Local News

New paid parking, `easy peasy’

After parking her car at Kama'ole Beach Park I, Maui resident Genna Joyce stood in front of a new paid parking stand, following the instructions of a "parking ambassador" and was through filling out the digital information in a minute.

"Easy peasy," she said. "I'd come back to the beach again."

As Maui County begins a new system of paid beach parking in Kihei this week, reactions seem positive.

The paid parking, located across a number of condominiums and time share apartments, is designed to give residents an opportunity to enjoy the beach.

For residents to get available free parking from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., they need to provide information at the Park Maui electronic kiosk, including their vehicle license number and driver's license bar code.

Visitors provide the same information, plus their credit card to make a payment.

Residents also have the additional privilege of exclusive use of Kamaole Beach Park I and III parking lots from 7 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The park itself remains open to the public.

Residents are required to list the license of their vehicles and scan their driver's license bar code to prove their eligibility.

Most visitors are more than willing to pay $10 for the day via credit card -- an amount that is much lower than most beach parking in other U.S. states, a couple of parking ambassadors said.

In addition, if residents and visitors don't want to pay, there's usually ample space at nearby empty lots across the street, provided as a convenience during the transitional period.

At least one visitor had difficulty processing a credit card payment and was excused from paying.

Parking Ambassadors, hired by a contractor, said during the transitional period, parking violators are being issued warnings rather than tickets.

On Thursday at 2 p.m., the parking lots seemed to be enjoying a normal flow of traffic - about 15 vehicles occupied spaces at the smaller parking lot at Kamaole I and 35 vehicles at Kamaole III.

For more information or to ask a question, visit www.ParkMaui.com; contact form is located at the bottom right of the home page.