Honolulu Adopts Tactical Urbanism

During the third week of November, Street Plans travelled to Honolulu to complete the city’s first quick build project. Given the staggering increase in pedestrian fatalities in Hawaii, Street Plans was hired by the Hawaii State Department of Health to work alongside the City and County of Honolulu to make the streets of the Kalihi neighborhood safer and more walkable.

The project began with a series of workshops in the fall of 2018 and in early 2019, where Street Plans worked with City staff and Honolulu community members to develop a pilot tactical urbanism project in one of the most diverse communities of the city. We engaged engineering students from Farrington High School to choose a project location and develop a design for six painted curb extensions along the corridor. The students mapped out the routes that they typically take to school and selected three intersections along N. King Street, a busy commercial corridor in the neighborhood. 

The designed bulb outs narrowed the road and resulted in a decrease of vehicle turning speeds at the intersections. The new design will stay in place for a year while city officials test the proposed road changes. These efforts also helped further the city’s Complete Streets policy goals to make the city safer for pedestrians, bike riders, and passengers using public transportation. 

Click HERE for more news about the project.