roadway
16–18 MAY 2023 | HONOLULU, HI
They shared personal strug- gles navigating that intersec- tion both as pedestrians and drivers. Cayla says it took her 15 minutes to cross the street
They also explained the benefits of all-way cross- walks saying, “Multiple studies conducted have found that the implementa-
MAY 10, 2023 5
It is often easier to point out problems than it is to fix them, even for those who make a career out of problem solving. Govern- ment is one of the best exam- ples, which always makes it refreshing when individuals participate in the legislative process and offer thoughtful solutions. It is even more im- pressive when young people take the initiative to address the issues they face.
STATE REP. CORY CHUN
High School Students Testify About Traffic Concerns
users throughout the day.” Because of the active par- ticipation of Cayla, Rani and the rest of their Model UN Club, the legislature will continue working with DOT to address the traffic con- cerns along Kahuali‘i Street, Waipi‘o Point Access Road and Farrington Highway. Mahalo to these inspiring
students.
Contact state Rep. Cory Chun (D-35 — Portions of Pearl City and Waipahu, Crestview) at 808-586-6170 and repchun@capitol.hawaii. gov.
Access Road and Farrington Highway. The school’s Model United Nations Club visited the state Capitol as part of the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i’s Elevating Voices from the Classroom event and shared an idea of all-way stop crosswalks, or pedestri- an scrambles, as a potential solution to address this traffic problem.
urging implementation. Along with the House Concurrent Resolution 31, adopted by the entire legislature, House Res- olution 32 and Senate Resolu- tion 25 were each adopted by their respective chambers.
“because in order to get to the side where the bus stop is from the school, you have to use all three crosswalks at the intersection.”
tion of all-walk crosswalks can reduce pedestrian crash- es to up to 40% and reduce delays for drivers to up to 50%.”
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