Parking woes continue to plague Kaimuki

KAIMUKI—The concern over machine malfunctions in the primary parking lot for Kaimuki’s popular restaurant row dominated the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board Meeting on May 19. The self-pay lot, located at 11th and Harding, opened about two-and-a-half years ago after a hard-fought battle to improve parking in the area. Previously, the lot was in poor condition and strictly meter operated, creating a host of problems for Kaimuki restaurants and patrons. The idea was that this lot, operated by Republic Parking, would serve as a pilot program of sorts, with the parking revenue paying for the improvements and with the potential for other parking lots in the city to follow suit and offer self-pay kiosks.

The problem, according to City Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka, is with the machines themselves, which are prone to breaking down. Speaking at the board meeting, he affirmed the validity of the complaints. Yoshioka commented that the mauka machine closest to the Waialae Avenue restaurants malfunctions most often and that sometimes the whole system goes offline. In the latter case, the self-pay system essentially becomes worthless, forcing customers to pay at the one exit manned by an attendant and creating a bottleneck during peak times. 

In response to this recurring problem, Republic Parking has installed an attendant at one of the self-pay stations to alleviate congestion during prime dining hours. Several people in the community feel that this is not an adequate solution, however, and want to see the system changed once and for all.

Solutions proposed during the meeting included not charging customers for parking when the machine was down. One man recalled a time when the arm of the gate was up due to a malfunction, allowing cars to enter without taking a ticket. Apparently the vendor made people pay for parking despite not having ticket, much to the dismay of the lot’s patrons.

Vernon Tam, Kaimuki Neighborhood Board Chair, spoke with a parking attendant at the lot who also hopes the problem is resolved soon. It seems the solution could be as simple as replacing the machines with better quality counterparts.

Yoshioka, who empathized with the attendees’ complaints, confirmed the problem and admitted he himself has encountered these malfunctions. He assured the public that the matter is under investigation. Urban Corp is conducting a comprehensive parking study, which will examine various aspects of City parking including policies regarding parking duration, rates, operations, and so on.  Republic Parking’s Kaimuki contract is up for renewal in August. 

Learning about this issue at the meeting but not yet having experienced it firsthand, I immediately wondered whether it was having a negative impact on the area’s restaurants. I called several to get their perspective. The first one I called was Bella Mia, a popular Italian place in the 11th Street Atrium.  Joey, the chef, had never heard complaints about the machines. The only complaints he had heard concerned the lack of parking during peak hours (especially when the rec center across the street holds events) or the fact that the restaurant does not validate. He said he senses people resent having to pay for parking at all. He theorized that the machines were breaking down because people were breaking them in order to avoid paying. He said he witnessed people calling up the attendant claiming that they prepaid and that it “wasn’t working” when in fact they had not paid at all.

I proceeded to call numerous other restaurants and bars, including Himalayan Kitchen, Big City Diner, Hog Island BBQ, and Top of the Hill. No one had heard of people complaining about the malfunctioning machines. Customer complaints regarding parking centered around occasional difficulties finding a spot. One mentioned that his employees think parking for workers in the area should be free.

It is frustrating when a relatively straightforward system, like this parking lot, is perpetually plagued with problems that should be fixable. On the other hand, remembering how the lot used to be when it was strictly metered, I would much rather wait at the exit than find a parking ticket upon departure—a surefire way to put a damper on the evening. Nor is it fun to run out of a restaurant halfway through my meal to feed the meter. It appears one inconvenience has been traded for another. Hopefully the City’s investigation will result in more reliable machines and greater parking efficiency throughout the city.