Question: How does the city decide where to put parking meters and where to let free street parking prevail? I ask because one of the reasons the city gave for doubling the meter rates in Waikiki was that there was high demand for parking in Waikiki, and increasing the rate would discourage long-term parking. But Waikiki is a residential area as well as a tourist destination. Lots of local people live there and need to park their cars. Contrast what the city is doing in Waikiki and many other neighborhoods (see list) with what it does in Lanikai, where street parking also is in high demand — by residents and by tourists. (Like Waikiki, Lanikai is both a residential neighborhood and a tourist destination. Don’t believe me? Look on Airbnb.) In Lanikai there are no parking meters, the parking is free and the city restricts parking altogether on holiday weekends (to the benefit of the people who live there).

In Waikiki we are now going to pay for street parking seven days a week. Why the disparity? Why do some neighborhoods where parking is in high demand not have parking meters, and others do?

Answer: Jon Nouchi, deputy director of the city’s Department of Transportation Services, addressed your questions, but before we get to that, two notes: The list to which you referred is of Oahu neighborhoods with parking meters whose hourly rates are doubling (808ne.ws/parkrate). Second, parking restrictions in Lanikai from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on holiday weekends apply to residents as well as to visitors.

Here’s how Nouchi addressed your questions:

“The city strives to be fair and equitable to all communities on Oahu, understanding that each community’s parking needs are unique. When residents request changes to parking or other transportation-related issues to the Department of Transportation Services, we investigate and provide solutions with community consultation.

“Marked on-street parking stalls are placed in areas with historical parking issues. Marked stalls can be utilized to maintain order at the curb, however, they do result in a net loss of about one-third of available parking. The installation of parking meters is an additional tool used to manage demand and availability of marked parking stalls; meters are placed in areas where parking turnover is desired, such as business districts.

“In these high-demand areas, parking time limits and higher meter rates are tools the city uses to ensure parking patrons do not monopolize the most convenient and sought-after parking spaces. By limiting longer-term use of parking spaces through time limits and higher rates, we are able to make these spaces available to other drivers, who also need access to convenient parking.

“In areas like Lanikai, parking has grown to be a large community issue. Any installation of marked stalls generally requires concurrence from all residents in the neighborhood. We encourage participation in the Kailua Neighborhood Board meetings as a productive forum to discuss and consider parking solutions to benefit the community.”

Since you live in Waikiki, you might want to bring your core concern — that residents are being priced out of street parking — to the Waikiki Neighborhood Board or to your City Council representative. For now, District 4 is represented by Michael Formby, a former DTS director.

The Oahu neighborhoods where hourly parking-meter rates are doubling include Kaimuki, Liliha, Aala, Kalihi, Kailua, Kakaako, Sheridan Tract, Kapahulu, McCully, Makiki, Ala Moana, Chinatown, Downtown, Civic Center and Waikiki from Hobron Lane to Kapahulu Avenue. Waikiki is the only area where enforcement hours also are expanding; you’ll have to feed the meter from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.