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A heralded proposal for a third major shipper to Hawaii from the West Coast sounded overly optimistic from the get-go. But this being an island state with the high cost of living that brings, we wanted to believe.
But alas, there’s now an indefinite halt to the cargo-transport plans by maritime company TOTE Inc. and shipbuilder Philly Shipyard Inc. No new competition means no new potential for shipping options and lower costs for consumers. Among other things, TOTE had hoped to start using two piers at Honolulu Harbor for two ships in 2020, and that would have involved tweaking the state’s improvement plan for the harbor that recently got underway. A mere two years for the state to rejigger a sizable project? Talk about wishful thinking.
Waikiki sidewalks for walking, not selling
The City Council has long struggled to keep commercial activity from taking over Oahu’s most popular attractions — public beach parks being a prime example. Now comes Bill 6, introduced by Councilman Trevor Ozawa, to keep hawkers and their kiosks-on-wheels off Waikiki sidewalks. It’s a good idea.
Kiosk owners take advantage of a loophole in city ordinances that gives them free access to Waikiki sidewalks, including Kalakaua Avenue, one of the nation’s highest-ranking shopping streets for sales volume. That’s why brick-and-mortar stores pay top dollar to rent space there.
Besides, public sidewalks are for pedestrians. They should be able to walk through Waikiki without being pestered by sales pitches.
