Hawaii’s lack of infrastructure investment helped result in this tragic situation and others. Hawaii pedestrian fatalities among highest in the U.S.
Hawaii’s lack of infrastructure investment helped result in this tragic situation and others. Hawaii pedestrian fatalities among highest in the U.S.
Maui has plenty sidewalks and so many crosswalks but pedestrians often just run across the street at unmarked spots. It would help if more of our crosswalks had flashing lights so there was better visibility at sunset and evenings.
We are in a unit and it is awesome… Waikoloa Village
Turning Hawaii into Disneyland cannot, under any circumstances, be a good idea!
Pre-paid reservations to go to the beach?
That’s just plain crazy!
It’s a sad day when it takes the life a a loved one on our roads to bring attention to a problem that should be apparent and addressed by our elected officials, period!!
Kauai Mayor and council should be ashamed!
I can only assume that the driver of the vehicle that ‘veered off the road’ was a local.
If it had been a tourist it would have been headline news. The name of the tourist and where, he or she, was from would have been clearly specified.
Kauai has a long tradition of looking the other way when a ‘Local’ is involved.
I was there within minutes of hearing the collision and the driver was definitely a local.
I own an undeveloped lot in the city where I live in Oregon.
If I build on my lot, I am required to build a sidewalk along the street.
A lot of posts blame the politicians in Hawaii.
It’s the wealthy political contributors who strongly influence
political decisions in every state.
Even my Dinkyville town of ~6000 in one of the poorest regions of the state in the middle of nowhere has sidewalks… Working infrastructure, Streetlights too… My sympathies to the family…
Best Regards
The One Party Rule State, Failure, not the responsibility of Tourists from the United States to build infrastructure. What of the Caribbean, Central America, Africa, the Middle East, rural anywhere!
Maybe it’s time to levy another tax on the tourists. You can call it a sidewalk tax.
No, it’s not the tourist’s responsibility to make sure our state is basically safe when possible. You’d think the residents of Kauai would even desire more sidewalks.
My four nights at the Koa Kea generated $480 in taxes.
The tax revenue isn’t being spent wisely.
Aloha BOH- Here on the west-side of Maui, a friend has been trying for over a Decade to get a “West Maui Greenway” (look up website) built that will take pedestrians, walkers, bicyclers off our busy Highway 30 …it is Nuts that this project has The funding, has a fully developed plan but no one in Maui County can get it done! Apparently whatever department it falls under, I think Parks & Rec. does not have “time” to implement it. A few months ago another bicycler lost their lives on our unsafe roads…
Absolutely Daryl,
Total incompetence, graft, corruption and almost total disappearence of the tens of $millions already going into the offers from hotel taxes, rentals, goods and services. The money goes to Oahu to be flushed , stolen, misused. The other islands are subjects of Gov green and his regime. We have a place in Poipu and see the non results of all the taxation and fees.
I’m confused, I’ve been reading about limiting tourism for a long while. Everyone was against opening west Maui. Fire tragedy happens all the time.
Government is supposed to provide us with a safe environment to live.
Hawaii simply failed!
The mixed messages are very confusing. Does Hawaii want tourism or not. The big question is whether the State of Hawaii government wants tourism and the locals don’t.
The slow redevelopment west Maui is making it easy to discourage redevelopment by the locals so big money interest can come in and do what they want.
Sooo Saaad
This may seem like a minor thing but a better description of the incident would say a person driving a Toyota veered off the road and struck the victim. The Toyota didn’t veer off the road on its own. When people say a vehicle left the road it takes away the responsibility of the person driving.
Condolences to the friends and family of the victim.
I frequently walk alongside Lower Road in Napili, between Kapalua and the Napili Plaza shopping center. Sidewalks cover very little of the walk, and the road is especially narrow where it is winds the most. The Maui County government could easily require resorts along that road to install sidewalks. And why not require that of the builder of the 5 story monstrosity south of Napili Kai??
I feel that a tourist tax should be implemented and would be justified to offset the costs for infrastructure sidewalks bridges, etc. My wife and I are not wealthy but would gladly pay these costs if the money actually went for the needed infrastructure. We have visited the islands five times since covid. If we can afford to pay $22 for two cups of coffees as many other tourists do then we should help with these costs provided the money actually goes where it is intended. This should have been the case long long ago in my opinion Thanks Steven T.
Stephen,
You are welcome to do whatever you want to with your money. However…
I feel that through the ridiculous high taxes, fees, and general fleecing of the visitors that Hawaii has been doing for years, I’ve already paid for the sidewalks, road repairs, and other needed improvements that remain lacking. How many times over do you want to pay for it before it gets done?
