Island Voices
There's a better way to drive
By Douglas Hilt
Along Kalaniana'ole Highway, it will soon be deja vu time once again: lanes coned off, traffic backed up, overheated cars and tempers, at times near total gridlock.
East Honolulu is by no means unique. All around the island the ubiquitous orange cones are the harbinger of further road repairs, resurfacing and patching up of potholes, more and more delays getting to work or simply getting anywhere.
With the stream of voluminous SUVs swelling the tide of stretch limos, commercial trucks and vans, small wonder that streets seem to be getting narrower and parking ever more frustrating. Tailgating is now a real problem, and California-style road rage has only been averted thanks to the spirit of aloha.
One fact has to be faced: There is no immediate solution to the problem. A fixed-rail system was debated and rejected years ago, though a street trolley system, similar to that in San Diego and elsewhere, may still be feasible. TheBus network is one of the best in the country, and HOV lanes and movable-lane machines all help alleviate the situation.
But due to the island's topography and existing structures, there is no real possibility of building new roads or bypasses, or even widening existing streets. A small improvement here, a better designed on- and off-ramp there, that's about it.
A few months ago I drove two cars in three European countries. Both cars were comfortable, with plenty of zip, even though only about three-quarters the size of the average American vehicle. All that saves medieval European towns and cities from total gridlock is the willingness to drive smaller cars (admittedly helped by gas prices two to three times higher than here).
As we fret and sweat our way to work, we should ask ourselves: What is the aim of commuting? Is it to drive the spacious family car — as the name suggests, with the family in mind — even though often the driver sits in splendid isolation? Or is it to arrive in the minimum time, at minimum cost and with minimum inconvenience?
For some drivers without access to convenient bus routes or where distances are simply too great, a compromise may be the best answer: a reduction to a 1 1/2-car family. The smaller car would be used for the weekday commute and the family vehicle for weekends and holidays.
One simple way to help reduce the 30 percent "paradise tax" is to buy a smaller vehicle that corresponds to one's actual, and not imagined, needs. The initial cost is far less, insurance and gasoline expenses are reduced, and the cars are much more maneuverable.
In a real sense, the current fuel crisis is of our own making; we have squandered our own resources in shameful fashion and are now dangerously dependent on foreign suppliers. The Arctic reserve only offers a limited respite, and this at an unacceptable ecological cost. Here in Hawai'i, the air quality is noticeably deteriorating as the pollution over Honolulu seen from the top of Diamond Head Crater amply proves.
Once again Hawai'i has the opportunity to set an example. Bus fares should be lowered, not increased, with a direct subsidy derived from increased fees levied on larger vehicles. Similarly, taxes on small cars should be reduced in an effort to encourage people to buy fuel-efficient vehicles.
The recent plan to extend bicycle paths is also a step in the right direction. In a nutshell, people who help alleviate the traffic problem should be encouraged and rewarded.
Future benefits are clear. Gradually, car lanes would appear to be wider, traffic would flow more easily, with fewer road repairs, and parking would no longer be a matter of millimeters. We would be putting money back into our pockets and feel healthier with the better air quality and extra exercise.
Douglas Hilt is a professor in the Department of Literature and Languages of Europe and the Americas, University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
