In conjunction with the community plan being prepared by Group 70, Kaneohe Ranch retained the professional services of Charlier & Associates, a planning firm that specializes in pedestrian planning.

They performed an extensive analysis of downtown Kailua with the aim to make it more walk-able… to create a downtown that is friendly for pedestrians.

They studied sidewalks, cross walks, block lengths, walls / fences, bicycle accommodation, lighting, shade, parking and many other matters that affect the pedestrian experience.

Some of the findings and recommendations proposed are;

• As re-development occurs create new lanes and drive aisles to break-up the existing “super-block” so that the length between blocks is 250 +/- feet at most.
• Internal streets should be low speed vehicular streets with generous sidewalks, frequent pedestrian crossings and if appropriate on-street parking.
• Work with the City & County of Honolulu to ensure there are safe pedestrian crossings along all streets at intervals between 250 to 330 feet.
• To the extent possible avoid one-way streets.
• Include provisions for bicycle parking in all future plans.
• Where possible, on-street parking should be laid out in a diagonal configuration.
• Use a “park once” concept.
• Use awnings, arcades and trees to create more shade.

Downtown Kailua has the potential to become a truly pedestrian-friendly town, which will reduce driving and improve the shopping experience for all of us. Kaneohe Ranch is committed to implementing this plan, which can be seen in its entirety on the pdf below.

Downtown Kailua Pedestrian Environment Guidelines (PDF)