Traffic not
impacted by
dentists’ convention
Residents say it
By Lori Tighe
didn't hurt a bit
Star-Bulletin
The traffic toothache predicted for this morning's opening of the American Dental Association convention turned out to be a hypochondriac's fear.
Residents said traffic around the Hawaii Convention Center was even smoother than usual, as 35,000 dentists converged for the largest such gathering in Honolulu ever.
"As a matter of fact, our residents have been escorted by police to go out. That's even easier than when the dentists weren't here," said David Soltonovich, resident manager of Atkinson Plaza, a condominium building behind the center. "Gee, we'd like to keep these officers around."
Chicago conventioneer Laura Zuelke said even she anticipated at least confusion, at most chaos, but was pleasantly surprised.
The convention wraps up Tuesday.
"I'm very well satisfied. You have your aloha people in the red shirts who guide you," said Zuelke, who is on her first visit to Hawaii. "I love the place, it's absolutely gorgeous. I certainly would come back."
Twenty-five Honolulu police officers orchestrated the traffic, with dozens of buses shuttling conventioneers from nine hotel "zones." One lane of Atkinson Drive was partly closed to accommodate the buses.
Honolulu dentist Kenyon Cardoza, a volunteer helper at the convention, shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "Traffic? What traffic?"
The negative pre-convention hype "put the wrong spin on it. There is no problem," Cardoza said. "The weather is perfect and it looks like a great day. We're very fortunate."
The convention center parking garage filled up its 500 spaces by 7:30 a.m., said Mike Polovcin, the center's director of operations. But most people were arriving by bus, he said.
"Our concern is we don't want to block traffic. At this point, it's perfect, flowing very, very nicely. We're optimistic," he said.
Convention planners were sympathetic to the public's traffic concerns, considering Hawaii has never before had a convention center, Polovcin said.
"As much as you can tell people not to worry, they're going to worry," he said. "But as people see there's no negative impacts, but only positive ones, it won't be an issue any more."
Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau
