Traffic to slow
as schools begin year

Thousands of students will add
to the crunch of daily commutes

Mililani resident Roddy Saito practiced leaving earlier for work Thursday to prepare for a traffic nightmare tomorrow as more than 42,000 college students start the 2004-2005 school year.

"I started (Thursday) just to get used to it," said Saito, an air-conditioner mechanic with Heide and Cook Ltd., who left at 4:30 a.m. instead of his usual 5 a.m. to go to Bishop Square.

The state recently put a temporary halt to several road projects to alleviate traffic as University of Hawaii, community college and Chaminade University students start classes tomorrow.

Nine road projects, including resurfacing work on Kamehameha Highway from Waiahole Valley Road to the Crouching Lion Inn restaurant and Likelike Highway, were suspended until Sept. 3.

Students at Kamehameha and Maryknoll Schools started their school year last week, while students at Iolani and Punahou schools start later this week. An estimated 60,000 students enrolled in public schools statewide will also start the school year tomorrow.

"When UH goes back, it will be horrible," said Kailua resident Pua Hofbauer, who catches the bus at 6:10 a.m. to Honolulu, where she works as an administrative assistant at Bank of Hawaii.

"I'm just going to get to work later," said Hofbauer. "I'm not about to wake up any earlier."

Scott Ishikawa, spokesman for the Department of Transportation, reminded motorists to adjust their travel times to avoid peak periods. He also recommended residents to inspect their vehicles to avoid any vehicle problems on Oahu's main thoroughfares.

While the morning commute is expected to be a nightmare, some residents said the drive home will be just as bad, if not worse.

Eric Liu, who catches the bus to Honolulu from Ewa Beach, said new housing developments in Makakilo, Kapolei and Ewa Beach have caused traffic to worsen.

"I'm so frustrated with it," said Liu. "I thought about moving back to Waimanalo. I miss it now."

The completion of a new parking structure near the UH-Manoa's Center for Hawaiian Studies came in time for the start of the fall semester. But there is also a 3 to 4 percent enrollment increase at the Manoa campus.

The three-level, $4.5 million parking structure can accommodate 276 vehicles. The daily parking fee is $3 a vehicle.

UH spokesman Jim Manke said parking on the lawn of the UH Lab school will no longer be available now that the structure is completed.

A special lottery also will be held this week that will offer 300 additional parking spaces throughout the campus for seniors and graduates, said Manke.

Off-campus parking is available at the Japanese Cultural Center, where a shuttle takes students to and from campus. Parking behind the Varsity Twins Theatres is also available, said Manke.

But he noted those who were not able to obtain campus housing are expected to commute.

"That's another thing to deal with, too," said Manke.

By the numbers The number of students who will be going back to school starting tomorrow: Tomorrow >> University of Hawaii at Manoa: 19,863 >> University of Hawaii at West Oahu: 810 >> Honolulu Community College: 4,238 >> Kapiolani Community College: 7,491 >> Leeward Community College: 6,201 >> Windward Community College: 1,873 >> Chaminade University: 1,100 Tuesday >> Iolani School: 1,828 Thursday >> Punahou School: 3,700 Sept. 7 >> Hawaii Pacific University: 8,900 Source: State Department of Transportation Road projects on hold State road projects that were temporarily suspended from Aug. 16 to Sept. 3 to alleviate back-to-school traffic : >> Moanalua Freeway resurfacing project from the School Street onramp to the Puuloa Interchange. Night work is postponed. >> Nimitz Highway rehabilitation project from Queen Street to Sumner Street. Night work will continue. >> Ala Moana traffic signal modernization project from Piikoi Street to Atkinson Drive. >> H-3 freeway project. >> Kamehameha Highway resurfacing project from Waiahole Valley Road to the Crouching Lion Inn restaurant. >> Kamehameha Highway Halawa Stream Bridge replacement project from Arizona Memorial Place to Kalaloa Street. >> Farrington Highway drainage improvements project from Nanakuli Avenue to Nanakuli Stream. >> Likelike Highway resurfacing project from Emmeline Place to Wilson Tunnel. >> H-1 freeway seismic retrofit project at the H-1 westbound lanes of the Kapiolani Avenue interchange. Source: State Department of Transportation