The new traffic pattern means that starting Aug. 16, between 9 a.m. and noon on weekdays, drivers on Ali'i Drive from Ka'ahumanu Place near Kailua Pier to Hualalai Road will be able to go southbound only.

The move will allow one of the two lanes on Ali'i Drive — which is lined with restaurants, hotels and tourist shops — to be reserved during morning hours for loading and unloading of freight. The other lane will remain open to traffic moving through the area.

"We've had a problem with trucks parked on sidewalks and all over the place, creating a traffic and safety problem," Yanagihara said. "We brainstormed the issue and decided the best idea was to try to make the street one-way."

The mixed-use traffic on the narrow, winding drive along Kailua Bay has been a problem since the 1970s, but the conflicts became more acute in recent years as police began ticketing illegally parked truck drivers.

"There are a lot of competing groups and interests in the area and we struggled to find a compromise that would suit everybody," Yanagihara said.

The changes were endorsed by store owners along Ali'i Drive who wanted to reduce problems for delivery drivers and customers alike, said Marie Aguilar, owner of the Eclectic Craftsmen gallery and acting president of the Kailua Village Merchants Association.

"This will allow deliveries to be concentrated in the morning and leave more room for drivers in the rest of the day," Aguilar said.

Part of the compromise meant limiting the one-way change to morning hours and to a 90-day trial period.

Yanagihara said any permanent change would require action by the County Council.

Ultimately, merchants would like to see even more traffic changes for the congested area.

"We've got some big plans for the future, including maybe turning Ali'i Drive into a pedestrian mall on the weekends," Aguilar said.