I’m one of the “Dreamers” that Glen Mickens refers to when he writes letters about no one will abandon their vehicles for alternative means of transportation.
I would partly agree with the fact many of us who live and work here are not able to or in the position to use any other alternative means of transportation to help ease our traffic congestion. One thing is for sure, having options for our guests who visit could and I feel would make a huge difference in how their vacation turns out as well as the effects and impacts to our roads and environment if they were to know about those said options.
My first approach for the last several years was writing letters expressing a way to reduce the amount of rental cars on our roads daily through a sophisticated shuttle system that would meet our guests needs as well as residents.
The existing bus system we have is not going to ease our traffic. The county continually every year subsidizes its use with millions of our tax dollars with no traffic relief results. If it did there would be no reason for writing this letter and the daily traffic would not be getting worse as we can all see daily it is.
A morning news show covered a story about a couple of news reporters (man and woman) in New York who flew to Florida for a week to cover some stories and maybe some free time for whatever they wanted to do. They decided to book the same resort hotel in Orlando. They also thought since they were in a tourist destination area and would be going their separate ways on business, they then could compare what or which way was the better way to go.
When they arrived in Orlando the woman got on an airport shuttle bus and then proceeded to the rental car facility. Once there it took two hours to finally get the car she had rented and head toward the hotel.
The man called Uber while getting his bags and within 5 minutes a driver was in front of baggage to pick him up. Meanwhile the few hours wasted by the woman getting a car, driving to the hotel, finding a place to park, dealing with the full parking lot, fighting the existing traffic in the area, and the $40 a night to park on the property or the $30 to park at theme parks is no longer a happy camper.
For the entire week the woman wasted more time and money than what was a benefit to her work or enjoyment. At the end of their trip the man spent about $100 less the the woman and wasted very little of his time getting to anywhere he wanted, when he wanted.
The purpose of this story…. Uber is a great system for moving people anywhere they want, when they want, 24/7 365 days, quickly and efficiently. It will create hundreds of good jobs, many related businesses, and for the best parts it can and will fulfill all the transportation needs for out guests who currently waste their vacation time sitting in traffic, and for those who live here it will provide better management, relief, and get thousands of cars off our roads once it’s implemented.
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Steve Martin is a resident of Wailua Homesteads.
Great, but it wouldn’t change the fact that we need 2 lane divided highways between towns—for both safety and efficiency—and some alternate routing in the Kapaa-to-Lihue corridor. This has been evident since the population was around 40k, and now it’s heading towards twice that. Stop bleeding taxpayer dollars on the failed bus system (or at least reduce service) and focus on creating more lanes. Maui did it—it works. No one has time for busses—not visitors, whose time is limited, and not kamaaina, who work multiple jobs. Busses are an urban solution! Heads need to come out of the sand.
Citizen Cane…… Two lanes like in front of golf course is nothing more than an excuse to drive 50 to 65 mph. The speed limit is there for good reason that’s why it’s posted 40mph.
For many, families especially, renting a car provides the best way to freely enjoy the island. Also “Uber is a great system for moving people anywhere they want” is simply not true. Ever try to get an Uber at Ke’e?
Sure. Keep dreaming. Kauai isn’t Orlando.
My son when he was in first grade entered a contest sponsored by Solypsis proposing a gondola from Poipu to Kahili to Waialeale to Princeville and then down to Hanalei. Los Angeles is about to get one from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. Think outside the box.
Um Steve- I don’t think you really thought about this issue deeply. Because using Uber doesn’t do ANYTHING to reduce traffic. If you’re a tourist and you want to go from Kapaa to Hanalei, taking an Uber creates exactly the same amount of traffic – 1 car. In fact it could create more traffic because that Uber has to drive back and pick you up potentially. Also most places people visit and use Uber are large cities- it’s great for that and I use it myself. But our island is very rural and spread out- an Uber from Hanalei to Kapaa would cost $80 each way. It might be cheaper in Miami, but you know what? This isn’t Miami. Urban areas have more than a single 2-lane road as well. Also we have approximately 25,000 tourists on our island every day. That’s going to require a LOT of Uber drivers ya? Thousands. Not sure why people try to apply urban solutions to Kauai – they don’t work here. Uber reduces the need for *parking*; it does nothing for traffic. Think about it again.
Uncle Aina…… So you think uber doesn’t do ANYTHING to reduce traffic. Do the math.. If 10,000 out of the 25,000 tourists you say are here were to NOT rent a car and instead take the option of using UBER services it could potentially take somewhere between 3,000 and up to 5,000 rental cars off our roads while they are here. What’s a 1,000 Uber vehicles providing on going transportation if I can take that many rentals off our roads. The more that used the services or options the less rental cars would be on our roads. Uber is all ready here and growing. They are on our roads all day and night right now. Ithink the most important thing is to be able to give tourists plenty of options. The resorts/hotels should be working with Uber as well. Instead of renting cars tourists are picked up by Uber van services at airport and delivered to the resorts where they can obtain transportation as needed. THEY DON’T NEED A RENTAL. And if they want to go where there is no phone service then Über can drop them so they can rent a car for a day . With services like this you can get rid of the bus. No more subsidizing . The county can save millions that they spend to provide money for public transportation. People who ride the bus will pay the same rate percentage to Uber and the difference paid by the county at a fraction of what they spend on the bus . Yes I think deeply about this. I have spent my entire life watching and experiencing every place I have lived. There is no reason for this island to be ruined . I know from the experience that with what has happened here the last 25 years and now it won’t take to many more before checkmate! I will never forget what the state transportation director said at a public meeting about 20 years ago,. He said you are all looking for the answers to your traffic congestion and then said the best and only solution we have is you need to take cars off your roads. Aloha Steve Martin
Aloha Steve,
Your comment is well appreciated as a dialogue to softening the traffic or diminishing it.
