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JAMM AQUINO/ 2006
Aloha Stadium has added events before and after the game to help space out traffic flow at Saturday’s game.
The contractor working on the rail rapid transit project around Aloha Stadium has arranged to have at least two west-bound lanes of Kamehameha Highway open before and after today’s season-opening University of Hawaii football game.
At least one town-bound lane of the highway west of the stadium will also be open.
In addition, Aloha Stadium plans to employ additional parking cashiers, electronic billboards, police officers and some new traffic routes to expedite traffic around rail construction and the swap meet for the University of Hawaii’s football home opener Saturday.
Officials have said they project a crowd of about 25,000 for the 6 p.m. game with Tennessee Martin.
(Incoming traffic and parking)
>> Entrance through Gate 1 (Main Salt Lake) ADA, Bus Lot and Sections 1-7 only (passes only). Use Kamehameha Highway or Salt Lake Blvd.
>> Entrance through Gate 2 (North Kamehameha) Parking Sections 8-14 only (passes only). Use Kamehameha Highway.
>> Public parking entrance through Gate 3 (Halawa) Upper and Lower Halawa parking lots only. Use Kahuapaani St. only. The public is encouraged to use Gate 3 where additional parking cashiers will be added to all lanes.
>> Public parking entrance through Gate 4 (Lower Salt Lake) Upper and Lower Halawa parking lots only. Use Kahuapaani St. only.
>> Entrance through Business Access Gate Upper Halawa Reserved (passes only); Use Salt Lake Blvd. or Kahuapaani St.
Source: Aloha Stadium
In addition, the stadium plans pregame and postgame events in the hope of spacing out traffic flow.
“We’re trying to find ways to make the drive in and out a lot better experience for our guests,” stadium manager Scott Chan said.
The stadium also is resuming swap meets on game-day Saturdays for the first time since 2009.
As part of the changes, which could last much of the football season, stadium officials said, “public parking for upper and lower Halawa parking lots will have access through Gates 3 & 4, opening at 1 p.m.”
It said, “Gate 3 is recommended for fans and will have additional parking attendants to allow for ease of entrance. All other lots (UH Reserved) will open at 2 p.m.”
Turnstile Gates 1-8 are scheduled to open to the public starting at 4:30 p.m., with the exception of Gate 7 opening at 3:30 p.m. for the new north plaza Fan Zone and Xtreme Fun Keiki Zone. In addition, there will be a modified Aloha Stadium Swap Meet & Marketplace from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in sections 8-14. Swap Meet entrance will be at Gate 2 only, closing at noon. Gate 2 will reopen to the public at 2 p.m. for the game.
According to the Aloha Stadium, there will be no public parking available on the inner circle, except for the limited number of ADA stalls. The ADA stalls will be open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis and parking attendants will be asking for ADA placards and ADA-issued identification cards. Customers who are unable to produce the placard and the ID card to match a person inside the vehicle will not be allowed to park in the ADA areas.
Alternate parking will be available at Radford High School, Kam Drive-In and Leeward Community College, with security present at each site, though no tailgating will be permitted at the alternate sites.
The Xtreme Fun Keiki Zone has been relocated to north plaza parking section 8a, with rides and activities running from 1 p.m. through the game kickoff.
The Keiki Zone will offer rides, an art wall, keiki ID kits, a beer garden and a merchandise shop.
After the game, saimin will be available at the South Eas Plaza Spiral, where fans can listen to the ESPN 1420 post-game radio broadcast.
U.H. Manoa and the C&C of Honolulu should collaborate with the State of Hawaii on a 40,000 seat metro area stadium either at the sites of the old Honolulu Stadium and Bowl-o-drome or raze the Varsity Circle/Puck’s Alley area. A football-only field would be smaller in size and allow for a steep, closer-to-the action structure sitting atop a 15-level garage, rail transit station, and restaurant hoard. Luxury boxes would adorn the loge rim below the upper deck.
Howzabout put a new stadium way the F out in Kapolei so it can be exclusively “rail serviced” and oh so convenient, since the Rail Fail is going to be ramrodded through regardless?
How about at the entrance of the Ho’opili development?
I’m sure EVERYONE going west to see games will ride the choo choo and NOT drive/tailgate. WIN-WIN-WIN right??
How about we move Waikiki to Middle Street, and move downtown to the middle of the rail line? Let’s put the mayor’s office and city council to the ugliest spot on the rail. Let the mayor and council members ride the rail enough times to put it in the black. Is that possible? Remember, ON TIME, ON BUDGET!
What a mess. Our city and state can’t move traffic, and our stadium folks probably can’t either but we can’t tell because the others do such a bad job.
When rail is finished, people will have a easy hassle free train ride to and from the stadium. No hassle with traffic jams and parking.
Kids, don’t do drugs.
This is your brain on drugs. Showing an egg frying in a pan. Any questions?
“The Keiki Zone will offer rides, an art wall, keiki ID kits, a beer garden and a merchandise shop.” I’m sure the beer garden will definitely enhance Keiki fun.
HART is hiding the plans for the civic section from the public that cost the taxpayers over 40 million. These plans will show construction in Downtown that will stop traffic almost completely on Nimitz and Ala Moana.
Not surprised. One of the news stations reported that HART (under Grabauskas) was deliberately withholding information from the board by doctoring and reclassifying invoices. This and many more certainly should be investigated and hopefully will result in criminal charges against the former CEO.
Nobody uses their ADA ID cards and nobody ever requests them, other than Aloha Stadium.