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May 12, 2023

Free parking in Lahaina, Wailuku and some South Maui beaches may end soon

According to Alice Lee, “Once Wailuku kicks-off the program, adjustments can be

According to Alice Lee, "Once Wailuku kicks-off the program, adjustments can be made as needed, and it can be expanded to Lahaina and certain beach parks, and eventually to other busy areas such as Paia."

The biggest county program you probably never heard of may soon make all free municipal parking a thing of the past in three Maui locations, including Lahaina Town, Wailuku Town and selected South Maui beaches.

Park Maui (parkmaui.com) has been in the planning stages since it was initiated by former Mayor Michael Victorino's administration in 2018.

Wailuku may begin in September

The Wailuku portion is anticipated to begin in September. An informational meeting hosted by Wailuku Community Association is scheduled for Monday, June 5, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Empanada Lady restaurant at 2119 W. Vineyard St. in Wailuku (see https://www.parkmaui.com/phases/wailuku-town).

The Lahaina Town and South Maui beach segments are expected to follow on a timetable that has yet to be announced.

"We have needed parking management in our busiest areas for a long time, both to charge visitors for valuable parking opportunities and to discourage parking spaces from being occupied for many hours when businesses need spaces available for customers," wrote County Council Chair Alice Lee in an e-mail to the Lahaina News. Lee holds the Wailuku-Waihee-Waikapu residency seat.

"It's exciting that Wailuku will be the first phase of the Park Maui program, coinciding with the opening of the parking structure scheduled for September 1. Wailuku town employees, including County employees, will be able to get monthly parking passes for a nominal fee, which is a win-win for the employees and Wailuku businesses.

"The Council is expected to consider the parking fees and the parking zone map in June or July, both in the Water and Infrastructure Committee for the zones and the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee for the fees. That will allow more public input and help inform the public of the launch of the program.

"I was concerned that our residents might not be aware of the program and be caught off-guard when they try to park if they have to enroll or register in advance, but they can register with the program at the time that they park, which will be easy through the app that is being created. They can register on the spot with their residence information, and their parking will be free for at least two hours, with the Council still having to meet to adopt the final terms.

"I support giving residents a period of free parking in all areas, and hope to have the Council's support. Again, there is not enough detail yet to comment further.

"Once Wailuku kicks-off the program, adjustments can be made as needed, and it can be expanded to Lahaina and certain beach parks, and eventually to other busy areas such as Paia," Lee's e-mail said.

The council will also review and give final approval to the initial $3 million contract for the first year. If given the green light, parking for residents, visitors, part-time residents, local businesses and their employees may all soon transition to a new system.

Pros and Cons

Those who favor some or all of the proposed plans think they will help Maui to better manage its tight parking resources, add much-needed parking designated for employees by permit at an affordable price, and give significant parking advantages to local residents with valid Hawaii driver's licenses, while visitors and part-time residents pay higher rates. It will also help to raise revenue to defray the costs of administering the new improvements. Advocates point out that funds generated by fees and fines will stay on Maui.

According to parking consultant Julie Dixon, head of Dixon Resources Unlimited of San Diego, the system will require a cell phone, a credit card and a certain amount of tech skills to use. Information will be input at a parking kiosk or via a phone app. A few hours of "free parking" is proposed for local residents, and a limited amount of paid monthly parking will be designated for employees who purchase permits.

Those who don't like some or all of the plans say they will "monetize and privatize" valuable public resources. In most situations, they argue residents will now be paying hourly and monthly fees for what they formerly got for free, and while those fees may be "nominal" at the start, they are likely to rise in the future.

Additionally there may be some situations where residents will have to pay to park on-street in front of their homes.

Detractors say that while the plan may sound good on paper, Hawaii does not have a good success rate with tech-oriented upgrades, and even small glitches in the system can cause major problems.

Impact on Non-Residents?

Also yet to be determined is how these changes will impact non-residents and part-time residents. What will their reaction be to being hit with yet more fees? Will they consider the pricing structure discriminatory? It is also not clear how the projected two-tier parking pass system for visitors will mesh with Maui's already expensive rental car operations.

An August 2022 draft of the Park Maui master plan says those who are non-residents will be required to pay for parking at all Park Maui paid parking locations. Non-residents (defined as those without a Hawaii driver's license) will have the option to pre-purchase a "premium" or "standard" bulk parking pass online or upon arrival. Alternatively, they could pay for parking a la carte at pay stations or with the Park Maui mobile app. Premium pass holders will not be required to pay an additional fee at any locations because they are all included within the price of the pass. The prices for the a la carte, standard or premium passes have not yet been set, as these decisions will be made by the council.

If passed by the council, all of these programs will significantly change how municipal parking both on and off-street is managed and enforced in these target areas.

The parking consultant will continue to be Dixon Resources Unlimited, which has had a major role in shaping the proposals since their 2018 inception. Diamond Parking's Municipal Division, headed on Maui by Mai Nguyen, has been selected as the "parking operator" on a contract basis. Details of these contracts and their options for expansion and renewal have not been made public.

Money collected from parking fees and in payment of violations will go into a new county fund. Presently, parking enforcement is handled by the Maui Police Department. Violations are heard judicially, and fines collected from citations go to the State General Fund.

In the new systems, enforcement will be handled by roving Diamond employees, dubbed "Parking Ambassadors," who will monitor compliance and issue violations as necessary. It is unclear how this transition will be accomplished. Like many other areas in the plans, specific details are yet to be finalized.

