crazy road construction on 130

[birdmove]

Guess I was lucky today. Went to Hilo and back with no problem as far as traffic and construction. Just good timing I guess.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[TomK]

Jon - that's a big part of the problem. I'm glad you got to drive in and out without problems, but it's so unpredictable - no one knows what to expect. Sometimes it's slamming on the brakes because someone in front of you is confused because the lane looks to be closed ahead or there's no work at all but you wonder just what's up ahead. When there are lane closures or diversions it's extremely rare there's any advance warning. And even when there are signs they can be completely contradictory and misleading.

Sometimes just a "Stay in Lane" sign would be so helpful - put it half a mile or a mile before the traffic cones start and put up another a few hundred yards further on. Don't think I've ever seen one of those here though. Well, maybe that's because it's likely a couple of hundred yards further on you'll get a "right lane closed" sign left over from a few weeks ago...

Tom
http://apacificview.blogspot.com/

[dmbwest]

No worries Tom,

I view everything here from a third world*** perspective NOT mainland ....

*** Guys welding barefoot on bridges / directly over toll booths, doing repairs mid lane sans 'cones' or flags, buses driving upstream against traffic in opposite lane w/ beer in work coolers etc ....

I no complain ... SHAKA da braddas working hard to feed family.

You gotta wait, drive or dodge around errant cones or actually THINK behind the wheel for once ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? OMG ... the horror ! All good and one has to smile as part of the 'experience' of living here .... If want to close eyes, stab and steer sans thought move to L.A.

[dmbwest]

Tom, since you so long time experienced .... I ask you ... Did you pull over and explain the situation as you saw it to the guys or just keep going ?

[jrw]

Most state on road construction jobs have a traffic plan and traffic suppervisor and train flaggers. The super jobs is to make sure all traffic signs ,cones and flaggers are up and working to keep the the traffic moving and safe.They also going back and forth threw they job checking for down cones and checking to make sure what they have set up is working right.Here in hawaii it seems like people just show and start flaagging and putting up signs with out any can of plan or train people to do it.The cops here that do traffic flagging here really do not have a clue how to do the job right.I have seen them with there back to traffic standing in the middle of the road ,run out iinto middle of 35 mph traffic to stop cars when the have been on there cell phone and realized that they need stop the traffic and I cant understand why they dont have flaggers paddles instead of waving there hands to stop traffic. from what i can see they are accident waiting to happen. I dont know why Hawaii does not take traffic control serously most states have state people who looks to make sure things are set up right and will shut the job down untill it is done right.Can some one tell me why they have off duty police flagging that are ready have a job when they could take some people and train them and give somebody a good paying job and maybe really care about what they are doing.

jrw

[TomK]

Pog - I kept going. 1) There was no room to pull over and 2) there was a cop directing me (and the other drivers). If a cop is telling me to drive on I'm not going to stop and chat. On the other hand I have stopped in the past to talk but not on H-11 and not with hundreds of vehicles behind me.

Yes, I've driven in LA at rush hour (London as well, Chicago, Boston and worst of all NY). I'd rather be here but H-11 is a bad traffic accident waiting to happen and it could be so much better without much effort and hiring someone who knows what they are doing. Don't think that'll happen though.

Tom
http://apacificview.blogspot.com/

[dmbwest]

Thanks Tom for your honesty and non-offendedness ..... I've been the places you have as well except London.

My whole point is not necessarily on the traffic but rather how people overlay their previous experiences, pass judgement and feel some kind of entitlement as per their said, previous experiences .... To YOU guys ,,,, Once more, YOU LIVE HAWAII NOW !!!! ... You gotta look at it all and shake-head-and-laugh at it as you would the very idiosyncrasies of a loved one ....

most sincerely,
aloha,
pog

[Guest]

I am quite sure it won't be a laughing matter when one of the good shoeless workers is killed by a driver unaware or unable to determine what's happening with the poorly delineated lane markings and non existent signage!!

Live Aloha right???

[dmbwest]

There is always a shoe on the side of the road when someone gets hit ... But guess what, unless suicidal, that guy is NOT standing in front of the car of the confused driver who should have slowed or even stopped in order to responsibly and safely navigated their vehicle for given conditions instead of simply plowing into the guy 'cause they were unsure where to go and then 'blaming' some lines or lack of them.

KEN ...FYI... Our cars are NOT on rails nor do we drive by keeping eyes on lines. If a person in front of you in say a parking lot, do you look for the line around him / her or react accordingly for the situation ?

[unknownjulie]

I was most worried about the two people standing in the road who could have easily been killed. I am an excellent driver, who has driven around Paris and Italy, as well as Central and South America. I did not have too many concerns about "me being able to drive through it", but I did have concerns over some of the other drivers, and the people standing in the midst of all the chaos.