Nix public-street parking plan

The Honolulu City Council is headed in the wrong direction with a bill that would allow certain Oahu neighborhoods to restrict public street parking to area residents, and require those residents to pay for the privilege.

Such strategies have been tried elsewhere to relieve street congestion. However, Hawaii’s cherished public access to beaches, mountain trails and other natural and cultural resources is unique in the nation, and demands that the Council avoid any well-intended scheme that could backfire to impede that access.

Councilwoman Carol Fukunaga said she introduced Bill 52 to address the concerns of constituents living in the Prospect Street area, where free street parking often is occupied by motorists who work nearby but do not live in the neighborhood.

The Bill won the first of three needed Council approvals and is scheduled to be heard next in the Transportation Committee. The measure should be shelved there, as it represents an approach that risks converting public assets into private ones without solving chronic traffic and parking issues in crowded neighborhoods, and all while imposing a new fee on Oahu residents and visitors.

It can be frustrating to live in neighborhoods that attract large numbers of nonresident motorists on a daily basis — those near colleges and large high schools, major employers and popular hiking trailheads and beaches are just a few examples. But owning a home or business does not guarantee the property owner the right to also monopolize nearby public street parking, extending the reach of whatever vehicle space is available within the confines of their private property, such as a garage, driveway or, for businesses, parking lot.

Under the measure, residents could band together, petition the city to establish “restricted parking zones” in their neighborhoods and pay for exclusive rights to park there. Fees proposed in the measure vary according to the type of permit and status of the motorist; a two-year permit for residents would be $65, for example, while a single-day permit for guests of RPZ-eligible residents would be $1 a day.

This approach has pros and cons, but the potential problems outweigh the benefits:

>> The measure imposes an additional fee where none now exists, and is sure to cause a ripple effect, simply moving the parking crunch from one neighborhood to another. The RPZs and attendant fees, then, also are sure to cascade until there is precious little non-fee street parking left.

>> Fair, lawful use of the permit program would be difficult to enforce on an ongoing basis, fueling a potential black market that could see RPZ members “scalping” their resident and guest parking privileges at the increased expense of motorists not in the group.

>> Neighborhoods within easy access of popular recreational sites seem likely to seek the restricted parking status, which would impede public access by those not lucky enough, or wealthy enough, to live in the neighborhood. For example, neighborhoods near Manoa Falls, Lanikai Beach and Maunawili Trail all have reported undue traffic congestion, real problems that merit a thoughtful response. Charging for parking, and continuously limiting it to neighborhood residents is not the answer, however.

Oahu’s lack of affordable parking creates headaches every day for people trying to get to work, tourists trying to enjoy their vacations and residents who would prefer their neighborhoods not be clogged with cars, especially those of people who live elsewhere. Those real problems demand real solutions, not a Band-Aid like Bill 52 that would simply punt the parking problem from one neighborhood to another.