The county will add free parking on Ali‘i Drive in Kailua-Kona on Thursday by turning a portion of the road into a one-way street.
The county will add free parking on Ali‘i Drive in Kailua-Kona on Thursday by turning a portion of the road into a one-way street.
Forty-six free stalls will overtake the northbound (mauka) lane of Ali‘i Drive between Kailua Pier and Hualalai Road in an ongoing effort to improve parking access for the Kona Historic Business District.
Ali‘i Drive will remain a southbound-only one-way street for a 90-day trial period while the county assesses any changes in traffic congestion or the need to synchronize any of the stoplights.
“This pilot project grew out of community concerns over the lack of affordable parking in Kailua Village,” said Mayor Kimo Alameda. “By providing free parking along Ali‘i Drive, we can create a more vibrant and accessible community for our residents and businesses.”
Ross Wilson, executive director of the Kailua Village Business Improvement District, said community members at the parking meetings he’s attended were “excited that Mayor Alameda and his administration are trying to find a solution to add more free parking” in the shopping area, where privately-owned lots charge $12 to $21 per hour for parking.
“There’s no easy solutions (because) there’s no county or state land around historic Kailua Village, so I give the administration, especially Deputy Managing Director Merrick Nishimoto and acting Public Works Director Neil Azevedo kudos for leading the effort,” Wilson said. “I’m very happy with it.”
Wilson said the change of making Ali‘i Drive one-way will “take some getting used to for a lot of community members” and is likely to cause some traffic disruption. He added that he’s eager to see how the 90-day trial period goes, and remains confident that Alameda’s administration will develop a “Plan B that is workable for this historic village” if the road changes starting on Thursday can’t be a permanent solution.
The addition of a mix of straight and angled parking stalls will be done through lines painted by the Department of Public Works, requiring no construction. The county requires all 45-degree angled stalls be reversed into to give the driver a better view of oncoming traffic when exiting.
Email Kyveli Diener at kdiener@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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