SUBHEAD: The fact is, the proposed new alignment is NOT shifted from the beach; it would STILL be on the sands of Wailua Beach.
By Judy Dalton on 25 January 2010 for Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2010/01/bikepath-still-on-wailua-beach.html)
Image above: Photo illustrating Beach and Highway constriction from Joan Conroe's article mentioned below.
If it's not clear to you where the new alignment for the bike path is proposed to be located, you're not the only one. Saturday's (1/16) TGI headline of "Mayor Shifting Path from Beach to Highway" (http://kauaiworld.com/articles/2010/01/16/news/kauai_news/doc4b516af0bf44d961795100.txt) was misleading because of the county's press release was misleading, stating, "the proposed alignment for the Wailua Beach section will be shifted from the beach to the right-of-way on the makai (seaward) side of Kuhio Highway." The fact is, the proposed alignment is NOT shifted from the beach; it would STILL be on the sands of Wailua Beach.
The latest version of the bike path would put a 10 feet wide concrete path, 18" deep directly on top of the sand dunes starting from the sandy shoulder of the highwy going makai. Trees and vegetation cover the sand dunes here, vital to the beach's ability to protect itself against erosion.
Please read journalist Joan Conrow's insightful article "Every Picture Tells a Story" (http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2010/01/musings-every-picture-tells-story.html). Every picture tells a story, so after seeing this one, and then taking my own visit, with tape measure in hand, to Wailua Beach yesterday, it appears that Mayor Carvalho didn’t actually “get smart” and move the bike path off the beach, as I asserted in my last post, but “got slick” instead.
It is important to send a statement to the county today (1/25) asking them to please keep the path off the beach. Email comments to: csimao@kauai.gov by 4:30pm Jan 25. There's a very viable option to keeping if off the beach - on the scenic, peaceful, and safe existing canal road behind Coco Palms.
Since it's one of 3 choices already included in the Environmental Assessment, there should be no delay to the overall project and the price would be lower than beach alternate routes. (The beach route connects to the canal route, crossing the highway near Kintaro's by creating a new traffic light.) By choosing the alternate mauka route the beach would be spared from development and protected.
Although the county press release states that “the proposed alignment for the Wailua Beach section will be shifted from the beach to the right-of-way on the makai side of Kuhio Highway,” it’s quite clear from this photo and my own observation that the path won’t actually run along the shoulder of the road, as most assumed and The Garden Island headline proclaimed. Yes, the route is a little bit farther mauka (inland) than the boardwalk was originally planned, but it’s still on the beach. In fact, now it’s right on the dunes, where most burials traditionally are.
If you have any doubt that’s the beach, let’s remember that the rock wall was built to keep ocean debris from washing onto the road. So nice try Bernard, right down to making the announcement on a Friday afternoon prior to a three-day weekend the traditional time for putting a spin on news you don’t want followed too closely.
Andy Parx, in his inimitable style, nails it with the title of his blog "Another Steaming Pile on the Bike Path" (http://parxnewsdaily.blogspot.com/2010/01/another-steaming-pile-on-bike-path.html)
By Judy Dalton on 25 January 2010 for Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2010/01/bikepath-still-on-wailua-beach.html)
Image above: Photo illustrating Beach and Highway constriction from Joan Conroe's article mentioned below.
If it's not clear to you where the new alignment for the bike path is proposed to be located, you're not the only one. Saturday's (1/16) TGI headline of "Mayor Shifting Path from Beach to Highway" (http://kauaiworld.com/articles/2010/01/16/news/kauai_news/doc4b516af0bf44d961795100.txt) was misleading because of the county's press release was misleading, stating, "the proposed alignment for the Wailua Beach section will be shifted from the beach to the right-of-way on the makai (seaward) side of Kuhio Highway." The fact is, the proposed alignment is NOT shifted from the beach; it would STILL be on the sands of Wailua Beach.
The latest version of the bike path would put a 10 feet wide concrete path, 18" deep directly on top of the sand dunes starting from the sandy shoulder of the highwy going makai. Trees and vegetation cover the sand dunes here, vital to the beach's ability to protect itself against erosion.
Please read journalist Joan Conrow's insightful article "Every Picture Tells a Story" (http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2010/01/musings-every-picture-tells-story.html). Every picture tells a story, so after seeing this one, and then taking my own visit, with tape measure in hand, to Wailua Beach yesterday, it appears that Mayor Carvalho didn’t actually “get smart” and move the bike path off the beach, as I asserted in my last post, but “got slick” instead.
It is important to send a statement to the county today (1/25) asking them to please keep the path off the beach. Email comments to: csimao@kauai.gov by 4:30pm Jan 25. There's a very viable option to keeping if off the beach - on the scenic, peaceful, and safe existing canal road behind Coco Palms.
Since it's one of 3 choices already included in the Environmental Assessment, there should be no delay to the overall project and the price would be lower than beach alternate routes. (The beach route connects to the canal route, crossing the highway near Kintaro's by creating a new traffic light.) By choosing the alternate mauka route the beach would be spared from development and protected.
Although the county press release states that “the proposed alignment for the Wailua Beach section will be shifted from the beach to the right-of-way on the makai side of Kuhio Highway,” it’s quite clear from this photo and my own observation that the path won’t actually run along the shoulder of the road, as most assumed and The Garden Island headline proclaimed. Yes, the route is a little bit farther mauka (inland) than the boardwalk was originally planned, but it’s still on the beach. In fact, now it’s right on the dunes, where most burials traditionally are.
If you have any doubt that’s the beach, let’s remember that the rock wall was built to keep ocean debris from washing onto the road. So nice try Bernard, right down to making the announcement on a Friday afternoon prior to a three-day weekend the traditional time for putting a spin on news you don’t want followed too closely.
Andy Parx, in his inimitable style, nails it with the title of his blog "Another Steaming Pile on the Bike Path" (http://parxnewsdaily.blogspot.com/2010/01/another-steaming-pile-on-bike-path.html)
1 comment :
Aloha, please correct...
This path is not a bike path, but rather multi use path for walkers, joggers, and non motorized cycles. It is for everyone. Thank you,
Melissa
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