Downtown Hilo Redevelopment Plan_Feb 1985

Home

(2) In the Kukuau Sub -Area: (a) Rezone the area bounded by Ponahawai Street, Ululani Street, Alenaio Stream and Kapiolani Street from RM -1 to CO. (3) In the Puueo Sub -Area: (a) Rezone the Dodo Mortuary parcel to agriculture ( "A") to allow its operation as a conforming use. 2. Provision of Public Parking Lots and Additional On- Street Parkin Parking lots and the conversion of Mamo Street into a diagonal parking street and Ululani Street into a one -way street with parallel parking on both sides are proposed as a means for increasing parking downtown and keeping the downtown activities competitive with newer commercial areas in Kaiko'o and elsewhere. Consideration should be given to the construction of parking decks over public parking lots when economically appropriate. 3. Provision of Vehicle Circulation Improvements , A range of traffic projects shown in Figure S are proposed as a means for reducing congestion in downtown Hilo and thereby making down- town activities more accessible and convenient to its users. The extension of Ponahawai Street to the Belt Highway and the signaliza- tion of Waianuenue Avenue at the Belt Highway and of Ponahawai Street at Kamehameha Avenue are intended to allow through traffic to conveniently bypass downtown Hilo. Corner roundings at Ponaha- wai Street and Kilauea Avenue, at Ponahawai Street and Kinoole Street, and at Kinoole Street and Waianuenue Avenue are intended to improve circulation around the Kinoole Street -Keawe Street one -way couplet. In addition, corner rounding projects should be undertaken at the intersections of Ponahawai Street with Ululani and Kapiolani Streets. Additionally, Ponahawai Street should be widened between Kilauea Avenue and Ululani Street to include an additional lane for improved vehicle movement. A traffic signal is proposed at the Haili Street intersection with Kamehameha Avenue in order to reduce left turn conflicts for vehicles turning from Kamehameha Avenue onto Haili Street and to allow buses from the bus terminal to get across Kamehameha Avenue to Haili Street safely. The one -way street system as proposed in the old Hilo Downtown Development Plan (1974) should be implemented when increasing downtown traffic congestion warrants it. This system would consist of a central one -way loop in a counterclockwise direction made up of Kinoole, Ponahawai, Kamehameha, and Waianuenue Streets; and internal connector streets consisting of Mamo Street in a mauka direction and making Haili Street one -way in a makai direction. Keawe Street could be closed in mid -town (Furneaux or Haili) to prevent through - traffic users and keep Keawe Street as a local street. Furneaux Lane would still be used as an exit point into Kamehameha Avenue and should not be closed off. 1 7