FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        December 21, 2006

Release No. M-140-06

MAYOR SIGNS BILL TO CONVERT KAIMUKI PARKING LOT

FROM METERED TO ATTENDANT SYSTEM  

Mayor Mufi Hannemann today signed into law Bill 75, which converts Kaimuki’s largest parking lot, the City-owned Kaimuki Lot 1 between 11^th and 12^th avenues, from coin-fed meters to an attendant operation.  

“This bill addresses longstanding complaints about insufficient parking in the neighborhood,” said Mayor Mufi Hannemann. “The emergence of Kaimuki as an epicurean epicenter for Honolulu has increased demands for parking.”

That is compounded by all-day parkers, including people who work at nearby restaurants and businesses, who tie up stalls all day, periodically feeding the meters. Businesses opposed double-decking the parking lot because of the disruption and temporary loss of even more parking stalls.

“This change to attendant parking appears to be the best alternative because it will encourage more frequent turnover of parking stalls,” said Hannemann. “That should improve the parking situation and encourage economic development in the area. In addition, the contractor will provide nearly $1 million in improvements to the lot, including repaving, landscaping and wheelchair accessibility improvements.”  

The parking changes are scheduled to occur early next year. The City is preparing to award a contract to Republic Parking Hawaii to operate the lot. Republic submitted the best of three bids for the concession, paying the City $2,000 a month plus 3 percent of the gross.

Weekday parking in Lot 1, which has about 270 stalls, will cost 75 cents per hour for the first two hours, with the rate doubling to $1.50 per hour after that. A grace period of 20 minutes is included for quick errands or pickups. The weekend and holiday rate would be 75 cents an hour, the current rate for the existing meters. 

The changes at Lot 1 will coincide with a change in the maximum time allowed in meters in Kaimuki Parking Lot 2, on the other side of 12^th Avenue, to two hours. Stalls there now have a limit of three and five hours.

No reduction in the number of stalls or access points to Lot 1 are expected in the changeover, although some access points may be modified (e.g., from one-way in to one-way out).

-30-

Contact:

            Bill  Brennan, 527-6928

            Mark Matsunaga, 527-5767