Parking meter increase to take effect Monday

Honolulu– The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) will increase parking meter rates island-wide on Monday, Feb. 11. Pursuant to Ordinance 17-25, previously approved by the City Council in June 2017, newly-implemented rates will take effect at on-street parking meters only.



These changes will help manage the increasing demands for parking in the City and County of Honolulu. Research from the Honolulu Urban Core Parking Master Plan noted that historically underpriced street parking can increase localized traffic congestion by 30 percent on average and nearly 50 percent in some cases as drivers search for on-street parking.



Proper pricing of on-street parking in high-demand areas can increase the availability of parking in busy districts such as downtown, Chinatown and Waikīkī to encourage greater short-term use by more people over long-term use by a few.



Rates for electronic coin-operated parking meters outside of the urban core and Waik kī will increase from $0.75 to $1.50 per hour. These affected zones include Kaimukī, Liliha, ʻAʻala, Kalihi, Kailua, Kakaʻako, Sheridan Tract, Kapahulu, McCully, Makiki, and Ala Moana. Coin-operated meter upgrades will be conducted in four phases beginning on Feb. 13, and is anticipated to take effect over five weeks or less.



Smart meter (credit card and coin) rates in the urban core will increase from $1.50 to $3 per hour. The affected zones include the Chinatown, downtown, Civic Center, and Waikīkī areas from Hobron Lane to Kapahulu Avenue. Parking meter rates at the Honolulu Zoo and Kapiʻolani Park are excluded from this program and will remain at current rates.



Effective hours of parking meter enforcement will be changed in Waikīkī only. Waikīkī parking meter enforcement hours will start daily, seven days a week, at 6 a.m., replacing the previous 7 a.m. start time; and end at 10 p.m., replacing the previous 7 p.m. end time. New signs will be replaced in Waikīkī, starting on Feb. 10.



Implementation of these parking policy and rate changes will allow DTS to better meet the public’s need for convenient and available on-street parking in high-demand parking zones.

—PAU—