CHINATOWN, Hawaii (KHON2) — Heads up for those in Chinatown. It will cost you more to park with prices already increasing at most of the lots. Residents and visitors shared their concerns.
“There’s is a lot of people that are upset about this because municipal lots are supposed to be cheaper,” said Ernest Caravalho, Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board Chair.
“I did notice just maybe in the past couple of weeks, wow the parking’s not 75 cents anymore,” explained Karen Lee, Cindy’s Lei Shoppe manager.
The price is up from 75 cents to 90 cents for each half hour for the first two hours you park and up $1.50 to $1.80 every half hour after that.
Evening and weekend prices are also up from 50 cents to 65 each half hour and from $3 to $3.90.
The Chinatown Municipal Parking Lot at Kekaulike Courtyard is one of six where parking prices are going up. The six lots are spread across Chinatown and residents said they were some of the more reasonable parking options.
Lee added the price increase is unfortunate because “Chinatown really needs more people to come.”
“You come on in, hopefully, you’re quick about your purchase or you’ve preordered. So it’s not as painful,” she added. “I feel more for the restaurants.”
Lee said the rising price isn’t the only issue.
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“It’s cashless and a lot of people don’t have credit cards. You’d be surprised. I even see people struggling with metered parking. That’s a challenge right there.”