Gwyne Isa knew she was in a dangerous crosswalk when she was struck by a vehicle at South King Street at Hau'oli Street Friday morning.

The 62-year-old knew not only because she lived in the neighborhood, but because she had surveyed pedestrians at that same intersection last year for a statewide audit of the "walkability" of crosswalks for AARP-Hawai'i.

The survey helped put the crosswalk on a priority list for city improvements.

Yesterday, other volunteers with AARP rallied at that crosswalk in support of Isa, who was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition, and to demand more pedestrian safety improvements.

Ironically, another crosswalk, fronting a Times Supermarket half a block away, has been identified as one of two sites where the city plans to test solar-powered pedestrian- activated flashing lights. That other intersection is on North King Street near the Kapalama Post Office.

As she stood in the rain at yesterday's rally, Jackie Boland, AARP's associate state director for community outreach, said, "The way the road is designed is for vehicles, not people."

One problem, she said, is that cars park so close to the crosswalk that drivers may not be able to see pedestrians waiting on the sidewalk, and signs alone aren't enough to make drivers slow down and look.

Nathan Francisco, 32, who crosses the intersection frequently to get to his job at a nearby Zippy's restaurant, agreed.

"Unless you actively make it known you're trying to cross, they aren't going to stop," he said.

Francisco said that he often needs to step out into the street and raise his hand into the air to get drivers to let him cross.

"It's bad. It's really bad," he said. "Even with all the signs (because of the rally), they're still not slowing down."

During the one-hour demonstration, a couple of drivers had to slam on their brakes to stop for pedestrians, and some didn't stop at all, even though people were in the crosswalk.

There have been at least three pedestrian accidents in the area over the past five years, said Ron Lockwood, chairman of the McCully/Mo'ili'ili Neighborhood Board.

The two crosswalks near Hau'oli Street have been a particular concern because of their proximity to both a senior center and an elementary school.

"We don't let our children cross the street in traffic," Lockwood said.

As he walked by the rally yesterday, Sonny Favella, 67, said that he's noticed that if cars don't stop at the crosswalks, people will step out into the street to get their attention.

"They just take off and the cars or buses still go forward," he said.

The planned crosswalk improvements are designed to help pedestrians get drivers' attention without having to go into the street. Pedestrians will have to press a button to activate flashing lights connected to 17-foot overhead arms.

"That would be helpful," said Dennis Young, who uses the crosswalk in front of Times three or four times a week.

Now, he says, he doesn't take for granted that cars will stop if he steps into the crosswalk and he waits for the traffic to thin before he attempts to get across the street.

"As soon as I see the first slow car, I come out," he said.

AARP Hawai'i Director Barbara Kim Stanton said the city has been supportive of the organization's efforts to make crossing the street safer, especially in light of 17 pedestrian deaths to date this year.

"We've been pleased to have been heard," she said.

However, like other AARP members, she added that it was unfortunate that Isa was hit before the improvements were made.

"We are just distraught over how dangerous it is" to cross the street, she said.

Streets with five or six lanes, such as South King, are a particular concern, she added.

"Drivers in the first two lanes might see pedestrians, but drivers in lanes four, five and six may not," she said.

In addition to the flashing lights, Stanton said, the pilot project will include a greater police presence at the intersection and more enforcement of parking laws to ensure people don't park too close to the crosswalk.

"If it works, they'll be looking for other intersections to test," she said.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.