So, here is what I was thinking last October tempered by what I see here in Toulouse.
Any one who drives, even occasionally, in Honolulu complains about the traffic. Potential solutions to the problem will be hotly debated by the candidates in current mayoral election.
Incumbent mayor, Mufi Hannemann, is a strong proponent of a rail system. Mayor Hannemann's opponent, Ann Kobayashi, is a strong poponent of ... Well it isn't exactly clear what Ms. Kobayashi supports, but she doesn't like trains much.
Regardless of the outcome of this election, new large-scale mass transit solutions lie in the (possibly distant) future. Traffic problems are with us right now and will worsen during the time it takes to implement large-scale solutions. So what do we do in the meantime?
In a simplistic sense, the cause of all traffic problems is simple: too many cars for the current roads to handle. So in the same simplistic sense, the solutions are also simple:
1. Build more roads. Probably not a viable solution. Oahu is a small island and there are better uses for land than paving it.
2. Make better use of the existing roads. There are lots of ways to improve circulation on our existing streets.
- Require schools, both public and private, to provide school bus service so that working parents don't need to drop their children off at school on their way to work.
- Realign some famously congested intersections to reduce gridlock, for example, the mauka end of Piikoi where it meets the freeway.
- Change laws to make it illegal to enter an intersection on a yellow light.
- Enforce traffic laws; ticket drivers who run red lights or block intersections.
2. Reduce the number of cars on the roads. To some extent, rising fuel costs are already reducing the number of cars on the road. Other, but extremely unpopular, measures could reinforce this trend.
- Increase tax on gasoline.
- Increase tax on new car sales.
3. Encourage the use of public transit. Honolulu has an excellent bus system. More people might use it if it were improved.
- Reduce fares (subsidized with increased gas taxes)
- Improve bus shelters. Many bus stops have no shelter and are very close to the roadway, making waiting for the bus hot (or wet), unpleasant and risky.
- Encourage employers to issue bus passes to employees.
- Encourage the University of Hawaii to issue bus passes.
- Improve bus schedules to reduce waiting times
- Make bike lanes
- Offer convenient, inexpensive bike rental stations
How will life be in Honolulu in ten years if we do nothing now? Mayor Hannemann's proposed rail system is work examining, but it is not a great plan. It neglects at least three places were people need to go: Waikiki, the airport, and UH Manoa. The process that led to the currently proposed alignment lacked transparency. The plan is also very expensive.
If we do nothing to improve traffic in Honolulu the mayoral election and debate will be just more low sparks of well-heeled boys.
1 comment:
Several folks commented to me privately via email.
Dave from New York writes:
I think there are some other good ideas - many of which are unpopular:
Under (1), building more roads is not a good idea, but building extra carpool lanes is, I think.
Under (2), congestion pricing! Works like a charm in London, which is multiples of Honolulu in size, Complexity, traffic, etc. I don't know
if a ring-toll system is warranted, but HOT lanes on the highway could be done easily.
Under (3), bus rapid transit! BRT involves: dedicated right-of-way, scheduled service and a covered, gated waiting area where you pay for your ride before getting on the bus (like a rail system).
For (4), I have not seen the research on the extensive bike lane system in London but I suspect that you have to make sure to not take away a lane of road for the bikes. Also, I'd reference the apparently successful Paris municipal bike system.
Finally, I would be a lot more harsh on the rail system...rail is wayyy too expensive given the amount of money available for transit projects - BRT is a much, much better bang for the buck in small cities.
Some pretty good suggestions there, I'm not sure about the bang for buck comment, though. There may be more funds available than Dave might think.
Marg from Victoria writes:
The Greater Victoria region does have an excellent bus service including additional buses on heavily used routes at peak times daily. The gaps start to show up, as far as timing and time needed goes, on the longer runs, e.g. from the ferry into the city, or from Sooke into the city, when they stretch out into 1 per hour.
UVic and Camosun college in Greater Victoria both issue bus passes to students but the students pay for them as part of their ‘student union fees’. It is therefore not a choice to have a pass, but rather a choice to use them. Many do especially as parking on both campuses is very pricy and very limited.
Bicycles are also very popular in this city. About 15 years ago, a group of cyclists formed the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition (GVCC). They went on to lobby all municipal governments (Victoria City, Saanich, Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Colwood, View Royal, Langford, etc.) to put in place bicycle paths and lanes, as well as bike parking slots throughout the region. The work they have done has certainly paid off. The region is bike friendly for the most part and it still a work in progress. However, each municipality council has a cycling planning ctte with elected and public participation. The outcome of these cttes across the region is that each municipality has a plan in place and a time frame to accomplish it. Work is ongoing and expanding – it is not seen as a finite thing.
There are still yahoo car drivers and also yahoo cyclists. There have been some nasty cases of deliberate side swiping of cyclists by nasty people driving trucks – usually young drunk males. As for yahoo cyclists, wheels are wheels and they belong on roads not sidewalks!! Walkers lie me really get pissed off when some cyclist calls out ‘track’ , etc. at the last minute when they are a meter behind me on a sidewalk.
Another part of the GVCC lobbying and publicity plan was Bike to Work Week – now into its 10th year and very popular. It is supported by the provincial snivel serpents union. I believe San Francisco and some Oregon cities also have the same.
We are still without rapid transit here. It is still being ‘talked about’ and ‘studied’. They are old unused rail beds between Victoria City and the Airport – what a gift! Maybe one day, the political will actually become a political decision to go for it. The airport/ferry traffic and the commuter traffic between the city centre and Mill Bay (over the Malahat) is very busy. We are also an earthquake zone and the only way out of or into Victoria by road is over the Malahat! Disaster planning cttes have been pushing transit issues for years to no avail so far.
I really like the bus pass idea for students.
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