Locals add to traffic woes, too
This is an open and response letter to Howard Tolbe’s letter to the editor published on May 22, in which “He favors banning visitor rental cars on parts of the island.” Really? Why? Have you really looked into the issue? What is your evidence?
For those just sitting on sidelines, it is always easier to make comments, statements, remarks, and yet have no idea how to really solve a problem or problems, much less how you would try to implement your plan to lessen the hazardous drivers on our roads and highways, addressing cars parking on the sides of the roads.
We are not on the Catalina Island where tourists aren’t allowed to drive around the island. I say good for them. States and counties have rules that make things easier and better for them. Maybe our Kaua‘i government could and should adopt a bunch of good stuff, too.
You lay all the blame on the tourists for all of the traffic problems. Are you aware that the locals are just as much to be blamed for our problems? I have nothing against the locals. I am a local, and I, too, add to our problems. Be honest and ask yourself, have you seen how many locals park their cars of the sides of the roads? Wake up, Mr. Tolbe, come out and smell the roses.
Let us use common sense. A local family of five or six might have the same number of cars in the household, five or six. They use our roads, and at times, I am positive they drive up to the Waimea Canyon, too. Or is it just easier to blame the tourists?
I am in no way an ‘expert on the traffic, or how to resolve this problem, but I do know that whatever our Kauai government did to try to solve the problem, there will always a traffic problem.
Consider the traffic in Kapa‘a. They added a bypass, widened the roads, and it did little to combat our traffic problems.
Here are some things I urge you to look at and take into consideration:
1. Are you in the decisionmaking position in to resolve and implement the problem?
2. Do you have a plan, an infrastucture, of what will be needed to implement these shuttle services?
3. Where are the tourists going to park their cars as they take the shuttle to the canyon? The Kekaha ball park, or on the sides of the roads?
4. If I were a tourist who wants to go to the canyon, Pu‘uhinahina, the Koke‘e State Park, and the Kalalau Lookout points, will there be shuttles at every lookout points, so I could go to their places?
5. Will I need to pay for all of the shuttles at every point, or will some sorts of provisions be made?
6. How often will the shuttle run, and what will the operation hours be?
7. Who will the shuttle be awarded to? On the North Shore, Polynesian Adventure has the shuttle.
8. I gathered that you were only referring to the car rentals, but not the bus loads of people, right? Or should that be added into the traffic problems?
My question is do you have an actual plan? What do you know about the tourist industry? You’re quick to blame them for our problems, but I don’t believe you’re in a decisionmaking position, nor do you have any concrete ideas how to deal with the traffic.
You wrote about hazardous drivers on our roads and highway because of the tourists. You never once mentioned about the locals. Yes!! Blame the tourists for the traffic. Blame them like we blame them for our drug problems.
You do have the right to say anything you’d want to under the First Amendment, as I have the right to write this letter.
You are right. We do have a traffic problem.
Ray Domingo, Lihu‘e
I would like to add to the traffic issues in the canyon. As we look towards changes coming you should look at how the state started implementing fees for visitors. The machines installed to collect entry fees are a joke. They have to hire full time staff to assist in working these woefully poorly designed machines. I have seen lines of visitors lined up 15 deep to pay. Ridiculous, not to mention frustrating for everyone. The workers have the patience of Job, I might add. The point is I hope whoever implemented this collection method does not design coming much needed changes to canyon traffic. I am up there all the time and I see dumb parking by local and rental cars alike, no monopoly there!
Tolbe is just amplifying what everybody is thinking. Don’t kill the messenger or the message!
Traffic is out of control, and County leadership has done little to help.
Mr. Domingo, “have you drive up these narrow roads during peak hours when tourists are out and parked vehicle/walking along the side of the road?” Or are you at home reading the newspaper online at your retirement age.
My work takes me driving up Koke’e State Park four times a week. I see the dangerous condition rental cars parked on the side or quarter of the road lane around blind curves. There has been a lot of near miss I’ve seen. There are tour bus , semi trucks, workers, and bicyclist.(ocasionally hikers walking up Koke’e Road to Route 552}. These renal vehicles makes it dangerous to be parked on /quarter of the road lanes for what is mention in the sentence before.
I’m not saying to ban rental vehicles completely. But to limit it to those who come to work for the day from other islands/states.
Yes, “there are a lot of local people with two or more vehicle on the road.” most of these local vehicle are used to and from work. It is parked for eight or more hours at the work place.
Tourists who come here are looking for adventure. What better way is there than to walk/ hike around the island.” To see the Waimea Canyon, Pu’uhinahina and Kalalau lookouts, catch the tour bus.
So, Mr. Domingo, “quit reading to much in it!”
Howard Tolbe/Eleele
Howard and Ray: you’re both right. However, with a county government that can’t even clean up the eyesore that is the wreckage of the Coco Palms after THIRTY YEARS of sitting there since Iniki, how can we expect them to do anything about something so integral to daily life as traffic? The truth is, it’s the nature of the bloated, pass-the-buck, and corrupt state bureaucracy to do nothing except preserve itself. Nothing will change that until the dumb voters on this island vote in different people instead of the same clowns who talk a good game about ‘aloha’ and ‘all in this together’ but at the end of the day, do absolutely nothing to correct the problems.
How soon we forget. During the pandemic when all those rental cars were parked around the island there was no issue getting around unless there was an accident that closed the only road around the island. Until they opened the island again I actually had an opportunity to shop in Kapa’a town!
Have no fear. The left has been implementing their “Green” plan for some time now. No, not the one to switch to cleaner energy. The one to take your earned green cash from you. Their plan includes driving up the price of gasoline to extreme record levels to where you will want get a more fuel efficient car. And we all know that we can all quickly run out and buy a new car that is averaging $46,526 now (source: Kelly Blue Book, Google). So now you can’t buy gas or a new car. So maybe just food? Well, you soon won’t be able to afford that either. Isn’t their “Green” plan wonderful?
Totally agree- limit rental cars on island… find ways to shuttle tourists about,,,