An alternative to traffic congestion and homelessness
Traffic on all of Kauai is getting worse by the day. Something needs to be done to accommodate the number of vehicles on our roads and to keep those vehicles moving.
Roads need to be repaired and widened.
Traffic signals need to be modernized.
But until funding is available to accomplish these improvements, perhaps there is an alternative.
Rather than funding the improvements to accommodate the volume of traffic, how about we develop strategies to reduce that traffic volume.
We all know that a large percentage of the vehicles on our roads are visitors. While many of these visitors only spend the day here on Kauai, the majority of them rent accommodations here on the island. Those accommodations are either a hotel room, a B&B, or a vacation rental.
Traffic can be somewhat reduced by reducing the number of visitors.
The number of visitors can be reduced by reducing the availability of accommodations.
Shutting down illegal vacation rentals and illegal B&Bs will not only provide for a reduction in traffic, it will also provide the availability of more long-term rentals on Kauai. More long-term rentals will likely bring the rental rates down. Simple economics! To steal the words from a comment in TGI, “Kill two birds with one stone.”
Reduce traffic congestion and possibly reduce homelessness.
To assure that our council members and our new mayor see this letter, I’m sending it to them as well as to The Garden Island.
Larry Joseph Arruda, Wailua Homesteads
