Ground broken for new Wahiawa Transit Center and Park and Ride Facility

WAHIAWA—Community members gathered last week to break ground for the new Wahiawa Transit Center and Park and Ride Facility, which will provide a place for Oahu residents from Wahiawa and surrounding communities to park their vehicles for the day while they ride the bus or carpool to other locations island wide. The two-story structure will be located in the heart of Wahiawa on California Avenue near Cane Street, across from the Wahiawa Town Center and one block from the hospital.

The park and ride will include bus bays, a passenger waiting area, restrooms, an elevator, and other amenities. Buses will load and unload passengers on the ground floor while 58 parking stalls will be available on the second level. The center was designed by AM Partners to accommodate up to three additional levels in the future to serve nearby State facilities and will feature a clock tower and a large pineapple motif to pay homage to Wahiawa’s history as a center of pineapple production.

The facility will cost $7 million to build, a substantially higher number than Mayor Hannemann’s estimate of $2.8 million for the property and construction of the Wahiawa Transit Center, which was included in his budget proposal in spring 2009. The project will be constructed by Honolulu Builders on land leased from for the Department of Accounting and General Services, and is being financed by the City and the federal government.

The groundbreaking was attended by Wahiawa representatives including state Senator Robert Bunda, Representative Marcus Oshiro, and City Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz as well as City Managing Director Kirk Caldwell, City Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka, and other City and State officials, and members of the Wahiawa Neighborhood Board. Reverend Kevin Kuniyuki of Wahiawa Hongwanji Mission performed a blessing for the site.

The Wahiawa Transit Center will join Oahu’s eight other up-and-running transit centers island wide located in Ala Moana, Alapai, Hawaii Kai, Kalihi, Kapolei, Mililani, Waianae, and Waipahu.