The reality of commute times in Oahu (Honolulu, Ewa Beach: transferring to, construction)

[micaki]

Aloha everybody! I will be transferring to Oahu in August 2007 for a three-year tour of duty with the Army. I have heard all of the horror stories about the cost of living, the horrible traffic, and over crowding.

My question is what are the realities of the horrible traffic stories there? Yahoo maps gives “clean” time and distance measurements, but it obviously cannot take into account traffic and construction conditions. I am looking at living in several places: Ko Olina, Ewa Beach, the North Shore, and as a last resort downtown. What should I expect for 0500-0600 commute times from the above locations to Wheeler AAF?

Thanks in advance for your time and attention, I look forward to any information offered.

[blinkyblank]

Oahu has a very early morning commute time, I've found. If you'll be at Wheeler, I would try to avoid downtown Honolulu as much as possible.

Ko Olina and Ewa Beach would require you getting onto the H1 to get onto the H2, and sometimes that junction can be a hassle. I think if you leave around 5 or 6 am, you'd be okay. Any later than about 6:30 or so and it gets a little tricky. Luckily, on the west side of the island, the H1 is wider and they also have contraflow lanes. You also wouldn't be coming all the way into town, so you'd be "reverse commuting" once you got to the H2. Most people come from the North Shore and Mililani down to town, and you'd be going from town up into Wheeler.

For the North Shore, my favorite city is Haleiwa; it's very charming. However, I'm not familiar with the cost of living around there. Most of the time, traffic around there is no problem, unless there are large swells on the North Shore. Then surfers, tourists, and pretty much everyone comes up to see what the fuss is about.

I hope that helps a little bit. Good luck with your move to Oahu...it can definitely be quite a change!

[ArkansasTraveler]

Originally Posted by micaki

Aloha everybody! I will be transferring to Oahu in August 2007 for a three-year tour of duty with the Army. commute times from the above locations to Wheeler AAF?
Thanks in advance for your time and attention, I look forward to any information offered.

Live on base and walk to work mo better.

[micaki]

BlinkyBlank, Thanks for the great information! Yes, it was very helpful and consistent with what I had deduced from my research. I will continue to focus in the areas I mentioned and stay clear of downtown.

As far as it being “quite a change”, of that I am sure!! I have been reading the forums as well as other websites about life in Hawaii. Luckily, the government has thought ahead for me, old Uncle Sugar takes pretty good care of us. Our pay is adjusted for the cost of living there and of course we have the commissary available for food shopping, as well as on post gas stations with decent prices. So hopefully I will avoid many of the problems that I have read about concerning the cost of living.

Arkansas Travler, I don’t have the option of living on post, I am single and a senior officer. And even if I had the option I don’t think I would take it, I want to enjoy the “Hawaiian Experience” as much as possible since I know I wont be coming back in this lifetime.

[ArkansasTraveler]

Originally Posted by micaki

Arkansas Travler, I don’t have the option of living on post, I am single and a senior officer. And even if I had the option I don’t think I would take it, I want to enjoy the “Hawaiian Experience” as much as possible since I know I wont be coming back in this lifetime.

“Hawaiian Experience” that be living on da beach under a tent next to yo burnt out car with all the homeless folk.

[micaki]

Originally Posted by ArkansasTraveler

“Hawaiian Experience” that be living on da beach under a tent next to yo burnt out car with all the homeless folk.

LOL, well maybe somewhere between stuck on post and living in a tent on the beach. Compromise is the key to happiness, yes?? Besides, I have had plenty of time living in tents and have seen too many burnt out cars and homeless people in my career!!

[ArkansasTraveler]

Originally Posted by micaki

LOL, well maybe somewhere between stuck on post and living in a tent on the beach. Compromise is the key to happiness, yes?? Besides, I have had plenty of time living in tents and have seen too many burnt out cars and homeless people in my career!!

It is a shame but there are a lot of people here with out a home,
some of it due to their own fault and a lot to due with the price of housing.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by ArkansasTraveler

It is a shame but there are a lot of people here with out a home,
some of it due to their own fault and a lot to due with the price of housing.

The locals living in tents and cars at the beaches in Hawai'i aren't "homeless", they're just "houseless" -- Hawai'i nei is their home. However, the malihini living in tents and cars at the beaches and parks or sleeping on the sidewalks and benches in town are "homeless" -- some continental U.S. municipalities figured out that it was more "cost-effective" to give their homeless folks a one-way ticket to Hawai'i instead of building shelters and providing support services.

[caution]

It's been a long time since I lived there, but I remember a radio station got in trouble for replaying an old traffic report over and over again to pass it off as "live." The back-ups were bad and almost always concentrated to one area.

One person said live on base. If you can stay out of the crater, then yes, check into that (unless the crater has gotten better, been a while)

[ArkansasTraveler]

Originally Posted by Jonah K

"homeless" "houseless" Hawai'i nei malihini "homeless" -- some continental U.S. municipalities figured out that it was more "cost-effective" to give

Thank you very much!

Boddah you?

da kine Mississippi did?