Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The installation of the new raised crosswalks and road signs by the Department of Public Works is illegal, according to Senator Togiola T.A. Tulafono. He made the declaration last Wednesday, August 12, 2026, during the continuation of the Senate hearing on the raised crosswalk installations. 

After testifying in the initial hearing the previous week on Friday, August 7, 2026, Public Works Director Taeaotui Punaofoi Tilei and Deputy Director Falava‘i Ta‘ase appeared once again before the Senate Public Works Committee, this time joined by Department of Public Safety Deputy Commissioner Fo‘ifua Fo‘ifua and DPS Traffic Officer Byron Saifoloi.

Togiola quoted Section 22.0302 (a) of the American Samoa Code Annotated which reads, "(a) The Commissioner shall place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, such appropriate official traffic-control devices as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this title or direct or warn traffic upon the highways."

“Is the raised crosswalk a traffic‑control device?” Senator Togiola T.A. Tulafono asked.

“Yes,” Deputy Director Ta‘ase replied.

“Are speed bumps traffic‑control devices?” Togiola continued.

Ta‘ase again answered, “Yes.”

“Are the yellow and white lines painted on the road traffic‑control devices?”

“Yes,” Ta‘ase confirmed for a third time.

Togiola then pressed him, “Did you know about this explicit stipulation of the law before?”

Ta‘ase said he was not aware of the requirement under ASCA §22.0302(a), which places authority for all traffic‑control devices under the Commissioner of Public Safety. He explained that in previous years, DPW and DPS employees trained together during safety courses, ensuring both agencies understood their respective responsibilities. However, that joint training has since been discontinued — a change he said has contributed to employees in both departments not knowing this critical part of the law.

Togiola emphasized that it is critical for the law to be followed to the letter, noting that improper installation of traffic‑control devices could undermine police enforcement. 

He explained that if an officer issues a citation to a driver for failing to obey a traffic‑control device — such as a posted speed‑limit sign — and the case goes to court, the driver could argue that the sign was installed by the Department of Public Works, which does not have statutory authority to place or maintain such devices. As a result, the driver could claim that no law was broken, because the device was not installed under the authority of the Commissioner of Public Safety, as required by ASCA §22.0302(a).

Deputy Director Ta‘ase responded that the Federal Highway Administration provides the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which outlines the criteria for installing traffic‑control devices. He said the manual is also used by DPS traffic personnel.

However, Togiola intervened, stressing that the law prevails, and that the MUTCD does not supersede statutory authority.

“The law is very clear that the Commissioner of Public Safety shall place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, such appropriate official traffic‑control devices as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this title or direct or warn traffic upon the highways,” he said. “Nowhere in the law is the Public Works Department mentioned. So you should review the matter closely and ascertain your role, because if the law is to be obeyed, that means all the traffic‑control devices — including signage, speed bumps, and raised crosswalks — that your department installed without the DPS Commissioner’s approval are illegal.”

Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean sought clarification on the 2016 Federal Highway Administration study cited by Public Works, which reported a 72% increase in pedestrians involved in accidents while using crosswalks. Tuaolo asked where the study had been conducted, and Deputy Director Ta‘ase confirmed it was carried out on the U.S. mainland, not in the Pacific region.

Ta‘ase explained that during a 2023 FHWA summit in Hawai‘i, DPW was advised to begin installing raised crosswalks due to rising traffic accidents in American Samoa. He said the initiative was incorporated into the Islandwide Safety Project and was approved by then‑DPS Commissioner Ta‘aga Sa‘ite Moliga.

Tuaolo then turned to Deputy Commissioner Fo‘ifua, asking whether there had been any collaboration between DPW and DPS on the project. Fo‘ifua replied that he was not aware of any coordination. Pressed further on whether DPS, from a policing standpoint, recommended raised crosswalks, Fo‘ifua said they were necessary for the safety of schoolchildren, especially in high‑traffic zones.

The Senate President also raised concerns about ambulance safety, noting that patients being rushed to the hospital could be put at risk when ambulances strike raised crosswalks at high speed. He warned that patients not securely strapped to stretchers could flip or suffer spinal injuries due to the abrupt impact.

Tuaolo further criticized the poor condition of roadside signs, including speed‑limit and cautionary markers. He said he had seen signs so covered in dirt and grime that they were barely recognizable, pointing to a long‑standing lack of maintenance. Tuaolo pointed out that there had never been any difficulty ensuring the safety of schoolchildren under the long‑standing School Safety Program, in which police work alongside teachers and selected students to manage traffic when children cross the road.

“There were never any problems before,” Tuaolo said. “When motorists see the teachers and students tasked with controlling traffic movement, they obey their instructions. When motorists see a school bus stop in front of them, they stop as well until the bus moves forward again. People know what to do in these situations.”

