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State DOT weighs chevrons, speed tables after spike in crashes on Kalaniyano/Colonial Highway
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Summary
State DOT presented a 10‑year crash review for the stretch between Paiko Drive and Kule Road that recorded 72 accidents (2015–2024). DOT engineers said the roadway meets standards but proposed installing Chevron warning signs or studying speed tables; the board asked DOT to prepare visual plans and discuss the options with the community before a vote.
State Department of Transportation engineers told the Kuleo o Kalani Iki Neighborhood Board on Feb. 4 that a 10‑year review of the stretch between Paiko Drive and Kule Road shows 72 crashes from 2015 to 2024, but their traffic branch concluded there is no clear systemic infrastructure deficiency requiring an immediate redesign.
Casey Abe, State DOT Highways Division, said the accidents often appear related to driver behavior: speeding and human error. He proposed three mitigation options for the board to consider: install Chevron curve‑warning signs at the identified curves, commission a traffic study and install speed tables where appropriate, or pursue other measures such as speed‑camera enforcement (currently in pilot mode).
Multiple residents and board members pressed for more localized study. Chris Kramer (Mauna Loa Fishpond Heritage Center) and others described narrow shoulders, parked cars limiting sight lines, and safety risks to pedestrians and children accessing nearby fish ponds and trails. Residents urged site visits and visual plans to evaluate chevrons, speed tables and traffic calming without causing undue disruption to adjacent neighborhoods.
Abe said chevrons and speed tables would have to meet traffic‑engineering standards and that DOT would prepare plans and maps for board review if the board formally requests them. He noted certain measures (for example, adding lanes or changing alignment) can require costly rights‑of‑way and are not feasible across the entire corridor. The board agreed to place the item on a future agenda for broader community input and possible resolution authorizing DOT to proceed with study and design work.
