Significant sunset snarl happening atop Mauna Kea

[HiloJulie]

So, I came across this news article, and quite frankly, I don't know how to feel about this issue.

On one hand, judging by the pictures contained in the article, it looks like a new Jeep Car Dealership, which clearly means that tourism and rental car business on the Big Island is doing very well.

On the other hand, those same pictures are showing 10 plus people/vehicles for very 1 person/car intended, which, as the title of the article states, has created quite the traffic snarl. 

Add into all the "sacredness" of Mauna Kea concerns, and I just can't quite come up with a good or bad feeling about this.

Anyone care to opine?

Significant sunset snarl happening atop Mauna Kea : Big Island Now

[TomK]

It was worse in the past. I also don't understand this:

"On the other hand, those same pictures are showing 10 plus people/vehicles for very 1 person/car intended, which, as the title of the article states, has created quite the traffic snarl."

On most afternoons, when the road conditions allow, at least a dozen tour vans go up. Each van contains around 14 people. I don't believe the number of tour companies allowed permits to take tourists to MK has increased, so that's a stable number. We don't have vehicles that clearly can't handle the summit road blocking everyone else these days, although I'm sure some incompetent drivers still do so. I also have no idea when the picture in the article was taken, so it's not useful. However, the summit access road was blocked entirely in the past, especially when it opened after snowfall. I haven't heard of that happening for quite a while now.

[HiloJulie]

I'm talking about 3 of the 4 pictures of cars (mostly what appear to be Jeep Rentals) (of which, I hope are being rented by the recent new PunaWebber's Jeep Rental Company) lined up and parked with dozens more "double parked" and the 4th picture showing the long line of cars waiting to get into the VIS that shows one lady outside of her car talking to people inside a car as well as 2 other cars apparently turning around on the highway to get out of the long line of cars.

In any of the 4 pictures, I don't see one Tour Bus. (Which is my preferred way of going)

At any event, I assume this is recent as the story was published yesterday and I still have no real opinion of this being a good thing or a bad thing, I guess my only real concern is that is this sustainable on Mauna Kea, all thing considered.

[TomK]

I don't know why the photos don't show tour vans, it's likely the photographer was taking pictures of the visitors rather than the vans, but at least one picture shows a typical tour group posing for a picture. For the next sunset, i.e., tomorrow, I suggest you watch

https://ukirt.ifa.hawaii.edu/domecam

(Two hours time-lapses available here - http://mkwc.ifa.hawaii.edu/current/cams/)

And you will see tour vans all over the place.