Traffic on Oahu

Traffic on Oahu

April 4, 2023  

By: Chloe Costa 

Oahu, Hawaii is known for having traffic issues, particularly in the Honolulu metropolitan area. The heavy traffic is mostly caused by the high volume of vehicles on the island's limited roadways, tourist attractions, and residential neighborhoods. This issue affects a wide range of people, including residents, tourists, and businesses. The issue of traffic in Oahu is important for several reasons, including economic, environmental, and social factors. The local issue has been reported on by local news outlets on a regular basis, especially during peak traffic hours and major events. The residents of Oahu face several challenges when in comes to traffic, including limited funding, political barriers, and resistance to change. Some ways to help better manage this issue would be to invest in public transportation,  public transportation options, such as increasing bus service frequency, expanding the rail network, and encouraging the use of alternative modes of transportation like biking or walking. These things can help reduce the number of cars on the road and decrease traffic congestion. The first person Ke Ali`i interviewed to ask about this pressing issue was someone with a short commute. Bea Garlitos, who lives in Waipahu, has a short commute to school and places like Pearl City. Arien Dezafra, was the second interviewee, who lives in Waianae and has a long commute to everywhere she goes. 

Firstly, traffic congestion can have a significant impact on the community.. To Bea Garlitos the traffic congestion is an issue even though she has a short trip to school. She states that “Traffic affects [her] commute to school [because] sometimes the traffic causes [her] to be late to [her] classes”. For Arien Defreza she has to “wake up at 4:30 am to [get dropped off] to [her] friend's house in Wai’anae and she would take [her] to school in the morning”. Then her commute back to Waianae involves her “getting home around 6 pm due to traffic.” According to Austin Frakt, a health economist, spending hours sitting in traffic can cause stress, frustration, and reduced productivity, while also limiting the amount of time available for leisure activities. Bea Garliots and Arien Defreza believe unsafe drivers that don’t follow the speed limit cause the accidents in Oahu which then tend to play a major role in traffic. Some drivers drive recklessly and cause accidents that lead to the congestion of traffic. Also they believe too many people are on the road and that’s including residents and tourists. 

Local news reports often highlight the causes and impacts of traffic congestion and inform viewers about traffic updates and alternative routes. Local news outlets have also covered the perspectives of residents, businesses, and tourists on the issue. They also have interviewed people who are affected by traffic and provided a platform for the community to voice their concerns and suggestions for addressing the issue. Overall, traffic issues in Oahu have been a topic of frequent news coverage due to their impact on the daily lives of residents and visitors alike. Local news outlets have played an important role in informing the public about the issue and the various efforts to address it.
Oahu has tried to address these issues by making “diamond lanes” and the “zipper lanes”. These lanes are used as car pool lanes that allow for more vehicles to pass through the area in a shorter amount of time, helping to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow. Bea believes that the zipper lane makes “more lanes present, [so] then it’ll make it somewhat faster to travel”. Also to Arien, the zipper lane is a major help for her because she does “live [on] the westside.” So this helps her “get to school much faster”.  But even though the zipper lane does help some people like Bea and Arien, they don't have it open all day and once there's an accident on the zipper lane it's hard to move the cars out the way cause they can't get into the lane. 

Despite this challenge, the community in Oahu has achieved some successes in addressing traffic congestion. For example, the government has invested in several transportation infrastructure projects, such as the Honolulu Rail Transit project, which aims to provide a fast and efficient mode of transportation for commuters. There have also been efforts to improve bus  services, create more bike lanes, and implement innovative traffic management systems. Additionally, community organizations and advocates have played a significant role in promoting alternative modes of transportation and encouraging people to adopt more sustainable transportation habits. There have also been campaigns to promote carpooling, cycling, and walking, as well as efforts to raise awareness about the environmental and health benefits of reducing traffic congestion. 

Bea Garliots states that “there are some roads… that are kind of ugly and bumpy which are kind of dangerous, but they make a lot of cars drive slow…by making the roads that aren’t already smooth, smooth.” This involves providing speed bumps to help drivers drive safer so we have less accidents that cause less traffic. Arien Defreza believes our community should actually “ [reduce] speed limits and there should be more police on the highway and freeway”. Arien “also [believes] that tickets should be reinforced so if a person gets one ticket, then he should be put on probation, and if [a person has] two or more then that person's car should be taken away”. These opinions are just some solutions of what our community can do, the people of Oahu can help this issue by investing in public transportation. Encouraging carpooling and ride-sharing can help reduce the number of cars on the road and alleviate congestion. The most important solution is to use our voices and speak up about Oahu’s traffic congestion. 

The traffic issue in Oahu is a huge and pressing issue. The causes of this issue has a major effect on everyone. By working together as a community we can help reduce the traffic congestion. Solutions to this issue include the need to encourage carpooling, public transportation, creating more zipper lanes, and also speaking up. A combination of these solutions may be necessary to achieve a meaningful and effective result. Ke Ali`i believes..together, we can beat the traffic.