Hawaii Road Signs (Honolulu, Aiea, Lawai: live, restaurants, moving)

[HisDudeness]

Aloha all. HisDudeness here. I'm getting some feedback that the road signs in Hawaii are a little different than what I may be used to here on the mainland. Can anyone give any insight to some of these and what they mean? Is there a website or something that has pictures/explanations of what they mean? Kind of a silly thread, but I think its important. I'm not wanting to harm any little chitlens that may be running around. Thanks so much for any insight!

Much love,

HisDudeness

[Brav989]

Here you go.. http://www.hawaiihighways.com/hawaii-road-signs.htm

Other than some wild goat/pig/duck/turtle/donkey crossing signs I can't recall anything being much different.

[mdand3boys]

From past experience, on the Big Island, it is the lack of signs and/or their small sizes that create issues if you do not know where you are going. However, after some thought, I like it better that way. Roads are not cluttered with all kinds of advertising, etc.

[Sweetbeet]

Not so on Kauai! There are huge signs pointing to all the major tourist destinations (Poipu, Hanalei, Airport, etc.) everywhere you look. You can find your way around here in about one day. (Now, there are some shortcuts, but you won't need those for a brief visit.)

And as for weird signs, I can't think of any. There are some "pedestrian crossing" signs that people have drawn a surfboard or something on the little crossing person (like he's carrying it), but that's about all I can think of.

You will have to get used to some weird road names. Like, Pe'e Road, which gives some kids a chuckle.

[hotzcatz]

The road names are primarily in Hawaiian with names like Kalakaua Avenue, Kalanianeole Highway, Mamalahoa Highway, etc. Street names follow the same nomenclature. The villages and towns along the road have names like Aiea, Kaaawa, Aina Haina, Pepeeko, etc.

We do not have any advertising signs, no billboards. If you are looking for somewhere to eat, you won't get any advertisements telling you to turn left in forty miles like some of the signs on the mainland. If you navigate by reading billboards, that won't work here.

We also don't use numbers for our highways with the exception of H3. When folks give you directions, they will use the street/road name and not any numbers. The mainland directions of "North, South, East and West" are place names here, not compass points. North Shore is North Shore because that's it's name, not because of where it is on the island because nobody keeps track of that mythical mainland direction called "North". We have "mauka" - towards the mountains for a direction. There is Makai which is towards the water/ocean. We then pick a significant landmark along the island's edge to denote the other two directions. For Honolulu, the two classic directions are "Diamond Head" and "Ewa". Mostly we are driving around the edges of roundish shaped islands and the curvy roads go every which way.

We also have minimum speed limits posted so folks won't go too slow on the highways. Generally the maximum speed limit is 55 MPH and the minimum (if they post it) is 40 MPH.

[Sweetbeet]

Yeah, it took me a while to 'get' that the 'west side' is actually NOT on the west side, actually south-southwest if anything. But you can't call it south because that's Poipu/Lawai.

Over here there are road numbers, but nobody uses (or knows) them. In fact, that reminds me, I have to change the directions on my website - I wrote them when I first got here using a map, and now they are weird to me, because even I don't know what road is "50" (I think it might be Kuhio Highway, or maybe Kaumualii). The numbers are posted, but not as prominently as the names. One nice thing is that (downtown, anyway) the cross-streets have big signs hanging over the intersection so it's easy to tell what road it is.

[TXLara]

I discovered that the street signs in some areas are either just not there or are missing letters, which leads to all kinds of confusion. GPS is really handy if you're moving here. Also, when you first get here, all the street names look the same, because they're in Hawaiian and all seem to start with "K", "L", or "H", and are about 12 letters long. After about a month, you'll start to get it, and it'll all suddenly make sense.

If you ask a local for directions, they won't tell you street names, but rather give you landmarks, usually fast food restaurants. But that's the fun, and you'll find your way around so much faster.

[hotzcatz]

People know the names of streets well enough to give directions using street names? How odd.

Best yet, when you get directions, you not only get land mark references, but frequently it will be "turn left where Aloha Motors used to be". History lesson as well as directions!

Tomorrow I'm delivering some baby chickens to somewhere where the directions start out with "turn at mile marker 14" and the final bit of the directions are "turn left at the eleventh telephone pole after the big wooden gate". Should be interesting and it sounds like the kind of location where the 4WD might be the best car to take.

[KonaKat]

LOL Hotzcatz. I have heard this one now missing reference point so many times that I now use it with people that I know have been here several years! Works better than the landmark I was using.

[nwcountrygal]

Yes getting directions from someone was very interesting when I first got there. I would listen and respond with Uhhh? complete and stupid response of I have no idea what you just said..... it used to baffle me that even family who knew I wasn't from the area would tell directions the same way... then they would get all correct for me and say the name of streets.... again response was What? All the names did sound alike...... It was a fun riddle to figure out is how I took it!!!

but it is true - after a month - you may not be able to do the speak - but your little brain will start to recognize where and what people are talking about!! And you do learn to count telephone poles...that is how to get to the best beaches..

My favorite signs are the Tsunami route signs on one side when entering the area a surfer is running towards the wave instead of away! also the stop sign that has orchids growing out of the top of it!

The streets that almost got me into accidents when first there - I was used to a three way stop intersection everyone stops.... not so - the two at the top of T stop the main road doesn't it keeps moving along - Geezzz almost rear ended in the rain - I know I was being called all types of names that night..... a month later I was almost hitting someone doing the same thing ..... (then came back to WA and didn't stop! OPPS....)