Haiku resident Gregg Blue points out a speed table at West Kuiaha Road. Traffic-calming devices are stirring complaints in the Haiku area with residents saying they are excessive and don’t work as they should. Gary Kubota/The Maui News

Traffic-calming devices intended to slow drivers are having a bumpy ride with public opinion in the Haiku area.

After seeing a petition with nearly 1,000 signatures on it, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen placed a moratorium on the design and construction of proposed speed tables, speed humps, and similar traffic-calming devices in the area.

After meeting with members of the Haiku Community Association, Bissen has agreed to discuss the issue further in a meeting that starts at 6:30 p.m. May 27 at the Haiku Community Center.

Bissen’s decision follows the recent installation of 31 speed humps and tables in Haiku that were approved by a previous administration and Maui County Council members in the 2022 fiscal year.

Association member Gregg Blue said he was thankful Bissen listened to their concerns and has been agreeable to open discussions. “We really want to praise the mayor,” Blue said.

Bissen said his administration recognizes that the recent installations have created challenges for some residents.

“We appreciate the Haiku community for bringing these concerns forward and sharing their experiences with us,” Bissen said. “This is exactly why it’s important that we listen, reassess and adjust when needed. Our responsibility is to respond to the impacts we are seeing today and ensure our approach to road safety reflects the needs of the communities.”

Blue said the main criticism centers on what he described as a lack of community participation before deciding where to put the speed tables, as well as the way the speed tables seem to be built. Blue said the tables were constructed in a way that they punish vehicles more than they should on thoroughfares frequently used by the community, including Kokomo Road.

“The main thread was damage to the cars,” said Blue, a former community association president.

Blue said a majority of the residents in the community also feel the traffic tables are excessive.

He said members involved in the discussion want a better system of notifying the community of proposed changes in the road, a policy for providing appropriate road risers for thoroughfares, and removing the speed tables.

Blue said he’s also been looking at the engineering specifications for the speed tables, and these function more like speed humps. He said a properly designed speed table should enable a driver to pass over it at the posted speed limit in relative comfort.

“That’s what they’re designed for,” he said.

However, Blue said speed humps such as the ones near the Haiku Community Center are made to slow drivers down to about 5 to 10 mph.

He said the community also has questions about whether enough notification and time was given to allow for adequate discussion of the traffic-calming proposals.