Will we at last have somebody to hold responsible for the Kapa‘a traffic? Over the past several years, as the Kapa‘a traffic on Kuhio Highway has gotten worse and worse, we have looked for someone to blame. Some blame the
Will we at last have somebody to hold responsible for the Kapa‘a traffic? Over the past several years, as the Kapa‘a traffic on Kuhio Highway has gotten worse and worse, we have looked for someone to blame.
Some blame the state highway department (Department of Transportation Highways Division) for light-timing and speed limits. Others blame the consultants hired to design a bypass, who have not done so in 10 years. Still others blame the developers and visitors for more cars on the road. However, all agree that Kapa‘a traffic is bad, getting worse, and is a complex problem. But on the day that the bridge on ‘Olohena Road is closed by Mayor Baptiste and traffic in Kapa‘a becomes dramatically worse, we will have some folks who are clearly responsible. It will be the mayor for being penny wise and pound foolish for closing down ‘Olohena (rather than pursuing more expensive options), and the County Council for not listening to the concerns of the citizens and intervening with the mayor. The residents of ‘Olohena, Hauiki, and Waipouli roads have legitimate concerns about access to emergency services. But the emergency-services issue ignores the fact that the major use of ‘Olohena is to avoid dealing with Kapa‘a traffic, particularly for those living in the ‘Olohena Road Kuamo‘o Road area (Wailua Homesteads). The majority of the traffic that streams up and down ‘Olohena is residents of the Homesteads, one of the most populated communities on the island. There are two roads in and out of the Homesteads, Kuamo‘o and ‘Olohena. But Homesteads residents headed to and from Kapa‘a and points north use ‘Olohena to avoid the Kapa‘a traffic. It is faster to get from the Kapa‘a post office to the Homesteads by taking ‘Olohena than driving through Kapa‘a traffic to Kuamo‘o. Frequently, the Kapa‘a traffic is so bad that it is faster to use the ‘Olohena route to get from the Kaua‘i Village shopping center to the Homesteads. With ‘Olohena closed, all traffic bound for the Homesteads from Kapa‘a and points north will be forced to add to Kapa‘a traffic to get to Kuamo‘o. The only other option is going up Kawaihau Road to the Kainahola Road-Waipouli Road connection to upper ‘Olohena and back down to the Homesteads. This circuit involves narrow, winding roads, not replacing the straight shot of ‘Olohena. The Kawaihau route will only be used by the residents in the ‘Olohena, Hauiki, and Waipouli roads area. The 2004 election statistics show that there are 3,575 registered voters in the Wailua Homesteads area. Add the adult drivers not registered to vote and Kapa‘a High students old enough to drive, and the number of drivers exceeds the number of registered voters. The number of vehicles comes close to the number of drivers, since there is no shortage of vehicles in the Homesteads. These vehicles are on the road constantly. The Homesteads area is relatively isolated from shopping. For many, it is seven miles to the closest full-service store, and eight to the post office. As a result, most residents make more than one trip “down the hill” every day. Here is the real issue: much of the Homesteads traffic to and from Kapa‘a and points north does not currently contribute to Kapa‘a traffic. This is a significant number of vehicles. With the closure of ‘Olohena Road, these vehicles will be added to the Kapa‘a traffic problem, making it significantly worse.
- David Stewart is a resident of Kapa‘a.
