Hawaii's Route 66

Actually, Hawaii doesn't have a Route 66. But we've got 61, 63, 64, 65, 72...

A fun article in today's Honolulu Advertiser explores a topic that I've frequently mused on — the fact that Hawaii highways are numbered (almost) like those in any other state, but that almost no one, save tourists, ever refers to them that way.

The article includes trivia I wasn't aware of, too, like how we're exempt from the usual rule that specifies that "north-south routes end in odd numbers and east-west routes end in even numbers," and that we separate numbers by island.

I do use "Route 72" (Kalanianaole Highway) and "Route 61" (Pali Highway) now and then to help visiting friends get around (to Hanauma Bay and Kailua respectively), because they're labeled like that on maps (and less reliably on signs). The fact that some highways change numbers (let alone names) several times, though, makes this practice almost useless, otherwise.

(The "Ala Moana Boulevard" to "Nimitz Highway" switcheroo is the one that bungles my attempts at giving directions most often.)

Anyone else run into these quirks when trying to orient newcomers to our crazy island roadways?

Comments

I once asked a visiting friend where he had parked his car in Waikiki. He said, waving his hand vaguely, "Oh, back that way a few blocks. It's on a street that begins with K."

"A street that begins with K."

Oh, my!

As to changing names/numbers, we aren't nearly as bad ('course, we don't have as many roads, either) as LA! The Ventura becomes PCH becomes US 101, etc. Will ponder this further.

As someone who has acted as a backseat driver/ map holder/ navigator to my parents whenever they would visit Stateside (Lord knows they could've used me in SoCal) I've always made a habit of giving highly detailed driving instructions. It's not enough to tell them, "Go on H-1 and take it all the way to King Street" (or Makakilo, if they're visiting my sister); you have to tell them exactly where to switch lanes, just so they wouldn't be confused. (Especially since they happen to like using the 78 as a means of bypassing traffic on both sides of H-1.)

Do not, however, get me started about the time we went to Waipahu with the instructions to "take Farrington Highway and turn left at the school..."

I've been living in Queens, NY for a little over 2 years and still can't figure out how to get around. Some places you've got 73rd Drive, 73rd Ave, 73rd Road, etc., all in the same area. Also the thing that's most frustrating for someone raised in Honolulu is no mo' mauka and makai li' dat!!!

Can't say the lack of mauka and makai has really messed me up. I just look for the sun, look at my watch, and figure out east and west that way. By extension, north and south becomes pretty obvious.

Compass directions in the islands, however, are pretty much useless. The front door of my parents' house faces ENE. Whenever I go back home, I can't kick the perception that the sun rises in the north, sets in the south!

I discovered that today's article stemmed from one that Mike L. did around the 4th of July. I looked at the table in today's story, and tried to find the site he credits, but at the moment it's still at the former site. Looks like a lot of fun; I haven't dug very deeply into it yet.

While I take the bus instead of driving I do notice that some of TheBus riders have problems dealing with the route numbers in the system.

For example we have a #1 Kalihi and #9 Kalihi which travels on different streets.

Don't forget Kalihi buses #2, #3, and #7, too. (I love TheBus!)

And it's only recently that I've finally figured out the difference between the CityExpress A (UH Manoa - Waipahu) and B (Waikiki - School Street) - and shuttles 411 and 412 in Makakilo! (Phew...)

For a small city, the roads are sure confusing. The good thing is one can only go so far before one loops back to the beginning or hit a dead end like Kaena Point.

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