Mayor Kimo Alameda mentioned the Aliʻi Drive proposal during his recent State of the County address.

(BIVN) – This weekend, Kona residents will have a chance to discuss a plan to convert part of Aliʻi Drive in Kailua Village into a one-way street in order to create additional parking. 

Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda will provide an update on the Aliʻi Drive proposal during the Mālama Kailua Village community event this Saturday, April 12th. The free event is held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hale Halawai, and Mayor Alameda will speak at noon. 

Under the proposal, Aliʻi Drive will be converted into a one-way street between Kailua pier and Hualālai Road. The one-way pattern would allow traffic to move in a south-bound direction, starting after the Kailua Pier. Vehicles exiting the pier would have the option to turn either left or right, county officials say. 

“The one-way conversion would act as a pilot program to address parking needs for downtown businesses,” Mayor Alameda said in a Thursday news release. “If the project is successful, we would seek approval from the County Council to adopt the new traffic pattern within 90 days.”

“We encourage residents to join us this Saturday to provide their input on how we can improve parking and traffic flow in the business area,” Mayor Alameda said.