He then offered his recommendation: DPW should remove the raised crosswalks to put an end to the complaints coming from motorists and the public.

Senator Magalei Logovii stated that the raised crosswalks have created significant traffic backups during the morning and afternoon rush hours. He argued that the funds used to install them would have been better spent hiring additional police officers to monitor and control traffic in school zones.

Magalei noted that while the raised crosswalks were installed to improve the safety of schoolchildren, they have instead resulted in long, daily traffic blockages. He added that these delays will continue even after schools close, because the raised structures remain in place and continue to disrupt traffic flow.

Committee Chairman Senator Levu Iosia Jr. concluded the hearing by recommending that DPW remove the raised crosswalks.

Samoa News reached out to motorists and members of the public for their views on the issue.

Toleafoa Silivetero Laumoli, a bus driver on the Fagatogo– Leone route, expressed strong opposition to the newly installed traffic‑control devices. He said the first and most important fact to consider is that American Samoa has only one main road running from one end of the island to the other, with a maximum speed limit of 25– 30 mph and steady traffic at all hours of the day and night.

Toleafoa argued that the raised crosswalks have disrupted the flow of traffic, particularly during the morning and evening rush hours, when buses, commuters, and delivery vehicles are already navigating heavy congestion. He said the new crosswalks make drivers slow down suddenly, causing traffic to back up along the road.

“Time is money, and everyone is trying to get to work on time or get home early after work for a specific reason,” Toleafoa said. “For us bus drivers, our job is to get people to their workplaces on time and bring them home safely every day. Now we’re dealing with another impediment that slows us down — not only during the school year, but even when schools are closed.”

He noted that many buses are contracted by StarKist to transport workers to and from the cannery each day, and any delay along the main road affects both employee schedules and company operations. Toleafoa said that buses taking workers home after their 2 a.m. shift often travel above the 25‑mph speed limit because there is very little traffic on the road and police presence is minimal. He explained that officers are generally aware of this but enforcement is not strict, as they understand the road is quiet at that hour and workers simply want to get home quickly after eight hours of labor.

“When we finally have the road to ourselves with almost no traffic or pedestrians, we still have to slow down unnecessarily for these raised crosswalks,” he complained.

Toleafoa also pointed out that with double yellow lines running down the center of the road from Leone to Fagatogo, the raised crosswalks add yet another obstacle that slows motorists even further from reaching their destinations.

“Toleafoa also pointed out that DPW, for reasons unclear to him, removed the single dotted yellow line at Faganeanea — the stretch running past Aveina Store and through the center of the village — by painting a double line over it. He said that was the only section of road where overtaking had previously been permitted.

‘This is ridiculous,’ he said. ‘Where are the accident statistics for this particular stretch of road that would justify putting in a double line? If a vehicle in front is crawling along, motorists should not be forced to trail behind like zombie drivers. Shouldn’t the public have a chance to voice their opinions before changes like this are imposed on everyone?’”

Toleafoa said the same issue applies to the new raised crosswalks, which he argued were installed without informing the public or giving residents any opportunity to voice their concerns before the changes were implemented.

Another disgruntled member of the public echoed Senate President Tuaolo’s criticism during the hearing regarding the poor condition of roadside signs, including speed‑limit and cautionary markers. Tuaolo said he had seen signs so covered in dirt and grime that they were barely recognizable, pointing to a long‑standing lack of maintenance.

“Tuaolo was right,” said Lilomaiava Tagipo. “I took a ride westward after watching the hearing on YouTube, and it didn’t take long to find one of the dirtiest roadside signs I’ve ever seen — across from the tank farm at Gataivai. Then at Fagaalu, I came across a 25‑mph speed‑limit sign that was barely readable because of the dirt and grime, and the ‘5’ had peeled away.”

Jerry Smith of Laulii, who works in Tafuna, was another frustrated member of the public who pointed to a particular sign in Fagaalu just before the turn‑in to LBJ Hospital.

“This sign is upside down, and it’s got ‘American Samoa 004’ on it,” Smith said. “I drive by it every morning on my way to work, and it has been like that for the past four years. I’ve reported it to PWD countless times, but nothing has been done. Now they’re installing raised crosswalks without doing any maintenance on these important government assets designed to help the traveling public.”

It remains unclear whether Public Works will accept the Senate’s recommendation to remove the three raised crosswalks already in place.

Editor’s Note: Samoa News points out that for the funds to be used for other than installation of the raised crosswalks DPW needs the federal program’s approval or else it will have to pay the program back for the “misuse” of their funds, or it will not be reimbursed for use of the funds in such a manner.