Photo of Kealoha Beach Park taken on Monday, August 15

(BIVN) – There is a new parking scheme at the repaved Kealoha Beach Park in Keaukaha.

The new system features reverse angle parking, put into place as the shoreline park reopens after a short closure to complete the work.

From the County of Hawaiʻi:

The Hawaiʻi County Department of Parks and Recreation announces James Kealoha Beach Park in Keaukaha, South Hilo, will reopen Thursday, August 18, following complete repaving of the park’s roadway and parking areas.

“We are thankful for the hard work of the Department of Public Works Highways Division’s crew that prepped, paved, and striped the park,” said Parks and Recreation Director, Maurice Messina. “They went above and beyond, returning this week to pave the public road the park exits onto, to ensure the experience of park users is a positive one from the moment they enter the park through the time they leave.”

The park’s one-way traffic pattern has been reestablished coupled with a new system of reverse angled parking throughout the park. New signs have been placed throughout the park to advise park users on the proper use of parking stalls and to identify areas where parking is prohibited.

The following guidance is provided to assist park users:

How does back-in angle parking work?

Reverse angle parking is just like parallel parking, except it’s easier (it’s actually just the first maneuver of parallel parking):

1. ​Signal: Use turn signal to indicate parking.
2. Stop: Pull past the space then stop to make sure no traffic is behind you.
3. Reverse: Reverse into the parking spot.

What are the benefits of reverse angle parking?
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1. Improved visibility and increased field of vision. When leaving the parking space, motorists are able to see oncoming traffic.
2. Decreased number of collisions. Motorists no longer have to back out blindly from their parking space.
3. Improved safety for children. Car doors open in a manner that directs children to the back of the vehicle, ushering them towards the sidewalk rather than the street.
4. Improved safety for cyclists. Car doors that open will not result in “dooring” of cyclists, and as vehicles exit their parking stall, they are able to see cyclists in the roadway.
5. Improved loading and unloading. Trunks are adjacent to the sidewalk and open car doors offer protection from the street, allowing loading and unloading to occur at the curb instead of in the traveled roadway.