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Cars and Roads

 

For many Hawaii residents, you are what your drive ... or at least that seems to be the thinking of many kama'aina.

But, that's understandable. Island motorists - like their counterparts on the Mainland - are wedded to their cars, trucks and minivans.

We wash them, wax them, dress them up with 22-inch rims and spend hundreds - maybe thousands - of dollars on after-market goodies that range from DVD monitors and low-profile racing tires to custom upholstery and chrome-tipped exhaust systems.

In fact, many of us buy vehicles because of the image they seem to portray.

How else would you explain our willingness to purchase luxury cars that cost the equivalent of a full year's salary, off-road vehicles that never leave the pavement or those intimidating monster trucks that tower over traffic and require the use of a rope ladder just to reach the door handle.

Yet, some of us take an opposite approach. As "first adopters," we embrace hybrid vehicles, then boast to friends how much money we're saving at the gas pump.

The bulk of Island motorists, however, tend to fall somewhere in the middle lane.

Most of us drive safe, sensible sedans that possess all the excitement of vanilla ice cream. We're perfectly content to drive a car if it has dual air bags, a trunk large enough to hold a week's worth of groceries and power to merge on the H-1 without causing a traffic jam.

However, we also expect our cars to come equipped with such basic amenities as CD players, power seats, air conditioning and a minimum of four cup holders. Nothing fancy or over-the-top, mind you, just practical mom-and-pop transportation in a no-nonsense sort of way.

Regardless of what you drive, expect to spend a good portion of your life on the road, in the zipper lane, behind a bus with flashing lights or waiting for traffic lights to change.

Daily commutes to work take upwards of 45 minutes a day. If it happens to rain, that same trip can often take twice as long. Thank goodness it doesn't snow in Paradise. Otherwise, we'd never make it to work.

And pity the poor motorists who make the daily trek to Honolulu from Mililani, Ewa Beach, Kahalu'u or Kahuku. They should be earning "frequent commuter" miles just for their effort. Despite traffic jams, fender benders, a dearth of parking, crazy drivers, crater-size potholes and some of the highest gasoline prices in the nation, the people of Hawaii still love their cars.

Cars are something to be flaunted in front of neighbors ... an escape from the drudgery of work ... and extensions of who we are and our standing in society.

During the past year, O'ahu residents went out and purchased more than 65,000 new cars and trucks - from fuel-sipping econoboxes to hulking trucks and off-road SUVs sporting 22-inch rims and a subwoofer in the back.

The old adage that "variety is the spice of life" certainly pertains to what we drive as well. At last count, buyers choose vehicles from 36 different manufacturers from Asia, Europe and the United States.

Of course, we have our tried-and-true favorites.

According to the Hawai'i Automobile Dealer's Association, the five most popular brands of vehicles sold on O'ahu are:

• Toyota
• Chevrolet
• Honda
• Ford
• Nissan

We rely on our cars and trucks for running errands, dropping kids off at soccer practice, visiting friends across town, driving to the beach or tailgating at Aloha Stadium before a Warriors' game.

Many of us are even in the habit of banking or ordering ready-to-go foods without ever stepping out of the car - thanks to drive-up windows.

To help us get a quick jolt of caffeine, Starbucks introduced Oahu to its first drive-up window for java-heads at its Kaneohe location across from Windward Mall.

Gasoline shortages and high prices at the pump, however are altering the way we think about driving.

While carpooling hasn't gained widespread acceptance, motorists are curtailing unnecessary trips, toying with the idea of alternative fuels and have slowly begun switching our buying choices. Trucks and SUVs are giving way to car-based crossover vehicles that combine the best attributes of cars, vans and sport utilities.

Midsize sedans are back in vogue and subcompacts are giving compacts a run for their money in terms of buyer appeal.

Parking spaces are becoming even more of a premium downtown and in Waikiki. But we still manage to find ways of conducting business and having a good time.

Municipal lots with parking meters, restaurants that offer validated parking for the price of a meal and valet service at multi-plex movies all help to take the sting out of finding a space for our rides.

Still, we enjoy getting out on the highway and cruising in our cars as a form of emotional release and entertainment. And if you're looking for a stretch of highway that might make your spirits soar, here are four suggestions you might want to try for yourself.

Scenic Stretches of Highway

- Start your day with a sunrise drive along the Windward coastline from Waimanalo Beach Park to Hanauma Bay. Check out Cockroach Bay, Rabbit Island and the lighthouse at Makapu'u. while enjoying the fresh scent of salty ocean air. You may even want to visit one of the scenic lookouts along the way and scan the horizon for a breeching whale or two.

- Check your car's brakes before beginning the steep, one-mile climb to the top of Wilhelmina Rise near Kaimuki - then reverse direction and get ready for fun. Sure, San Francisco may tout Lombard Street as the "crookedest street in the world," but Wilhelmina Rise is practically a vertical drop requiring a leap of faith.

- Drive into the clouds on the H-3 Freeway as you pass Kaneohe Bay, "Stairway to Heaven" and the mist-shrouded peaks of the Koolau Mountains. The view of Windward Oahu is stunning by day or night as you pass through the tunnel from town. The H-3 also has two scenic lookouts points on the Windward Side that beg for attention. Both overlook the tranquil waters of Kaneohe Bay and provide postcard perfect views of sailboats, Chinaman's Hat and the runway at Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station.

- Head for the North Shore and Waimea Bay - but plan your arrival for around 6 p.m. to admire one of Oahu's tropical sunsets. Take along a picnic basket to enjoy on the beach or stop off at one of the roadside caf��s for a romantic dinner. Colorful surf shops in Haleiwa capture a side of Oahu that most kama'aina often forget, and the two-lane highway out on the North Shore has a relaxed Neighbor Island feel to it.

Quick Facts on Transportation

• Oahu motorists drive less than 10,000 miles a year.
• On average, the retail price of a new car on Oahu cost $28,000.
• Island residents purchase more than 65,000 new cars and trucks each year.
• The cost of insuring a car on Oahu is around $1,250 a year.
• More than 715,000 cars and trucks are registered to operate on Oahu each year.
• Most households on Oahu own two or more vehicles.
• Owners of use cars spend an average of $700 on repairs each year.
• In recent years, regular unleaded gasoline on Oahu has ranged in cost from $2.85 to $3.45 per gallon.
• Travel by taxi varies from one company to another. The average fare is $2.40 per mile.
• Slightly more than 26,000 motorcycles and motor scooters are registered to operate on Oahu each year
• Last year, more than 2,340 buses were operating on Oahu
• The adult fare for a one-way trip on TheBus is $2, while a monthly bus pass is priced at $40. Discounts are available for students and senior citizens.
• Municipal parking meter rates vary by location, but average 25 cents per half hour.
• The cost of using a private parking lot in Downtown Honolulu typically runs $4 per hour.