Traffic jams begin for real

By Scott Ishikawa
Transportation Writer

The return of 41,000 college students and another 5,000 private-school students to classes today will make the worst days of summer commuting seem like a breeze.

By the end of the week, more than 270,000 Hawai'i students will be back in class, some traveling by bus, but many by car. To make the first days of the commute easier, there will be no daytime closures of freeway lanes for construction until Wednesday.

State Transportation Department spokeswoman Marilyn Kali said the capacity of O'ahu freeways is 2,000 vehicles per hour passing by a given point in one lane, a number that increases to 2,200 during the school year.

Consider these travel tips before you head out the door:

• The morning ZipLane is now open to cars with at least two occupants from 7 to 8 a.m. weekdays. From 5:30 to 7 a.m., vehicles must have three or more occupants.
• Use honoluluadvertiser.com and click on "Traffic" for cameras showing conditions on most main roads.
• Call the DOT's Rideshare office at 587-RIDE (7433) for alternative ways of commuting, or VanPool Hawai'i at 596-VANS (8267) or 848-5555 for The Bus.
• The Leeward O'ahu Transportation Management Association at 677-RIDE (7433) provides express bus service from Waipio-Gentry and Mililani to downtown Honolulu and back.

Once you're on the road, don't change lanes frequently, keep up with traffic, stay off the cell phone and be alert — most traffic jams are caused by chain-reaction pileups started by someone who wasn't watching the car in front.

Reach Scott Ishikawa at sishikaw@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.