By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii: Turning to Kailua-Kona, we continue our look at the statewide pedestrian plan and another area of concern: Queen’s Lei.
The envisioned 17 mile circulation loop for bicyclists and pedestrians has been kept alive primarily by the advocacy of PATH – or Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii.
The project hopes to connect the future University with the Kealakehe High School and Kailua Village, and provide for the needs of a variety of pedestrians and bicyclists, including commuters, school children, neighborhood residents, and recreational users.
The state has continually neglected to include a proper plan for the Queens Lei when designing the Queen Kaahumanu Highway widening project… but it appears as if PATH and the Department of Transportation are finally on the same page.
In the draft pedestrian plan, the state make the Queens Lei the lowest priority on Hawaii Island, but it does see one solution in constructing a portion of the shared-use pathway between Keahole Airport Road and Makala Boulevard.
