Residents of Hāna can expect a small change in their daily commute. The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation is set to install two new speed bumps on Keawa Place, nestled between Hāna Highway (Route 360) and Uakea Road. The move comes as a response to community calls for action on speeding issues in the area.
Hawai‘i Department of Transportation confirmed the installation is slated for the week of September 16, with further details to be released closer to the schedule. The initiative is designed to slow drivers down to meet the existing 20 mph speed limit, and will see bumps that stretch across the road featuring a rounded top—a departure from the more common flat-topped speed tables. Residents and motorists are advised to prepare to adjust their driving to accommodate this new addition to the streetscape.
The implementation of traffic-calming devices isn't new to Hawai‘i's approach to road safety. With a growing portfolio of raised crosswalks, speed tables, and humps, Hawai‘i Department of Transportation's strategy unequivocally marks an effort to emphasize pedestrian safety. By inserting these physical cues into the environments of residential and school areas, they're looking to forcefully remind drivers that they need to drop their speed.
According to a statement on the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation website, "Speed bumps are generally located on residential streets or other low-speed roads and force motorists to slow down to a safe speed." This infers that the Keawa Place improvements are following suit with Hawai‘i Department of Transportation's long-standing policy to actively promote safer roads where communities most frequently cross paths with traffic.
