Maui County Wants Your Feedback About Its New Paid Parking Program
The current plan is to charge visitors for parking at some of Maui’s busiest spots.
Maui County is asking the public to share thoughts and suggestions about a it plans to implement over the next year.
The county is hosting two virtual meetings on Wednesday Aug. 24 where residents can share their feedback on the county鈥檚 proposed paid parking system that would charge visitors while setting aside free spaces for residents at some of Maui鈥檚 busiest destinations. This comes after the county recently put $3.8 million toward creating the system, which is designed to ease frustration among residents who have been increasingly forced in recent years to compete with tourists for scarce spots.
鈥淲e often hear about the feeling of being 鈥榮queezed out鈥 by visitors,鈥 Julie Dixon, a parking consultant, said in a county news release. 鈥淢anaging parking can go a long way towards regaining access to your own 鈥榣ocal spots.鈥欌
The county is planning to roll out the paid parking system in two phases, according to the news release. During the first phase, the county wants to hear from residents about where parking problems are most in need of solutions. In early 2023, it鈥檚 also planning to install paid parking equipment at the lots serving Ulua, Mokapu and Kamaole beach parks. Officials plan to learn from those projects and tweak the system as needed.
Later down the line, the county wants to stand up other pilot projects in Lahaina and Wailuku — places where commuters and residents who need to attend to business often have to vie against visitors for spots. As part of phase two, the county will again ask residents for their thoughts.
In a news release, Mayor Michael Victorino said the money earned from the will cover the costs of running it and could also pay for projects like beach restoration, environmental protection and cultural preservation.
Next week鈥檚 virtual meetings are scheduled for 9-10:30 a.m. and 5:30-7 p.m. on Aug. 24. The meeting link will be posted on the two days ahead of time, according to the county.
Civil Beat鈥檚 coverage of Maui County is supported in part by grants from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation and the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation.
