ʻAiea, Pearl City, and Waipahu
Overview
The City and County of Honolulu has several ongoing Complete Street improvements in the works for the ʻAiea, Pearl City, and Waipahu neighborhoods. Upcoming roadway safety improvements for the Pearl City neighborhood include protected bikeways, pedestrian crossing improvements, and traffic calming along Waimano Home Road, Hoʻolauleʻa, and Hoʻomalu Streets. Other smaller projects include future signal and interim gateway treatments at Moanalua Road and Ualo Street and pedestrian crossing improvements at Moanalua Road and Nalopaka Place in ʻAiea. These projects will contribute to creating a network of streets that are safe and convenient for all people, whether they are traveling by foot, bicycle, transit, or ride-share, and regardless of age or ability.
The Opportunity
ʻAiea, Pearl City, and Waipahu are vibrant and dense neighborhoods – home to thousands of residents, businesses, restaurants, and major community destinations. These communities have some of Oʻahu’s highest transit ridership rates and are adjacent to multiple Skyline stations. However, ʻAiea, Pearl City, and Waipahu streets in many ways prioritize motorists, leaving a strong need for improved pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities and safety.
The City is improving roadways in the ʻAiea, Pearl City, and Waipahu neighborhoods with the aim of increasing safety and mobility for all roadway users. Complete Streets are:
- Safe and convenient for people of all ages and abilities
- Accommodating to all modes, including foot, bicycle, transit, and automobile
- Integrated with the community’s vision and sense of place
- Supportive of community health and transportation equity
Upcoming Projects
Waipahu
Māhoe Street
The Department of Transportation Services is designing a federal-aid project to improve walking conditions on Māhoe Street between Waipahu Street and Hina Street. Improvements include raised crosswalks, curb extensions, curb ramps, and lighting improvements. This project supports the goals of the City’s Safe Routes to School Program by increasing safety in the vicinity of August Ahrens Elementary School.
Waipiʻo Point Access Road
This community-initiated project will upgrade Waipiʻo Point Access Road from Farrington Highway, along Waipahu High School, to the Waipahu Aloha Clubhouse. The lack of pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure presents accessibility challenges for the vulnerable populations that frequent this area. Overgrown vegetation, abandoned vehicles, and a lack of drainage also detract from their experience. Improvements in the works include a new multi-use path on the high-school side of the street, a raised crossing near Farrington Highway, new street trees, and low-impact drainage infrastructure. The Department of Transportation Services advertised the project for construction in FY24, but the bids came in higher than the available funding. Additional project funds were provided by the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, and the project was contracted for construction in FY25. Construction will begin in mid-FY26.
Waipahu Depot Street
The Department of Transportation Services is designing a federal-aid project to improve biking and walking conditions along Waipahu Depot Street between the Hikimoe Street Bus Transit Center and the Pearl Harbor Bike Path. Improvements include widened and protected shoulders for non-vehicular travel. This project will help to implement the Oʻahu Bike Plan, the Oʻahu Pedestrian Plan, and the Waipahu Transit-Oriented Development Action Plan. The preliminary plans and environmental clearances were completed in FY24. Final design continued through FY25 and is anticipated for completion in 2026.
Walkway Improvements
The City and County of Honolulu has roughly 900 miles of missing walkways along our local roadways, and building them is a complex and costly endeavor. The new Oʻahu Pedestrian Plan prioritizes our missing walkways based on an analysis that considers factors such as bus routes, proximity to schools, and crash history. Moving forward, pending the availability of funds, the City’s Complete Streets program will explore opportunities to construct walkways along these priority segments, either as stand-alone improvements or part of a periodic roadway and pavement rehabilitation project.
Locations identified for safety improvements:
- Waipahu Street (Leowahine Street to Pouhala Road)
- Honowai Street (Waipahu Street to Hōʻaeʻae Street)
Project Materials
Managers Drive and Hiapo Street Roundabout
In November 2019, a pilot roundabout was installed at the intersection of Managers Drive and Hiapo Street in the Waipahu neighborhood. The installation used delineators and pavement markings to construct the roundabout, which replaced a two‐way stop‐controlled intersection. In 2024, DTS procured a design services contract to make the roundabout permanent with more durable materials. Federal financial participation is being requested to cover project engineering and construction costs. Preliminary design plans and environmental clearances were completed in 2025. Final design will start in 2026, with construction anticipated in 2028.
Pearl City
Waimano Home Road/Hoʻolauleʻa Street and Hoʻomalu Streets
There are several projects underway by City departments to improve the safety of uncontrolled crosswalks along Waimano Home Road in Pearl City. The Department of Transportation Services (DTS) is advancing a new rectangular rapid-flashing beacon (RRFB) at the makai intersection of Waimano Home Road with Ho‘omalu Street. Construction is anticipated to start in Spring 2026. This project is part of the DTS Transportation Engineering Division’s Traffic Engineering Devices at Various Locations (TEDVL) program, Phase 3A.
Additionally, the Department of Design and Construction completed design pre-scoping for a localized road rehabilitation project in the Pearl City area (ROLS Phase 25A). This project includes various planned pedestrian and traffic improvements for Waimano Home Road from Moanalua Road to Komo Mai Drive, including RRFBs at Leomele and Ho‘olana Streets, as well as a lower speed limit and other crosswalk and signal adjustments. Final design has been completed, and the project will be advertised for construction in spring of 2026. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2026.
Plans
Click thumbnail to view plans.
Community Meetings
Interactive Map
Click on the interactive map to view community comments about issues residents encountered, or ideas community members have to make the area safer and more accessible for all.