And in the typical way, I suppose they will propose charging visitors to use the sidewalks while letting locals use them for free?
A big amen to BOH editors for this article! What a tragic and senseless death. Prayers for Mr. Ruiz and his family at this time.
Another glorious example of Hawaii’s one party special interest liberal government ignoring the infrastructure needs of the people of Hawaii for decades! Hawaii needs a complete house cleaning of its state and local elected politicians. Disgusting incompetence everywhere! Maybe Governor Green could redirect some of his misplaced energy towards the state’s decaying infrastructure everywhere!
Where are Hawaii tax dollars going? Taxes are hitting tourists, and certainly time share owners, yet this, along with the lack of affordable housing in Maui, makes me wonder?
Absolutely true. Big Island lacks sidewalks in many critical areas, notably just south of the split at Kahakai road on Ali’i Drive, as well as many locations in just about every population center, including Hilo. It could be an amazing bike and scooter ride around the whole Island, but very risky with traffic.
Pedestrians take serious risks walking and on bikes everywhere on Big Island. Sometimes it’s just inches between the low traffic barriers, pedestrians, and road traffic. At least put one large sidewalk and wide bike path on the volcano side, where there is plenty of room; leave the ocean side as is.
Was the driver held responsible? Why did the truck suddenly “veer off the road”?
Hi Richele.
It is under investigation.
Aloha.
Please keep us posted.
As I mentioned above I was across the street from the scene within minutes of hearing the crash.
A woman was performing CPR on him and another woman joined to help.
One of the women accompanied him in the ambulance.
The vehicle also took down a light pole so he was going at a decent rate of speed.
My close friend was at the scene right afterwards. Apparently the driver of the Toyota had a stroke and lost consciousness. His wife tried to grab the steering wheel but was unable to do so. A terrible tragedy of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Speaking of sidewalks, the Omao Road community had to “persuade” Kukuiula to get them to extend the sidewalk all the way from the Poipu Road roundabout to Koloa Road along the western bypass. That sidewalk is now heavily used by pedestrians, bicyclists, wheelchair users, those pushing baby carriages, and others. It can be done but it requires a lot of pressure from the local community.
We stayed across the street from the scene until the ambulance took Mr. Ruiz away.
Initially the driver was sitting in the vehicle and then moved to the grass behind where he sat, head in hands.
He didn’t appear to be incapacitated and was not receiving any medical attention from the police or EMS.
In fact, the police spent more time trying to disable his horn than they did worrying about his condition.
Thank you Andrew H. For the first hand acct of the accident.
And yes, as someone else had mentioned, if it was a tourist killing a local, the story would have been much bigger and not have gone away.
I’m also so very surprised that the local population does not start showing up in force to town meetings to demand they get more simple road improvements like New lines on Rd.
Most are worn out or invisible. No side walk, good bike lanes etc.
They get nothing for the tens of millions of dollars that go into the coffers from hotel and rental taxes etc. every year. And why wouldn’t Kauai want more safe walking and bike lanes? They do claim to be advocates of a green community.
Well, that lead photo walkway looks generous compared to many other paths in the Islands.
Road beside the Cannery mall in Haiku has many pedestrians even more exposed. Sorry for the loss Family.
So sorry to hear about your neighbor friend. We have the same situation on the Big Island.
Why did the 2004 Toyota multi-purpose vehicle with two passengers suddenly veer off the roadway and kill Mr. Ruiz? There was no mention of the reason in this Beat of Hawaii.
So sad this happened.
Mahalo
Yes, in regards to the almost total absence of sidewalks in the Poipu area, I have heard thru the grapevine there is supposed to be a new sidewalk on the Koloa Rd. Into town, and there may be a project for a couple of new traffic circles on the Poipu Rd to slow traffic down.
Has anybody else heard anything about that?
In the mean time, it would certainly not cost much for the town of Poipu at the Very Least, paint new lines on the edge of the roadway for bikes and walking. You are a”green community”right?
This simple inexpensive work will help greatly.
Very tragic, the death of Stephen Ruiz, but with ‘Natural Beauty’, there comes a lack of urbanization, not unlike Samoa, Costa Rica, Belize the Caribbean, Mexico, even rural States on the Mainland. One might wonder if not unlike Hawaii Power, or Water Company there is not a queue in proposed litigation, in this case, the community itself.
Thank you BOH for keeping us informed. Kauai should take note. If they want fewer cars on the roads, then make the island more walkable. Many people would much rather walk than take their car to nearby places. Wake up Gov. Green.
I fell while walking in a Waikiki neighborhood.
Sidewalks un level, with numerous pot holes.