Contraflow extension sought

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer

HAWAI'I KAI — Residents in the farthest reaches of East Honolulu are lobbying city and state officials to extend the morning contraflow lane on Kalaniana'ole Highway to ease rush-hour congestion that is growing as hundreds of new homes are completed.

For several years, the contraflow lane has begun just past Niu Valley. But with the new homes bringing more and more residents to Hawai'i Kai, commuters often find themselves stuck in long queues on feeder streets to the highway.

Now a plan under consideration would start the contraflow lane at Keahole Street and continue it to H-1 Freeway.

That would mean that drivers heading into Hawai'i Kai could not turn left, and would put many more residents in the same situation as those who live along Kalaniana'ole where the contraflow is in use. Because left turns are not allowed during contraflow hours, residents find that motorists use their neighborhoods to backtrack or make U-turns.

Still, some think the plan should go forward.

"I'm in favor of extending it," said Lester Muraoka, vice chairman of the Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board. "I am at work by 6:30 a.m., and I do that deliberately to avoid the traffic."

Roger Davis, who commutes to the University of Hawai'i and takes his son to school at Iolani, said traffic has become more congested in recent months. But while an extension of the contraflow lane would get motorists to the freeway faster, it wouldn't solve the traffic problem, he said.

"The freeway is where the backups are," Davis said. "And sometimes when we get to 'Aina Haina, the contraflow lane isn't moving any faster than the other three lanes."

The state Department of Transportation met with area lawmakers recently to see if there were any objections to extending the contraflow lane, said DOT spokesman Scott Ishikawa. Lawmakers have asked transportation officials to hold a meeting to hear community concerns.

The city sets up and takes down the orange cones every morning on the state-owned Kalaniana'ole Highway, an unusual situation that developed when the state would not set up a contraflow lane, said City Councilman Charles Djou. It costs the city about $30,000 a month to set up cones every weekday morning from 5:30 to 8:30 a.m., Djou said.

The contraflow lane, used by carpools, vanpools and the city express bus service, is often less congested than the other three townbound lanes.

Left turns are not allowed along the highway when the contraflow is in use, except for a few locations. Extending the lane would affect Holy Trinity School as well as residents trying to get into their neighborhoods.

"It's not as easy as everyone thinks, because it restricts access into neighborhoods," Ishikawa said. "It's not a done deal."

State Sen. Sam Slom, R-8th (Kahala, Hawai'i Kai) supports an extension of the contraflow lane, but he said the state is looking into alternatives in case that isn't acceptable to the community.

One far-fetched solution could be a zipper-like lane similar to the one used on H-1, but that would cost more than $20 million, Slom said.

The state is committed to finding a solution, Slom said. "Different things can be done. But we have to have community support and then a demonstration project of four to six months," he said. "We realize that there are negatives. But the traffic problem has gotten worse, and will get worse as the rest of the new homes being built become occupied."

Lawmakers hope to hold the community meeting by late March, Djou said.

Brett White, chairman of the Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board, said the board had not officially discussed the merits of extending the contraflow lane.

But "it is likely that a majority of Hawai'i Kai residents will support any expertly designed measure to mitigate traffic congestion in the commuter corridor," White said.

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.

• • •