Question: I went to Honolulu Airport to pick up my grandson. I entered the "all other airlines" parking area by the interisland terminal. Soon after entering, I was very surprised to see that the entrance was blocked off, and I had no choice but to exit the parking area. The attendant said I had to use the upstairs entrance on the departure floor. Fortunately, I knew how to go around and get back to the right place, but it is confusing. The attendant said they often have to spend time giving people instructions, holding up the line and making people very cranky. How many visitors or locals who are not familiar with that area get lost? If they miss their flight, does the airport or construction company reimburse them? Why are there no signs when entering the airport and at the gate of the parking entrance, saying the entrance is closed? Why are there no instructions on how to find the entrance from there?
Answer: The state Department of Transportation believes travelers and visitors have been adequately warned about the parking situation at Honolulu Airport.
It says signs are posted about the closure, and it points to continual news media reports, news releases and website updates.
As for getting reimbursed for missing a flight, that’s not going to happen.
As always, travelers are advised to arrive two to three hours in advance of their flights to accommodate unanticipated delays, a DOT spokesman said.
He said signs are posted at the ground-level entrance of the interisland and international terminal parking structures notifying travelers that the ground-level entrance to the overseas terminal parking structure is closed.
"Unfortunately, many motorists don’t stop to read these signs and continue through the parking gate" only to find that entrance closed, he said.
They must then leave through the exit pavilion, make a U-turn and proceed upstairs to the second-level overseas structure entrance.
"This generally takes five minutes or less, depending on the number of vehicles exiting the parking area at that time," the spokesman said. Parking lot attendants at the exit pavilion do provide directions, he said.
The ground-level entrance to the overseas terminal was closed in July for construction of the Interim Consolidated Rental Car facility.
Honolulu Airport’s website posted information about the parking situation, which "has been continually updated with new changes," the DOT spokesman said.
He said the DOT issued a news release announcing the changes in July, then issued four subsequent releases, the last one on March 9.
Question: Regarding the Kokua Line item about work on the rail (bit.ly/1DzaoyK), it appears that the Pearl City-Aiea area will be tied up for at least two more years. So how can they say the project will be completed by 2018 or 2019, when the entire route runs through the dense urban core and there’s all sorts of archaeological and engineering issues in downtown Honolulu? Can HART clarify how they plan to get the last half completed in less time when Pearl City-Aiea is still not completed and won’t be for another two years?
Answer: Whatever issues and obstacles may be encountered, the Honolulu
Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) is still predicting a 2019 completion date for the 20-mile system.
Construction of the airport and city center sections is scheduled to begin next year, allowing the selected contactors at least 3 years to complete the urban Honolulu portion of the route by the end of 2019, said HART spokesman Scott Ishikawa.
In 2016 and 2017, construction will take place simultaneously along the entire 20-mile rail alignment, he said.
Work will be done through separate contracts on each of the route’s four phases: West Oahu/Waipahu, Kamehameha Highway in Pearl City/Aiea, the Pearl Harbor-Airport area and urban Honolulu.
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
