Honolulu's light rail system... (sadly, most of the possibilities for offloading all the tourist related traffic into Waikiki is not yet built. (I suspect, but do not know, this is because of lack of available transportation routes)

Anyone here know how the first segment is working out?

#transportation #hawaii

@ai6yr Oahu is the most depressing place I've visited in my life, esp a place that _should_ be paradise. There is a 10+ lane highway out of Honolulu but you're ON AN ISLAND.

It's really amazing how the auto and petroleum industries (with a lot of help from the federal gov’t) have completely screwed up a 600 sq mile island

@mkristensson Yes, the freeways/highways in Hawaii are an atrocity. A tiny island, and totally car dependent for everything. There are a lot of EVs now, which is fortunate, but the whole area -- esp. around Waikiki -- could EASILY be all bicycling and walking with mass transit instead of massive traffic jams and impossible parking.
@ai6yr @mkristensson Agreed. We spent a week in Honolulu three years ago (fortunately most of it on a sailboat). Being on land was terrible. The massive hotels completely block Waikiki from the rest of the city, yet Waikiki is the whole reason for the city. I would never go back.

@mkristensson

We'll visit the Big Island and Kauai these days but that's it. My brother was robbed in a hotel elevator as a teen and it's turned me off Oahu ever since. He and my dad got an extra trip to testify against the guy but I've never been back except through the airport to another island. Loved Maui the first few times I was there but it was horribly gentrified the last time and I don't think I'l be back again. We spent our honeymoon on Lanai camping pre giant hotel and Ellison.

@darwinwoodka @mkristensson
Kauai does have some pretty spectacular natural features, without the ridiculous excess of tourism on Maui.

Molokai's also great, for the genuine island vibe and minimal impact of tourism.

@mkristensson @ai6yr my understanding is the military base is a big reason for the big “interstate” highway