Locals Concerned About Growth In Small Town Kauai

On the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, small towns are grappling with plans to develop more than 4,500 housing units. Of the most concern to residents is the increased traffic and strain on roads, so they have proposed a circulation plan.

1 minute read

June 2, 2007, 5:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"Almost a dozen construction projects, totaling more than 4,500 units, are already zoned and a half-dozen are already under construction."

"The problem is, Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste said this week, most of the area was zoned for resort development in 1972, when the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance was implemented."

"Led by members of the Koloa Community Association and other community groups, residents have pushed for a traffic study to find how traffic can move around the area when perhaps an additional 6,000 cars enter the region in the coming years."

"The community association, which has been keeping an eye on the area since the 1970s, has gotten a majority of the developers in the area to pitch in for a traffic circulation plan. If implemented, the plan would add more than $12 million worth of feeder roads, sidewalks, bike paths and a local bus service to keep as much traffic out of the area as possible."

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 in Honolulu Star Bulletin

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 16, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Passengers board an Amtrak train under a cloudy sky.

Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement

The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.

September 18, 2026 - Mass Transit

The Gross Reservoir, a large body of water surrounded by trees and mountains.

Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion

Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.

September 18, 2026 - Inside Climate News

A crowd of people boarding Boston's green line in an underground subway station.

Boston has spent millions making the Green Line more accessible — and there’s no end in sight

While the city has invested millions into expanding and adding platforms to the Green Line to make it more accessible, new train cars set to arrive next year will be too tall for disabled passengers to board without raising the current platforms.

7 hours ago - Boston Globe

Railroad tracks in Idaho passing a home by a river.

Idaho may see an 18% drop in federal surface transit funding — the largest estimated cut in the US

Transit systems in rural communities are much more reliant on federal funding to provide their services.

September 22 - Grist

A Florida family with their belongings in a wagon walks past a destroyed storm after a hurricane.

How ‘post-disaster gentrification’ alters neighborhoods after natural calamities

After hurricanes, fires or other calamities, the original residents of a community are often replaced by younger, wealthier residents.

September 22 - Inside Climate News