Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1912-06-14
AVENUE PLANS
should PROVIDE
FOR PEDESTRIAN
Citizen Sets Forth Views On
Improvement of Kala-
kaua Avenue.

Editor Evening Blu lletin go
A great deal has been said and writ.
ten recently about the proposed park.
ing of Kalakaua avenue, about the
beautiful automobile road which could
be established on that thOroughfare,
and great deal more to the same
effect, but not word has been said
In behalf of those who travel on foot
And who, necessarily, must use the
avenue because their homes are locat.
ed there. II the present proposition
Is carried out, where do the pedes.
trians come in? 1t Is bad enough as
| II IL, when people walking along the
avenue are in constant peril Of their
! lives from the speeding automobiles.
| but now, at least, they have a faint
chance for safety by hugging, II not
! climbing, the fences while the ma
chimes go skidding and laundering
over the road, which is apparently just
wide enough for them to avoid COLI
sion with each other.
But what will 1t be when the center
of the road Is fenced in to give the
trees very doubtful chance of grow
ing in oiled macadam? BY all means
let us have "Prado" or 'Lunetta" OF
any other fancy style of road but
please consider the man who walks
and who pays his road tax as well as
the chauffeurs do.
One paper says, "Kalakaua avenue
would really be drive to add to the
pleasure of home people aud tourists
alike" Sure II would, but how about
the pleasure of the humble pedest
rianS?
Have you ever, Mr.. Editor. walked
on Kalakaua avenue and gained most
strenuous exercise by lodging fiyinl
automobiles and carriages while vain
ly looking for sidewalk and safety
One paper bemoans even the fact
that the avenue was ever widened anC
says that 1.-THE boulevard was spoiled
years ago by cutting out its verna
and arboreal beauty and Strengthening
at the expense of its graceful curves.
Indeed, the curve at sunny South
was grand, Notwithstanding its mar
rowness and further along there wal
that famous and beautiful curve with
the sweet scent which permeated tn,
cooling breeze from the swamps anC
duck.ponds at that point known Il,
Hopkins or Gilberts switch.
II we had lived In an automobil,
gge then, the chauffeurs would hay,
had some sport with the poor pedes
trians, considering the curves an
narrowness of the road. Too bad
really, It was changed. as then no pc
destrian would have had one chanc
in hundred of getting from under.
He would have stayed under.
Gangs of prisoners have been clear
ing Kalakaua avenue along the fenc
line of the wealthy. but when II cam
to the homes of the poor there wa
no interference with the weeds au,
shrubs growing outside the fences
Probably they looked to the prisOl
gang like an embryo park" whicl
they thought 1t would have been van
dalism to destroy. So the park wa
left intact till this day.
All good citizens wish to see tn
city of Honolulu embellished. but Il
identifying our narrow roads W
should avoid interfering with thei
utility and the comfort and rights O
pedestrians should be considered a
much, II not more. than the pleasur
of speeding .automobilist or the tour
list, who Is, in the end, only bird @
passage.
Thanking you, Mr.. Editor, for You
space, am,
KALAKAUA AVENUE.
Honolulu, June 10, ~.