More pies, less apologia.

Yeah – I’m pretty new to the islands. So?

I eat poke, drink Hinanos and have family here.

Neither one of these statements has fuck-all to do with how to get around Oahu. Honolulu is urban, very densely so. And that’s a good thing, because it isn’t a very big island.

I just looked up “Oahu earthquakes,” and it doesn’t look like Oahu is very seismically active, if at all (last Oahu quake = 1948, a 5.0). If another large chunk of the Big Island falls in (like the one you mentioned that left a high-water-mark on Molokai at the 3000′ level) – we’re all doomed, anyway. The highest occupied parts of this island are at about 1500′, maybe 2000′.

I don’t buy the “Hawaii can’t afford transit” argument. Because it can. Over the long term, investments in rail cost less while investments in buses and roads cost more. Trains last longer and their networks don’t need anything like the maintenance that roads do.

Oh, and the “zipper lanes” on the H-1 stop prior to the HI-78 interchange on the mauka side of Aloha Stadium and by the Airport on the makai side. Within Town, there are no special lanes for high-occupancy vehicles. Those 8 miles (Middle Street to Waialae Ave) are the most congested part of the H-1. From Middle Street to Kalaeloa, traffic isn’t that bad. The H-2 and the H-3 move pretty well, all things considered.

Decking the H-1 to provide more capacity for buses, share-ride vehicles or whatever will be more expensive than the LRT, and will require much more maintenance, both in terms of keeping the rolling stock up (trains last longer than buses and are far cheaper on a per-mile-driven basis) and the roadway.

I drive the H-1 every day, and I would ride The Bus if I had a workable option. I don’t. I’ve also lived in many American and European cities. Some small, some big. Many which were smaller or less dense than Honolulu with some kind of mass transit option.

Life is going to get more expensive here – yes, I know, I got it. I’m the one paying $4/gallon for my 22 mile daily commute. (I live where I live so my spouse can take the bus to Manoa – this way only one of us gets a crappy commute – I drew the short straw).

But what’s funny about locals who oppose transit here (and I argue with them all the time) is that NONE of them seem to realize just how much easier it will make their lives. I think its because to most Hawaiians, the two big mainland cities everyone knows about are LA and Las Vegas. Both are dysfunctional hell-holes. But Honolulu could be a really great city (actually – it already is… it could be even better) and Mufi seems to get this and is using Portland as a model. Which makes sense.

Portland has an urban growth boundary. Honolulu has the forest reserves, military bases and the ocean. Portland is trying to grow more dense. Honolulu already is dense. Honolulu needs to learn from Portland’s livability. Portland has about 1.4 million people. Oahu has just more than 1 million. Both places have incredible natural beauty.

LRT won’t belch diesel fumes into the air and is much quieter than the buses in Town (even elevated). LRT will also encourage development along the right-of-way and will reinforce good dense building patterns we already have in Town. (This has been shown to be the case everywhere there is LRT or subways – bus lines and BRT “bus rapid transit” do not have the positive real estate development externality).

LRT probably won’t make money (transit doesn’t anywhere, except for Hong Kong) but it will cost the taxpayers a hell of a lot less in terms of maintenance and upkeep and salaries than the DOT+H-1 maintenance+The Bus currently costs on a per-user basis. Again, this has been shown time and time again.

If people are serious about keeping “the country country” then they need to keep Town livable. That means accomodating growth and providing a way for people to move around. There just isn’t room for new car capacity here. And expanding what we have would cost more than the LRT. So to me, that’s out.

I like the idea of getting rid of Oahu’s SUV’s. We don’t need ‘em here.

Slow/no-growth is an okay strategy for the Big Island. Your whole island is country. But Oahu is grown-up, and needs to act like it. And unless we want the North Shore and Ko’olina to be Waikikis and everywhere else to look like Kalihi we need to plan. Pretending nothing is going to happen is what got Honolulu to where it is now, which is a pretty precarious place. It takes 2 hours to get from Kapolei to Manoa! That is a major problem which will cost us in the long run.

I’m just glad that Mufi gets it, even if the council doesn’t.

Yeah, but that’s just for the tax break.

Actually, the existing refineries are only running at 85% capacity….we don’t need any more, that’s just a GOPer excuse for high prices (i.e., a lie). The oil companies have profits so huge now that they literally don’t know what to do with the money. I say, regulate and limit profit (and I don’t give a shit how “socialist” that may sound to a Republican greedhead).

Places with much stronger currencies are also paying much more at the pump. Like Europe & Japan, both places that have comparatively low refining capacity & are densely populated. Supply versus demand again. Supply is fixed – demand is exploding exponentially. The foot-dragging on switching to renewables is the same old greed as ever, now with all the warmth & charm of a crystal meth habit. Until there’s a real pricetag for the uber-bastards keeping it going, this evil dog-&-pony show is here to stay … it’s making them billions.

Translation: drop ‘em & reach for China, & try to think nice thoughts as the mighty PetroSchwanz invades your sphincter, because I suspect the GasRape has just begun.

I pay less for my Pass & AddFare than many pay just for insurance & parking fees – & here, it’s also a tax deduction. Buses are getting mighty crowded lately & it’s hardly a mystery why. Cars suck … been saying it since I was circa 12, & now, at last, I’m not completely alone in saying it.

Have heard nuclear already being touted as an alternative. If you think it’s clean, go to a tailings-site some time. If you think it’s safe, I’d recommend a trip to the Ukraine. If you think it’s cheap, go right ahead & build your own, just don’t ask the rest of us to foot the bill when it comes time to decommission it. Imagine the potential for drama if we start making nuke-plants in a corporate environment predicated around deregulation & making it in the fastest & cheapest way possible. Believe me, there are better ways to cut CO2 emissions – like reducing consumption. Your toilet is not afraid of the dark & neither is your basement.

WordPress talked Mylie out of her shirt.
No, wait … it’s supposed to be something BAD, right?

but I’ve been told that the real purpose of a full face helmet is so your loved ones can use dental records to identify you.

Hmm. I’ve been told it’s so gas station attendants can’t.

Maybe it’ll finally wake us up.

And I haven’t ridden a scoot since the 70′s but I’ve been told that the real purpose of a full face helmet is so your loved ones can use dental records to identify you.

The real problem is that Saudi Arabia has decided not to open the spigots any wider,

More important issue is whether they CAN – there’s some doubt about that.
Growth in Chinese and Indian demand is a big factor, just from basic economic pressure.
I myself have begun wondering where the big oil companies are putting their record profits, what with global financial markets kinda sucking, and the effects that has on stocks generally.
Commodities seem to be viewed as a pretty reliable investment these days, which has led to a lot of $$ going into them, helping drive the prices up quite a bit. Win-win for Big Oil – safe place to put their profits, while helping assure that future profits will grow.

gbear, even though you’re going for a scooter, (sorta-super-scooter if you’re feeling testosterone challenged) you should take the MSF class (or equivalent). I’ve been riding two wheelers for thory+ years and can’t recommend the MSF training highly enough. Get a full-coverage helmet and real riding gear too.

gbear, I second or third or whatever PeeJ’s recommendation on MSF classes.
At the very least, you’ll get a sense of what your scoot can do in a gotta-turn-or-stop-NOW! situation.
I’m a full-face helmet guy myself, what with the New England weather(it gets cold), and the occasional junebug or hornet between the eyes at 80.
Gloves are something I’d strongly suggest – leather or synthetic lined on the palms. It’s hard to suppress the instinct to put your hands down in a crash.
Check out http://www.jcwhitney.com for inexpensive hard luggage – a top case (aka trunk) is a beautiful thing – you can stash your helmet in it too.

Pffft. I saw $4.09 for premium last weekend in tha A-T-L. And diesel for $4.49 at the same station.

I’m sure that folks out on the West Coast are seeing higher prices than that.

This is the problem when you have to deal with a cartel that has such tight control over supply – sometimes, they can name their price and market forces can get fucked.