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Kids walking to school put at risk on busy roads

It is so scary to see little kids walking along the road to school and other places by themselves. Every day while my mom drives me to school, I always see these little kids sometimes walking to Makawao Elementary School heading down Makawao Avenue. Not only is the road so busy with cars, but it is also very narrow. Sometimes I think, “Do these parents have a mind? Why would one let their 5-year-old walk at least a mile and a half by themselves to school?”

I think it is such a danger for these little kids. They don’t only have to walk along the avenue they also have to cross streets and push themselves onto the curbs so they can fit onto the tiny sidewalk.

I know that some parents aren’t financially stable or can’t afford a car or rides to school. That still does not excuse them from letting their child walk to school by themselves.

Why should we wait till something actually happens to start to think on solutions? The parents in the surrounding neighborhoods – not only those with children who walk on the sidewalk – should come to an agreement to bring this problem to the notice of county officials, which should then expand the sidewalks on both sides. It wouldn’t only be good for the kids but also the drivers that ride that road daily.

Hanalei Alapai

Makawao

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