Solutions to Traffic on O'ahu

[Quetzal]

I have no clue as to how to fix the current crisis. However, there is one certain issue - traffic in the morning coming from the central and leewards areas of O'ahu are insane. The problem becomes crtical everytime there is a car accident on the H-1 freeway.

Sooner or later, The Bus cannot be the only mass-transit solution for O'ahu. There are now more cars than people on the island. This is a trend that must turn in a regressive direction.

What do you suggest? A Bullet train going from the leeward and central areas of O'ahu to Downtown Honolulu? Expansion of Kapolei, making it into the island's second city and founding a UH West O'ahu Campus?

One idea that came up as I was talking to my friend was to create a high-speed train that went parallel to the H-1 and H-2 freeways. If there was difficulty in getting these trains into the downtown Honolulu/Waikiki areas, then perhaps the Kalihi Bus Facility could become a super-transit train/bus hub = a place where the trains arrived and busses left. From there, urban commuters could transfer from the train onto the bus.

Does the traffic on the Windward Side of the island warrant the creation of an alternative mass transit plan urban commuters?

[Spinzonner]

1. Push the accidents off into the ocean

[keopeli]

2. I know traffic's a bitch, and a mass transit system is a good idea...

but, I think you ought to be concentrating on improving your public schools before you do anything else. Just my opinion.

[moez]

3. monkey virus?

[KamaAina]

4. If you're going to do a train, it has to be done right

then perhaps the Kalihi Bus Facility could become a super-transit train/bus hub = a place where the trains arrived and busses left. From there, urban commuters could transfer from the train onto the bus.

Lingle had a similar plan, where the train would have ended in Iwilei rather than Kalihi -- so of course there has to be a catch: if you set it up so people have to transfer, they won't ride it. That way she could have wrung her hands and said, "But we tried! People just want their cars!"

Meanwhile, Mayor Mufi (rhymes with "Goofy") is wedded to ferries that, coincidentally (?), would serve the leeward side of the island (the one that put him in office). At least they could get down by Aloha Tower, unlike the trains (could we bring them in to the Block J parking lot, before it becomes a :puke: car dealership?)

In both cases I'm pretty much SOL. It can take as much as an hour by "America's Best Transit System" (um, NOT) to get from Iwilei to a location makai of UH-Manoa. And nobody seems to have much of an option for us townies.

[KamaAina]

5. I used to think Kapolei was a splendid idea

Expansion of Kapolei, making it into the island's second city and founding a UH West O'ahu Campus?

Now, having actually been out there, I'm not so sure. It looks as though a team of elite paratroopers packed up Orange County and dropped it right onto the old cane fields. Blech.

On the other hand, it does offer a source of employment nearby the Wai'anae Coast (where I first visited the islands, for dolphin swims). And UH-West O'ahu would serve a purpose within the UH system, allowing local residents to have a place to get a four-year degree in practical fields like education, nursing or whatever, allowing UH-Manoa to be a major research university (and without that Navy UARC plan!)

The two ideas are actually interconnected: rail transit to Kapolei would make it at least conceivable for townies to work out there, thus fueling the "Second City" growth.

[RC]

6. The last time I was on Oahu

I had to commute (another car clogging H2)from Waialua to downtown Honolulu. An hour and 20 minutes. For the actual distance travailed, approximately 25 miles, that is ridiculous. Sure didn't leave much time for a life.
Here (ND) I am 10/15 minutes from work.

There needs to be something besides The Bus going north/south across the island.