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Gridiron gridlock Evangeline Cook tried to drive her gravely ill husband to the hospital about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, but they were trapped in Foster Village. Both entrances to the residential area, which is walking distance from Aloha Stadium, were blocked by traffic.
frustrates fans
And puts officials
on defensiveYou Make The Call
By Leila Fujimori and Pat Gee
Star-Bulletin"I was not able to get through until 7 o'clock, when someone finally let me get onto Salt Lake Boulevard," Cook said.
She said that even if she called for an ambulance, it would not have been able to reach them. Cook's husband underwent colon cancer surgery last night.
The traffic gridlock at Aloha Stadium on Saturday could be avoided at future University of Hawaii football games if the public would heed advisory signs telling them to use alternate parking sites, said Les Keiter, stadium special assistant.
But those who attended the football game were upset with the Stadium Authority and police for not doing more.
In response to a Star-Bulletin call-in on what can be done to improve the traffic and parking situation at UH football games, scores of people called or emailed their frustrating experiences Saturday and suggestions to alleviate the problems.
Several suggested eliminating the flea market on game days and opening the stadium gates early for everyone.
Keiter said the Stadium Authority is looking into shutting down the flea market on game days, but no definite plans have been made.
People also criticized police for not controlling traffic at the intersections to allow a better traffic flow, as was done after the game.
Some suggested signs informing people that a line is for pass holders be posted at the end of the long lines of cars, not merely at the stadium gates.
Many sneered at Keiter's comments made to the Star-Bulletin that everyone is leaving their homes at the same time to go to the game.
After meeting with the Police Department yesterday, stadium officials decided that "the solutions are there; the public simply must pay heed" to large electrical signs on the highways that warned motorists that the stadium lot was full.
The problem is the public "insisted on driving to the stadium anyway because they wanted to join their tailgating friends. Well, some are going to have to forget tailgating or leave for the stadium earlier," Keiter said.
Others complained the tailgaters were taking up more than one stall, up to five spaces to put up tents. Many reported tailgaters saving stalls for friends, and neither police nor parking attendants were enforcing rules or directing cars into stalls.
The stadium gates open at 3:30 p.m., but the parking lot is usually full between 4:30 and 5 p.m. There are only 6,500 spaces to serve a capacity crowd of 45,000, Keiter said.
Police Capt. Stephen Kim suggested motorists "strategize where they want to park and utilize the entrance closest to where they want to park. People will drive through the entire stadium parking lot to find a friend or a parking space."
Another solution is for stadium-goers to carpool or take a shuttle service available to all areas of the island. Roberts Hawaii School Bus can be reached at 832-4886 for its scheduled pickup times, Keiter said. This service was publicized before the game Saturday, but more publicity is needed to get people to use it, he said.
You Make The Call
Here are comments the Star-Bulletin received in response to the question: What do you think can be done to improve the traffic and parking situation at UH football games? Readers offer solutions
Curtis Kaneshiro, HONOLULU: "It's a no-brainer, easy as one-two-three. No. 1: Open the gates at 12 noon for everyone. No. 2: Stadium officials would say they would have to put more workers on longer shifts, increasing in expense labor. So increase the existing parking entrance fee from $3 to $3.50. No. 3: ... That (generates) an extra $3,750 in revenues. Use any excess extra money and have local bands and sponsors tailgate, pre-concerts off-air before kickoff. Just do it. Go Bows!"
Jacob Kunakau, WAHIAWA: "Maybe the season ticket holders should be let in within an hour earlier of the rest of the people and maybe even open up way earlier in the morning and let people just tailgate until the game starts."
Jerry Grutowski, AIEA: "I'm a season ticket holder. I need to catch a cab every Saturday to the game. Les Keiter needs to have his head examined saying that everybody got there at the same time because they all left home at the same time. What they need to do is take the T-shirt vendors out of the parking lot on game day and they need to start driving piles for a parking structure starting this winter and make a structure for that stadium"
Barbara Kaili, PAPAKOLEA: "I have noticed the police officers all driving their own cars to the stadium. The police officers ... should have a bus to drop them off for special duty instead of them individually bringing their cars to the parking lot. And another suggestion is to have the people exit through the freeway instead of Salt Lake Boulevard.
Joe Ornellas, HAWAII KAI: "Games on the mainland start at 12 o'clock, 1 in the afternoon, so officials have a requirement that we got to be there three hours before the game. So when we get there three hours before the game, people are in the parking lots already. They get there at 6 a.m. They have a great time. ... Not here. They open the gates at 3:30."
Ron Pelletier, NUUANU: "I don't think we need to worry about the traffic and parking situation at further UH games. Based on the UH's performance (Saturday), easy in, easy out."
Lana Kita, WAIPIO GENTRY: "They can improve the parking by having the parking lot attendants directing all the cars into the parking spaces and having tailgaters not overflowing into the space next to them."
Jeannie Fujikami, WAIALAE-IKI: "Lots were full an hour and a half prior to the start of the game, so what should be done next time if the lots are full, not to post the sign that the lots are full at that gate but near Nimitz Highway near the Ford Island area."
