County transforms ‘Mud Bowl’ into Park & Ride

KALAHEO — The area known as the “Mud Bowl” is gone.

County Parks and Recreation Director Lenny Rapozo said the unimproved area which accommodated Kalaheo Neighborhood Center’s overflow parking had been affectionately known as “Da Mud Bowl” by users.

On Monday, the completed renovation of the area was dedicated as the county Transportation Department’s latest Park and Ride site.

Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. congratulated the many county departments involved in the project.

Rapozo said the project was done in-house following the formation of the Park and Ride Task Force.

Funding for the project came from the Transportation Agency with Public Works engineers designing the project to Americans with Disabilities Act specifications.

Work was done through the efforts of the County Attorney’s office, Public Works’ roads, building and maintenance crews, the Planning Department, the recreation programs division and the Parks crew, Rapozo said.

“This is one instance of everyone working together to benefit all the people, seniors, and the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center,” Carvalho said. “The celebration of the new Park and Ride site is a tribute to the work done by the county’s employees.”

Carvalho said the new Park and Ride site is located conveniently near the bus stop and allows community residents to travel on The Kaua‘i Bus from the Kalaheo area.

“People can take the bus into Lihu‘e, do errands, and return without having to worry about traffic,” he said.

Rapozo said when the area is not being used as a Park and Ride site, users of the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center benefit from the additional parking spaces which become available.

“People from the basketball program were asking to move the barriers so they could use the parking spaces Saturday,” Rapozo said. “Look at it, now. There’s no mud anywhere.”