August, Honolulu- City officials take a new look at crosswalk design and placement as part of a citywide initiative to curb pedestrian related accidents. These integral facets of highway safety are antiquated in design and simply unable to keep up with the changing roadway dynamics. Michael Formby, the department of Transportation Services director even admitted, “at the time they were put in, the standards were different. We know now for many of these crosswalks, if we had to put them in today, they would not go in in their current condition.” These highway improvements come at the heels of 16, recently finished, long-term street studies that have pointed out serious functional problems with the current designs. With the pedestrian death toll up to 240 since 2006, there is no question that reformation of safety standards is a must. August is Pedestrian Safety Month in Hawaii; we hope this will begin a new era of safe streets and safer people.

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