Question: Is the left-turn lane added at the intersection of Kahekili Highway and Kamehameha Highway permanent?
Answer: “This left-turn is temporary. When the project moves on to the next phase there will be enough room to support the left-turn and the through-lane Kaneohe-bound,” Shelly Kunishige, a spokesperson for Hawaii’s Department of Transportation, said in an email Wednesday, referring to the Kahaluu Roundabout project, which is transforming the T-intersection at Kahekili and Kamehameha highways into a circular traffic intersection, known as a roundabout.
The temporary left-turn lane is expected to be in use for about five weeks as crews continue to build the northeast section of the roundabout, after which they will build the west and south sections, on the Hygienic Store side, according to the DOT. Current work hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., it said.
Read more about the scope and timeline of the project at kahekiliroundabout.com .
Q: Recently a friend dropped me off at the airport and we had such a hard time finding disability parking close to the elevator that she ended up dropping me off at the curb rather than parking and walking with me to the ticket counter as planned, to assist with luggage. Is there disability parking on every level?
A: There are disability spaces on each floor of the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 parking structures, but only on the ground floor of the International Parking Garage, according to the website of the Honolulu airport, which says:
“Accessible parking spaces are available in all parking structures and lots for persons holding valid placards.
“In the International Parking Garage, accessible spaces are located on the ground level of the structure.
“In Terminal 2 Parking Garage, accessible spaces are located at each end of each floor and on the ground level of the structure.
“In Terminal 1 Parking Garage, accessible spaces are located near the elevators on each floor, at the center and each end of the structure.”
Q: Regarding rising airport parking fees (808ne.ws/3W2cWc5), how much was overnight parking before they started these annual increases?
A: The maximum daily rate for parking at the Honolulu airport was $18 on Dec. 31, 2022, the day before the state began incremental rate increases that will persist through July 1, 2027, when the maximum daily rate will reach $30. The maximum daily rate is $24 for now, but will rise to $25 on July 1. For the full current rate structure, plus increases scheduled through 2027, see the state Department of Transportation website at 808ne.ws/ hnlpark.
Q: Regarding personalized license plates, can I order online if I’m not getting it for my own car? It would be a gift for my daughter.
A: Yes, you can order a personalized license plate online as a gift if the recipient’s vehicle is already registered in Honolulu, according to the city’s website. Personalized license plates, also known as vanity plates, cost $60 a year, in addition to all standard registration fees and taxes, the website says. Learn more at honolulu.gov/csd.
Mahalo
Mahalo plenty to whoever found my Holo senior bus pass after it had slipped from my pocket outside of Kahala Mall’s Chili’s on Tuesday; to Dottie (Chili’s hostess), who called when it had been found; and to the restaurant’s manager, who held it for safekeeping until I got there. My Holo bus pass is “gold” to me: It represents my primary mode of getting around town. I also mahalo the two TheBus drivers who permitted me to board sans my pass and waived fare payments, first to return home, the second time to retrieve my pass from Chili’s (the second driver was in training — Hooray! — and got approval from her supervisor). Mahalo, too, to Kahala 8’s theatre manager and Kahala Mall’s security for taking my information and being on the lookout for my bus pass. — Thankful kupuna
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