However, an Uber vehicle, from what you say and how you explain is just taking the place of a rental car…and making for the same number of cars on the road. Though it saves on drop off without having to park and parking fees…that we don’t have…yet…!
However there is the wait time in the rain or sun for another Uber to pick you up in Polihale, Kee, or Kokee, or other distant location…or no cell phone reception, and where you gonna keep your beach gear + food, drink, and snacks on a multi stop day trip…and there is no trunk or back seat of a rental car to keep them in?
It is clear that the road closures to the North Shore, Hanalei District, has altered the flow of traffic. Some days the Kapa’a traffic heading towards LIHUE is non existent and it’s “flying time” like in the old days driving the “crawl through the corridor”.
Your comment though sparks ideas and it is with hope that others will suggest ideas as well.
Allow me to harp on one idea slightly alterred to fit the current situation.
It just may work to have human traffic monitors, not policeman who apparently we are short of while they track down the 3 big offenders on island: drugs, DUI, and rude domestics; and who never have the time to mind the traffic, even though there is a Police Traffic Division…or should be one.
Traffic Monitors, perhaps volunteers, high school grads, Boy and Girl Scouts, Local National Guard serving the community, retirees, or computerized traffic signals pushing 100 cars NON-STOP…NON-STOP…NON-STOP from the ABC Stop Light in Kapa’a Town to Rice St. in LIHUE (or anywhere else needed).
100 cars at a time like a Giant Non Stop Centipede, traveling safely at Speed Limit, and when there is not enough cars for the 100 Centipede, make it a 75 or 50 car Centipede.
After the Centipede passes, the Traffic Monitor opens the cross traffic and let’s all of them exit the shopping centers and intersections.
Derek, you could call the new Traffic Solution…The CENTIPEDE…
IN Asia, they don’t need a name for this because their Traffic Monitors keep it so there is no Traffic Problem, well, except where there is are millions of people trying to get to and from work all at the same time.
But We have thousands…not millions.
Give the CENTIPEDE a Chance, nothing else works yet, except the closure of the entire north shore.
And all Kauai Busses should be FREE during the “Run of the Centipede”.
A traffic solution to the West Side could be called the CENTIPEDE II.
MAHALO FOR READING,
Charlie
Uber and Lyft are “ride shares”. The hundreds of jobs that you refer to would be hundreds of cars on the road at all times. Visitors and locals alike will still spend their time in traffic; your not reducing the amount of cars by having a paid driver. In fact you are keeping those cars driving on the road full time as they need to be accessible at a moments notice.
If you have taken a ride on the Kauai bus lately you will see lots of visitors taking it. To encourage more ridership on the bus there needs to be more accessible bus stops and more express buses. Mass transit and a better infrastructure is what is needed most.
jeff@rmdnevada.com.
Ride sharing on the islands needs to become the primary source of transportation for visitors and locals alike. As ride sharing continues to catch on in the mainland the islands will follow. Sooner the better for the islands.
How will it get thousands of cars off the roads? That makes no sense because the people will still be out and about in an Uber car. It is just a different car. If they were all packed in a bus, now that would make sense!
You must be working for Uber!!!
Makani…. The letter is self explanatory on how to get thousands of cars off our roads. Uber and Lyft will continue to grow as needed. The cab drivers would be better off and part of the solution as well. So I say if 5000 tourists decided to not rent a car and instead use Lyft and Uber it would get approx: 2000+ rental cars off our roads daily. The uber service is not another car taking place of the rental 1 for 1. All the potential uber drivers are already in the daily traffic and growing . Our bus system leaves you walking with your luggage oh wait can’t bring luggage on bus. And I’m retired and don’t work or have Uber stock or affiliated in any way.
Start by having the Kauai bus go from the north shore to the airport in just one bus, not 2. Last time I took the bus from Princeville to the airport it took 3 hours, due to driver going off route to drop someone off, then missed connection to the Lihue shuttle. We missed our flight. Never again. Better to rent a car for a day.
The only new roads we have are in Lihue/puhi corridor and near the airport. Everywhere else is a highway built for 1960 s traffic. The new repaving is great from Kapaa Lihue but we need a solution not a patch. The busses need to family our work force by getting them to hotels. If the buses are ate serving the hotels it will improve visitor ridership as well.
Ride shares are a valuable addition to transportation for people. On a rural island like Kaua’i, it is not feasible as a significant solution to traffic problems. It makes sense for urban areas, but Kaua’i will always have traffic, ride shares or not. People won’t give up their freedom of their own cars. The islands will not follow the mainland in its ride share acceptance.