The Maui News

Several walking tours and an open house community meeting will be held next week to receive new ideas for improving affordable and workforce housing, transportation options and overall connectivity between Lahaina and Kaanapali.

The events are part of the second major phase of community engagement for the West Maui Community Corridor Transit Oriented Development Plan and are scheduled as follows:

• Walking tour of the Keawe Street area, 4 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, hosted by Council Member Tamara Paltin at the Cannery Mall southern entrance.

• Community meeting and open house, 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Lahaina Senior Center at 788 Pauoa St.

• Walking tour of the Pioneer Mill area, 8 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Outlets of Maui parking lot.

• Walking tour of the Keawe Street area, 8 to 9:30 a.m. March 3 at the Cannery Mall southern entrance.

• Project team office hours, 1 to 4 p.m. March 3 at the Lahaina Art Show at Cannery Mall at 1221 Honoapiilani Highway.

The walking tours are open to the public, but RSVP is required online at WestMauiCommunityCorridor.org.

The events will provide an opportunity for people to take a deep dive into needs such as accessibility and connectivity, public transportation and mobility, jobs and housing, redevelopment and reinvestment areas, and sustainability and resiliency, according to a news release from the Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization. The community’s input will be used to shape a vision and establish a framework for land use and connectivity plans for the West Maui Community Corridor.

The plan was launched in July to make West Maui more connected, accessible, sustainable and livable by supporting a transit-oriented community.

Opportunities to provide feedback on the project are available at WestMauiCommunityCorridor.org through a community survey, an online mapping exercise and an interactive scavenger hunt. Participants will be entered to win a gift card from a local business.

The plan is led by the Maui County Department of Planning in partnership with the departments of Housing and Human Concerns, Parks and Recreation, Public Works and Transportation, as well as the Maui MPO and the state Department of Transportation. The project is funded by a grant from the state Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.