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Three rail-transit hubs in Kapolei proposed | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper
Posted on: Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Three rail-transit hubs in Kapolei proposed

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Staff Writer

WAIPAHU TRANSIT MEETING TONIGHT

City officials will brief the Waipahu community tonight on the draft plan for two Transit-Oriented Development sites associated with the upcoming $5.4 billion rail project.

The meeting take place 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Waipahu Elementary School cafeteria at 94-465 Waipahu St.

Two major transit stops are planned for the Farrington Highway corridor in Waipahu, one on each side of town. The first is at Mokuola intersection near Waipahu Depot Road. The other is at Leokü Street near the Waipahu Town Center.

For more information, go to www.honoluludpp.org/planning.

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The city has tentatively identified three spots as locations for Transit-Oriented Development hubs in the soon-to-be-bustling East Kapolei region for the $5.4 billion commuter rail line.

The West O'ahu public will get its first chance to learn about, and comment on, the proposed transit stops at a public information meeting held by the city Department of Planning and Permitting from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Hale Pono'i Building, 91-5420 Kapolei Parkway.

The Kapolei meeting could be lively. A number of 'Ewa Beach residents are miffed that the first segment of the rail line does not go into their community while a host of Kapolei/Makakilo residents are unhappy it doesn't go deeper west into their neighborhood.

The tentative sites are:

  • At the planned Kroc Center on North-South Road, at or near the proposed East-West Connector Road. It would be the westernmost stop for the first segment of the rail project.

  • A short distance from the eastern border of the University of Hawai'i at West O'ahu's first phase, also along North-South Road.

  • In the heart of the proposed Ho'opili community, a 11,500-unit project which would rival Mililani in size.

    The planning process for the three TOD hubs is expected to take at least a year.

    Planning for the TOD sites are being closely watched because as hubs for housing, business and employment, they could spur development for those areas and increase property values.

    Two TOD hubs were identified for Waipahu, and the community there began developing plans for the two locations a year ago. The city is presenting a draft plan to the public there tonight.

    Mayor Mufi Hannemann urged the public to attend the TOD meetings.

    "The bottom line is we really want to encourage the community to please come out and participate," Hannemann said yesterday. "This is your plan, this is your vision. This is your future. ... No rail, no transit-oriented development. It's as simple as that."

     Advertiser staff writer Dan Nakaso contributed to this report.

    Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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