I find her opinion to be typical of outsiders who move to the islands expecting everyone to adapt to a change of the status quo. Then again she may be Hawaiian because many Hawaiians have haole last names. It's difficult to say but her letter is interesting considering that the Ala Wai Canal is now polluted and has been for years by the very people who live near it, walk by it, and most probably who jog near it. Unfortunately that is what happens in Hawai'i. Too many people equals to too much pollution irrelevant of mode of transportation. Too many people are destroying the beauty of Hawai'i if not already:


Quit crying over loss of a few parking spaces

"I keep hearing negative comments from a few people who will be inconvenienced when some parking spaces are removed from the Ala Wai in order to widen sidewalks and create a bike lane. These critics are forgetting that people from McCully, Kapiolani, Kuhio, Kalakaua and other nearby streets -- locals -- every day use the Ala Wai Canal's narrow sidewalk for jogging, walking and just plain strolling to get their daily exercise.
Instead of using the fourth lane of the Ala Wai for a dead-end parking lot, why not remove all parking from the Ala Wai and create nice wide sidewalks, with trees (it gets hot since there are not enough shade trees), as well as a bike lane? The sidewalks are very narrow, and people often have to jump out of the way to allow joggers to go by.

The city says it will provide two parking lots, so why the hue and cry from the few? There are many more people who use the sidewalk along the canal than there are people who feel they must park on the street.


Syndy Soucy
Honolulu"