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Lowered limit on
Zipperlane gets it busier

Question: Whoever decided to change the number of Zipperlane riders from three to two made a huge mistake! I usually car-pool with three other people into town, but since the Zipperlane has been altered to allow two riders, there has been increasing traffic. It makes no sense to car-pool anymore. Recently, we have been late to our jobs, whereas we have a better drive if we stayed on the regular H-1 freeway lanes. We have disbanded the car pool and now all four of us just drive individual cars to work. I often see cars jumping out of the Zipperlane (because of traffic pileup) and illegally crossing the grassy median to get back on the regular H-1. What a big mess! If the Zipperlane wasn't broken before, it sure is now! Why can't someone change it back to the way it was: Three or more riders before 7 a.m., then two or more after 7 a.m.?

Answer: For now, the state Department of Transportation says it plans to stick with the two-rider policy.

The department has received both pro and con comments regarding the new setup, said spokesman Scott Ishikawa.

It will continue to monitor and collect more data before deciding whether to revert back to the previous requirement of at least three riders per vehicle before 7 a.m.

The department lowered the requirement to two per vehicle in the Zipperlane "to encourage more car-pooling and see how the change would balance out the rest of the freeway traffic heading into town during the back-to-school rush," Ishikawa said.

From the Transportation Department's observations, more people are using the Zipperlane now, he said.

Meanwhile, he said complaints about congestion involve areas near the Zipperlane entrances, near Kunia and the H-1/H-2 merge through Pearl City, with traffic tending to open up past those entrances.

However, in comparing the first week of back-to-school traffic this year and last year, the number of vehicles entering the freeway from the Kunia and H-1/H-2 entrances between 4 and 9 a.m. is only slightly higher this year, Ishikawa said.

The figures were 3,700 vehicles some days this year compared to 3,500 last year.

"In fact, on some days the same time last year, there were more Zipperlane users -- almost 4,000 last year on some days, compared to 3,700 (some days) this year," Ishikawa said.

He acknowledged the Department of Transportation has received e-mails and calls asking it to revert to the original Zipperlane rules, but sent us e-mails from a couple of happy motorists, who said that even with some stalled areas, they were able to get to their destinations faster.

Auwe

To the rubbish truck drivers who leave the trash containers on the sidewalk or road without placing the covers back on. I live on St. Louis Heights, where it always rains and lots of water go into the container. If you have to push the containers up the hill like we do, it's big burden. -- W.M.

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