As I was patrolling the community this month, I turned right onto Lumiauau Street from Lumiaina Street and noticed a large group of runners coming down the hill. A majority of the group was jogging on the sidewalk, but there were a couple of people running on the asphalt road and in my driving lane. As I got closer to the group, the joggers on the road remained in the lane forcing me to swerve into the left lane. The jogger on the road gave me this angry look like “why am I driving in her jogging lane”.
In light of this incident, I decided to consult with our Community Safety Team and research the Hawaii Revised Statues (HRS) to find out what the law says in regards to running on the road. The current fine for this violation is $130.00.
HRS 291C-76 Pedestrians on Roadways
(a) Where sidewalks are provided, it shall be unlawful for any pedestrian to walk along and upon an adjacent roadway, bicycle lane, or bicycle path.
In Waikele, we are very fortunate to have sidewalks along all of our roadways which provide a safe path for our daily walkers and joggers. I would like to encourage everyone to utilize these sidewalks in lieu of running on the roadway. As a Manager, I would much rather take the time now to inform our residents of this concern and prevent an accident, than have to deal with an unfortunate fatality in the future. Stay healthy…but most of all…Stay Safe.