Waikiki Kalakaua Open Street Closed This Sunday
The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) has canceled the Sunday, July 26, 2020, Waikiki Kalakaua Open Street due to the possible incoming Hurricane Douglas. This is a precautionary measure for the safety of residents and tourists alike.
The DTS and the Hawaii Bicycling League launched the Waikiki Kalakaua Open Street Sundays on June 14, 2020. The event is designed for bicyclists, joggers, and walkers to be able to travel down Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki to enjoy outdoor exercise while promoting one of the simplest ways to lower our environmental footprint with other members of our island ohana. It is held on Kalakaua Avenue between Seaside Avenue and Kapahulu Avenue with the route being closed to all vehicular traffic from 6 a.m. to 12 noon.
Hurricane Douglas began as a tropical storm and has escalated to a Category 3 hurricane with winds reaching 120 miles per hour as it approaches the islands. It is currently around 1,000 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, but according to the National Hurricane Center, it is moving toward the island chain with expectations it will touch down on the islands this Sunday.
Although Hurricane Douglas is expected to intensify over the course of Thursday, it is expected to weaken by the time it reaches the state. Still, “Douglas is expected to be at or near hurricane intensity as it approaches the Hawaiian islands on Sunday,” the National Hurricane Center said. A research scientist at Colorado State University, Phil Klotzbach, told a Los Angeles CW affiliate that it is unlikely the storm will maintain Category 3 status by the time it reaches Hawaii. He said, “It is fairly common for hurricanes to track towards Hawaii, but they usually dissipate or at least weaken considerably before impacting the islands.”
The Department of Transportation Service reminds everyone to be safe and prepared throughout this year’s hurricane season. Hurricane season in the Central Pacific region where Hawaii is located runs from June 1 to November 30.
