Maku'u market traffic backed up past Ainaloa

[Kenney]

The Maku'u Market looks great! No more stumbling over loose gravel. Great improvement!

[Tink]

At least their gate fee is going to improvements on the property, maybe somebody will take the hint elsewhere? Glad to see it happening at the market, will create better business in their "looking forward" to serve its customers!

Community begins with Aloha

[randomq]

While Maku'u Market is closed, stop by the Hawaiian Acres market on Saturdays noon to three. We don't charge a parking fee or vending fee, even though we payed for all those permits

[terracore]

Grand re-opening!

Traffic backed up past Ainaloa all the way to Makuu blvd in HPP and line of cars growing.

[leilanidude]

...and not a single police office will stop to help direct traffic and improve the situation...

[terracore]

There was a police officer waiting in the long line of cars. It looked like he was texting.

But you bring up a good point. If a construction team wanted to back traffic up for a mile and a half they would have to hire a police officer to direct traffic. Rather than taking a stab at this myself, I will wait for Kalakoa to post a witty one-liner about this dichotomy.

[kalakoa]

There was a police officer waiting in the long line of cars.

I counted four. Hope they weren't responding to an emergency.

If a construction team wanted to back traffic up for a mile and a half

...they would have to get permits for the roadway encroachment.

Was the market required to perform a traffic study before being granted a driveway onto the State highway? Or is that only for mainland haoles?

[Chunkster]

Was the market required to perform a traffic study before being granted a driveway onto the State highway?

The market did convince the state to fund construction of a turn lane (something most private developers would have to pay for,) and I'm sure they didn't pay for any studies, either. The traffic backup was not as bad before they started charging parking fees. The line behind the toll booth now often keeps drivers from turning in to the market driveway and thus waiting on the highway causing delays. It might help if they widened the driveway and put in additional money collecting huts.

Or is that only for mainland haoles?

I'll steal and modify a line from Orwell's Animal Farm, "All communities are equal, but some communities are more equal than others."

Having said all that, I believe Makuu is an asset to Puna. It's just that we never seem to get anything completely right around here.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

widened the driveway and put in additional money collecting huts.

Good idea.
It would help clear traffic off the highway.
Happy customers can start shopping faster.
And it would maintain a positive attitude toward the marketplace by people just trying to drive to Pahoa or Keaau on a Sunday for other purposes.

"Only fear real things, such as minds full of delusions." -Last Aphorisms

[terracore]

Before they started charging admission there was a back entrance / exit? What happened to that? Could they put a second toll booth there?