Though the draft of the master plan goes into considerable detail on the structure and conceptual framework of all three geographic areas, the actual financial details are slim. In a recent interview, Dixon said the financial target for the Wailuku portion is "break-even." The language throughout is couched as "draft" or "proposed."

Administrative structure

Administratively, Park Maui sets up a new unit within the Maui Department of Transportation. According to the flow chart, the county DOT supervises parking contract management, interdepartmental coordination and planning for program expansion.

Diamond, the parking operator, covers garage operations, enforcement, customer support, citation management, permit management, revenue management, equipment maintenance and installation, facility upkeep and parking technology. The plan does not specify who is in charge of security or how liability issues will be addressed.

A few of the new positions created by the parking plans will be staff jobs with the county. The rest will be employees hired and paid by parking operator Diamond.

Response from County Council and Administration

Responding by e-mail, South Maui Councilman Tom Cook, who chairs the Water and Infrastructure Committee that will review the maps and boundaries, wrote, "There is nothing for Council members to take a position on at the moment because they have no code changes in front of them yet. The goal of community outreach is to evaluate possible options and allow constituents to share their needs and perspectives, and for staff to adjust the program accordingly."

Upcountry Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura chairs the council's Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee, which will set the fees for each of the paid parking areas. She has not responded to our inquiry asking for more specifics.

Asked for a comment from the Bissen administration, Mahina Martin, the county's Chief of Communications, replied: "The administration continues to support the intent of Park Maui."

In her e-mail, she wrote, "Helping to address growing parking needs for residents at our beach parks and in Wailuku town remains important. Part of the process is the valuable input from our community and impacted businesses. Ultimately, the benefits of Park Maui are meant for our residents and local businesses."

Lahaina: Breaking it down

For Lahaina, go to https://www.parkmaui.com/phases/lahaina-town to see the draft map and what few specifics are available.

The start date for the Lahaina section of paid parking has not yet been set. The February 2023 draft map on the website shows a district that runs from Baker Street to Shaw Street and from Wainee Street to Front Street – Wharf Street, including Lahaina Harbor.

The map also includes Front Street as far as Kapunakea Street (just beyond the Cannery Mall). It also shows the on-street paid parking extending below Front Street along Ala Moana Street (leading to the Mala Ramp area).

Proposed lots designated for paid employee parking by permit are envisioned at Prison and Wainee Street locations. Off-street lots where resident discounts will be applicable are shown at 505 Front Street and Kamehameha Iki Park on the map, but only mentioned at Prison Street in the website text.

The website says: "Within Lahaina Town, paid on-street parking will improve access and availability by encouraging turnover and longer-term parking in the nearby surface parking lots. Employees will have affordable and reliable parking and transportation alternatives that do not require re-parking during the workday or shift.

"The Park Maui program will require non-residents to pay for parking. The program will offer employee parking passes and two-hours of free residential off-street parking."

This language is provisional and has not been ratified by the council.

The site offers a link where residents and non-residents can sign up to be notified of developments and also a link for feedback.

Residents: Two hours of free off-street parking in the Prison Street lot is proposed for residents. According to the website, a fee will be required for all on-street parking in Lahaina town. Monthly employee passes will be available for purchase, with discounted passes also available. These paid passes only authorize holders to park in yet-to-be-finalized designated lots. They do not assure that a space will be reserved or available.

Eligibility for both resident and employee discounted rates requires a Hawaii State Driver's License that will be verified using the kiosk pay stations or using the mobile phone app.

Part-time and non-resident paid parking: The section for part-time and non-resident is described in very general terms. Sign up and feedback links are provided.

The only specifics for this category relate to the kind of paid passes that are expected to be offered; the proposed costs for these passes are not indicated.

Two kinds of paid non-resident passes are described. A "premium" pass would allow access to high-demand parking lots for seven days and a weekly "standard" pass with access to a limited number of locations for seven days. For longer periods, 30-day passes are proposed. Details on how the passes will work are scanty.

How much?

No proposed pricing for either resident, employee, or non-resident parking are stated, nor are the costs indicated for residents who may need to park for longer than the two hours of free parking in an off-street lot.

Reactions from Lahaina

Asked for her reaction to the Lahaina segment of the Park Maui plan, Theo Morrison, executive director of Lahaina Restoration Foundation, replied: "We’ve been involved in the discussion and community outreach since pre-pandemic. We support the program and we think it will be very beneficial for Lahaina."

"The biggest problem in Lahaina," she said, "is the lack of affordable employee parking." Morrison favored the inclusion of employee parking passes at a nominal charge. She thought "$30 or less" would be considered nominal.

Post-pandemic, Morrison said she has not been as active as she was earlier. She did attend a March 25 Open House held from 2 to 5 p.m. at Lahaina's Outlet Mall. She termed it "a drop-in thing" and said "during the half hour I was there, about 20 people attended."

Sne Patel, board president of Lahaina Town Action Committee, commented by e-mail: "The LAC is committed to ensuring that the fees collected from parking in Lahaina Town remain within our community; we firmly believe that these funds should be utilized to support crucial infrastructure improvements such as enhanced roadways, sidewalks, and signage."

Tamara Paltin, the West Maui residency member of the County Council, had a different take: "I voted NO," when it came up in the Budget Committee, she said. Paltin was in favor of defunding Park Maui, but she did not prevail. She was curious whether the present administration will support the plan it inherited from the prior administration.

Next week: Plans and maps for Wailuku Town and South Maui beach parks.