Traffic on the North Shore.

If you have moved here after 2001, you won't know what I am talking about so read and learn.

During the past 3 years there has been a significant change in traffic on the North Shore. Of course like it always was, it gets crowded over here when the weathermen forecast high surf warnings or surf contests run. Summers were relatively quiet on the North Shore. You can ask the founders of the Haleiwa Arts Festival J.G and G.A. . They started the festival back in 1998 because local Haleiwa businesses wanted to come up with some kind of way for people to come up to the North Shore during the summer. They were desperate for traffic, any kind of traffic. So a Festival was born.

But, things are different now. Any sunny warm Saturday or Sunday will inevitably cause a large traffic jam heading to the beach in the morning and heading toward town in the afternoon. The North Shore is experiencing classic beach commuter traffic jams. It is no different that Manhattan Beach in L.A. or Jones Beach in N.Y. If it is sunny andwarm, lets all go to the beach. Makaka - no too much homeless over there. They steal our stuff, stinky too. Koolina - no can park there. Ala Moana - no want to go to town. North Shore here we come!

But why traffic jams now and not three years ago? It is not the tourists. Yes tourists do come to the North Shore, but most of them come on weekdays. Most tourist arrivals and departures are on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They are not likely to do their mandatory trips to the North Shore on the day the get here or the day of their departure.

The state of the beaches on the West Side is greatly affecting the visitors who now choose to go to the North Shore. Aiea, Pearl City, Town, Waikele if you live there are you going Waianaie side? Are you going to ignore the obvious and walk through all those tents by the beach? The tents that are there EVERY DAY? Do you pack up your clean truck and park next to some scary looking homeless people who live on the beach and not worry about what is going to happen to your vehicle? The answer is no. You go to the North Shore. Check out the cars in traffic on Saturday and Sunday. They are mainly local families, teens and surfers coming from over the hill to hit the beach. Until the west side is safe and clean again. People are not going to go over there and the traffic on the North Shore is going to get worse no matter who builds what.

Is it "Turtle Beach's" fault. A little bit, but there are a lot of surfers there, fisherman, people who watch the people who watch the turtles and yes some tourists.

Is it Turtle Bays fault? No, Turtle Bay does not have any more people coming there than when it was a kegger and locals with Hibachi spot. Yeah the rates they charge are 4x as much as the old days but probably less people since they don't allow 10 per room anymore.

Is it Waikiki's fault? No, they are a little bit more full than before, but not crazy more.

Is it the homeless fault? Yes it is! The homeless on the West Side have everyone scared of going over there. So where do they go....Waikiki, Ala Moana, Koolina - NO WAY. They go to the North Shore - that is the reason the traffic is now bad on any sunny weekend day on the North Shore.

Clean up Makaha, and much less traffic on Kamehameha Hwy at "Turtle Beach" and every where else on this side.

Next Post There is only one solution to NS traffic.

Aloha,

HapaMother.