Mayor Caldwell takes action on bills to create the Waikīkī Transportation Management Special Improvement District

News Release from City and County of Honolulu, October 18, 2017

Honolulu – Mayor Kirk Caldwell took action today on two bills passed by the Honolulu City Council last week that creates and authorizes the Waikīkī Transportation Management Special Improvement District. Both bills were sponsored by Councilmember Trevor Ozawa, who represents East O‘ahu and Waikīkī. 

Bill 63, CD1 amends the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu by allowing special improvement districts to provide and finance transportation management, while Bill 64, CD1 establishes the Waikīkī Transportation Management Association Special Improvement District No. 4.

The creation of this new transportation management district authorizes a Waikīkī Transportation Management Plan to be implemented, allowing residents and businesses to direct the management of transportation operations, including coordinated vendor delivery schedules for hotels and businesses, better coordination of private transportation providers, and a possible permit system for residential parking.

“Waikīkī covers less than four square miles, but hosts over five million visitors a year and generates seven percent of the state’s gross domestic product,” said Mayor Caldwell. “The new Waikīkī Transportation Management Special Improvement District will allow the people who live and work in Waikīkī to do what’s best for them and our visitors in regards to transportation, which is not only good for O‘ahu, but for the entire state.”

The City and County of Honolulu will retain its ability to regulate all matters relating to the traffic code in Waikīkī, including metered parking rates, the collecting and expenditure of fees, and the issuing of residential parking permits for city streets. In order to achieve the correct balance, the board of directors for the nonprofit association that will govern the Waikīkī Transportation Management Special Improvement District includes Mayor Caldwell or his representative, the directors of the departments of Transportation Services, Facility Maintenance and Budget and Fiscal Services, Councilmember Ozawa, the chair of the Waikīkī Neighborhood Board, and representatives from area businesses.

“I would like to thank the members of the Waikīkī community and the Waikīkī Improvement Association on developing a community based approach to mitigate traffic in Waikīkī,” said Councilmember Ozawa. “There have been too few solutions to address the daily traffic congestion faced by businesses, residents and our visitors. This proactive step taken by the community to address traffic in Waikīkī needs to be given an opportunity to succeed and I will continue to work hard with all of our partners.”

The creation of the Waikīkī Transportation Management Special Improvement District was supported by the Waikīkī Neighborhood Board, the Waikīkī Improvement Association and various area stakeholders.

“The Waikīkī Improvement Association (WIA) has been actively working with the city’s Department of Transportation Services for the past three years to develop the Waikīkī Transportation Management Special Improvement District, while creating procedures and programs to make it work,” said Rick Egged, president of the Waikīkī Improvement Association. “The new transportation management district will be an important partner with the city and local residents as we look to improve access to and from Waikīkī. I want to thank Mayor Caldwell and Councilmember Ozawa for their support.”  

Bills 63 and 64 were passed on third reading during a Honolulu City Council meeting on October 11, 2017.

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