Question: Will there be a charge for parking at rail stations where parking is offered?
Answer: “There are no plans to charge for parking at rail stations at this time. The park-and-rides are meant for people to park and jump on a TheBus or train to continue to their destinations,” Travis Ota, spokesperson for the city’s Department of Transportation Services, said in an email.
The first phase of Oahu’s rail transit project is scheduled to open June 30, traversing a roughly 11-mile stretch through nine stations, from the Kualaka‘i Station in East Kapolei to the Halawa Station near Aloha Stadium. Trains are scheduled to arrive at stations every 10 minutes.
The system will open with a total of 1,275 parking spaces at the following five stations, according to the DTS website: Keone‘ae (UH West Oahu), 304 spaces; Honouliuli (Ho‘opili), 344 spaces; Ho‘ae‘ae (West Loch), temporary lot with 21 spaces; Kalauao (Pearlridge), temporary lot with 16 spaces; Halawa (Aloha Stadium), 590 spaces.
For more information, see honolulu.gov/rail.
Q: Are Narcan kits still being offered free to Hawaii residents? If so, how does one get it?
A: Yes. One option is to order online through the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, at hhhrc.org/naloxone. The website says orders are taking longer than usual to process — about two weeks — due to high demand for the medication that can stop the effects of an opioid overdose. Free naloxone kits from HHHRC contain two doses of Narcan nasal spray and are delivered by mail. “Naloxone can be provided by HHHRC staff to any individuals who want it. Our naloxone program is free and anonymous, and available on Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii island,” the website says.
Q: Does any type of disability qualify for a disability parking permit? My granddaughter suffers from anxiety, but she has achieved her driver’s license and does have two part-time jobs; worrying less about parking would help her a lot.
A: No, eligibility for a disability parking placard is limited to people (drivers or passengers) who have a mobility disability that prevents them from being able to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest or requires them to use a mobility aid device, according to the state Disability and Communication Access Board. A Hawaii doctor or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse must certify these conditions. Assuming that your granddaughter can walk unassisted, she would not qualify for a disability parking placard.
Mahalo
The Hawaii State Public Library System deserves recognition for sustaining our mental health, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown. Along with first responders and health providers, library staff went above and beyond in their work. Their patience and knowledge in providing technological and reference assistance kept all patrons, particularly us kupuna, mentally alert, even when we couldn’t visit the libraries in person. I hope government leaders will confer official recognition and bring it to the public’s attention. — V.R.
Mahalo
On Thursday at Costco Hawaii Kai, the most beautiful Hawaiian lady in the next cash register line gifted this very appreciative kupuna the most beautiful double pikake/puakenikeni lei she had just picked the flowers for and made. The gesture and heartfelt aloha brought such smiles from the cashiers, other shoppers and door checker, and brought tears to my eyes. I hope she reads this because I want her to know I took it to Diamond Head cemetery and placed it on my husband’s grave. I will pay this kindness forward. — With gratitude and aloha, K.B.
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.
