Mayor Rick Blangiardi kicks off town hall series in Ewa

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi hosted a town hall Tuesday night at Ewa Makai Middle School, where he committed to a site visit at Makakilo Drive following calls from residents to extend the road and alleviate local traffic congestion.

Dozens of people attended the meeting, which started at 7 p.m., to speak to the mayor and roughly 30 employees representing most of the City & County of Honolulu’s executive branch departments.

The first half-hour or so consisted of updates on major projects from the city’s leadership.

Then the staff fielded questions from the public, which covered neighborhood-specific matters as well as islandwide concerns.

One of the more popular topics brought up by residents was a long-stalled project to extend Makakilo Drive, which received applause from the audience when residents advocated for a speedy construction.

One resident said motorists drive 2 to 10 miles longer on their commutes because of the congested and limited entry to, and exit from, Makakilo, adding that the extension project has been promised for over 20 years.

An early plan from the city’s Department of Transportation Services project sought to extend the top of Makakilo Drive and connect it to North-South Road. Residents said the commute of Makakilo residents would improve if the road was extended.

Makakilo resident Edward Ryglewicz called on Blangiardi to commit to prioritizing the project.

“Why not step up today, right now, and commit on the record that you will support everything possible to have this project completed,” Ryglewicz said to the mayor. “Wouldn’t that be a wonderful accomplishment for you and your team?”

Blangiardi said the project is expensive and complicated, but he committed to a site visit after Ryglewicz invited him to do so.

“I’ll make that commitment to you. … I will come out and personally do that with you,” Blangiardi said.

Roger Morton, director of the city’s Department of Transportation Services, said earlier in the town hall that the original plan, which included a 800-foot bridge over a gulch, was “exceptionally” expensive and complicated.

Morton said it would cost $60 million for construction, which included filling the gulch, but that estimate didn’t include inspections or property acquisitions. Plans are still in the works to alleviate the concerns of Makakilo residents, he said.

Other transportation issues, including problems using or obtaining bus passes by those with disabilities, were also raised during the town hall, as were concerns about property taxes, fireworks and homelessness.

Michael Kitchens, founder of Stolen Stuff Hawaii, a local anti-crime social media group, said homelessness is a growing issue in the Ewa area and a “major concern” for him.

“I’m starting to see them … in the newer parts of Ewa Beach around convenience stores,” he said. “It is quite bad,” he said. “I have children, and they are having to step over homeless (people).”

Tuesday night’s town hall was the first of a total of 11 such meetings planned by Blangiardi and his administration over the next 10 weeks. They are meant to provide opportunities for the public to express their concerns and suggestions directly to mayor and his staff.

While the mayor’s staff already fields public comments through monthly neighborhood board meetings across Oahu, Ewa Neighborhood Board Chair Mitchell Tynanes said the town halls allow for a more direct conversation between the public and the city’s highest elected officials.

“A lot of things get pushed and done when (elected officials) see first-hand what we’re talking about,” Tynanes said. “When they come out and feel the emotion from the community, I think it’s a big plus for any elected official to come out.”