Honolulu Life - TRAFFIC

I know you won't feel all that sorry for me, but traffic in Honolulu is awful. It rates as the #1 city in terms of drive time (Phoenix is number 29) and number 38 (Phoenix is number 15) in overall traffic congestion. The reason this is so surprising and to put it in perspective, is because Phoenix, is one of the 5 largest cities in the US - Honolulu tops the charts at number 48. Can you IMAGINE how bad things would be here if there were as many people here as in Phoenix metro area? What makes Honolulu traffic so miserable is a combination of things: 1) one major freeway through Honolulu 2) there is a narrow strip of land between the ocean and the mountains on which to actually drive a car 3) no place to detour due to one way streets and dead-ends.

The infastructure here leaves a little something to be desired and the planning of the actual H-1 was either incredibly late or poorly done. Imagine my surprise at learning I had to turn LEFT to get on the freeway from Waikiki (the first 10 times I drove right past it because it is so poorly marked). Granted, its an older city (older than Phoenix), and yet, it didn't become a state until 1959 (read: no major tax dollars). The truth is, that it is a miracle that modern life can be experienced here at all. The more you realize how much work it takes to live on an island (do you realize that most of our PINEAPPLES are shipped here from Costa Rica now?!), the more you realize that you really have to love it here to make it happen-they call it the "Paradise Tax". Lots of people don't mind paying it, but island living IS a little strange, and that is why there aren't more people in this paradise. I don't think that the previous leaders of Honolulu and the state of Hawaii ever imagined that THIS many people would live here.

Here are some pictures of the 4th biggest bottleneck in Hononlulu. Keep in mind, that this picture was taken on a SATURDAY morning while Jeff and I were sitting (literally, NOT MOVING) in traffic. The first picture is the traffic in front of us, the second is the traffic behind us. You can see that we are on the OFF ramp of the freeway.

Pictures of traffic aren't all that fascinating..so let me leave you with the OTHER picture we took that day, as we were sitting in traffic, that really showcases the ironies of living on an island...a TREE growing out of the side of the freeway.

I guess if the tree can thrive on the SIDE of the freeway, with car exhaust all around, with no dirt and only water the drips down after a rain, that we too can survive the traffic. Afterall, at least I have a place to put down roots.

Aloha!

Light Rail Relief?!

I am and was a full supporter of the light rail expansion in Phoenix area. I also always vote for more freeways too...because I can see the difference that the creation of SR51, SR101 and the SR143..and because we can barely make roads fast enough, I really wanted the light rail. While it makes sense that the first phase of the light rail enhance the development of ASU with providing students a direct route...I would love to see more of it (hello, Voters...are you listening?!!! Are you REGISTERED?) Take a look at where light rail is approved to go already...and where someday, about 20 years from now, we might approve it. Do you people have ANY idea of how much space this DOESN'T cover? The irony is that the fastest growing areas, are the outlying areas, the people who do the most driving..and light rail isn't even on the radar there....nothing out by the stadium...nothing in Chandler/Mesa/Gilbert and nothing for downtown Scottsdale, let alone North Scottsdale...or the new shopping mall (with a Nordstroms and other "shi shi" stores) at 56th St, north of the 101.
What'a bummer.
Pretty soon, walking will be the fastest way to get somewhere....including L.A.