A proposal to ban some on-street parking along Rice Street in Lihu’e will be discussed with merchants and residents next month.
First suggested at one of Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste’s Ka Leo O Kaua’i meetings, the partial or total ban of on-street parking on what is now a four-lane Rice Street has both supporters and detractors.
Banning some or all on-street parking, which is allowed only on certain sections of Rice Street on both sides of the road, would be bad for small businesses counting on the on-street parking for customer convenience, said Curtis Tom, vice president and Kaua’i district manager for Bank of Hawaii and moderator of the Lihu’e Business Association.
Eliminating all or some of the on-street parking without providing other solutions would not be a good thing, said Tom, adding that LBA members have expressed opinions both for and against elimination of some or all of the on-street parking.
On-street parking, allowed during certain non-peak-traffic times weekdays and on weekends, impedes traffic flow through town, and creates dangerous situations for motorists, Tom noted.
Russell Sugano, chief of operations for the Division of Road Construction & Maintenance in the county Department of Public Works, said members of his staff will meet with merchants early next month to hear their concerns.
The matter is also expected to be discussed at the Tuesday, Jan. 13 Ka Leo O Kaua’i meeting for Lihu’e residents, at 7 p.m. at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall.
Sugano said county officials have “an idea” of which on-street parking stalls may be eliminated and which may remain, but didn’t want to divulge that information before first meeting with the merchants and public.
At earlier Ka Leo O Kaua’i meetings, residents expressed displeasure with having to weave in and out of lanes to avoid vehicles parked on Rice Street, Sugano continued.
Some residents said they would not be bothered if all of the on-street parking was eliminated.
After meeting with the public and merchants next month, DPW officials could draft a letter to the County Council as early as February, recommending which stalls to eliminate, Sugano explained.
It will ultimately be up to the council to decide on any changes to on-street parking on Rice Street, Sugano said.
Associate Editor Paul C. Curtis can be reached at pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
