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Kahului 2070: Maui's Metropolitan/TOD Plan

Wayne Yoshioka

O’ahu isn’t the only island where transit oriented development is being considered for the future.

 

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
Marc Takamori, Maui Department of Transportation

Kahului 2070 is Maui County’s long-range concept plan for transit oriented development.   The plan calls for the current bus transit hub at the Queen Ka’ahumanu Shopping Center to move to the other side of the street to a state-owned property by 2020.  Marc Takamori is with the County’s Department of Transportation.

 

“Our transit system is a hub and spoke system so, at the top and bottom of every hour, you’re gonna see buses either arriving or leaving Queen Ka’ahumanu Center.  So, I we’re gonna move that hub area far away from Queen Ka’ahumanu Center, the Lahaina route are not going to be able to meet up at the top of the bottom of the hour.  What’s nice is that its right across the street so it’s not gonna really impact our bus services that much.”

 

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
Lauren Armstrong, executive director, Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization

The County provided 650-thousand dollars for the transit center’s planning and design and the state appropriated 2.5 million for construction.   The transit center will be adjacent to affordable and senior housing.  New street classifications are also being adopted.  Lauren Armstrong is executive director of the Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization.

 

“Our Public Works Department is looking at redesigning Kane street to implement safety measures such as taking away a vehicle travel lane to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.  We recognize this is a really critical part of having the transit hub be successful, part of the community and really a catalyst for this new type of development we want to see on Maui.”

 

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
Dave Yamashita, planner with Parks and Recreation

The County planning department is also tying land use to transportation design to support mixed use communities and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. Dave Yamashita is a Maui county planner focusing on redevelopment.

 

“This is about connections, about mixed use and then, creating a 20-minute neighborhood.  So, within 20 minutes, you can walk to get basic services, your groceries, you can go shopping, go to the beach.  So the transit center is not just one project but it’s one part of a redevelopment effort.”

 

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
Pam Eaton, director, Long-Range Planning Division

The County is also planning to rewrite its 57 year-old zoning code and integrate the bus system, land use and development to create a transit corridor to connect Kahului to Wailuku.  Pam Eaton is Maui’s long-range planning division chief.

 

“So, we’re basically looking for these two really great, compact communities, very high in services, University of Hawai.i, medical where people and of course, one is the County’s seat of government and then connecting them through a transit corridor.”

 

For HPR News, I’m Wayne Yoshioka.

Wayne Yoshioka
Wayne Yoshioka is an award-winning journalist who has worked in television, print and radio in Hawaiʻi. He also has been on both sides of politics as a state departmental appointee and political/government reporter. He covered Hurricane Iwa (1982) as a TV reporter; was the State Department of Defense/Civil Defense spokesperson for Hurricane Iniki (1992); and, commanded a public affairs detachment in Afghanistan (2006). He has a master's degree in Communication from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is a decorated combat veteran (Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and 22 other commendation/service medals). He resides in Honolulu.
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