No parking, no patience: Some irked by commercial use of Waikiki street parking

WAIKIKI (HawaiiNewsNow) - Concerns are growing over limited street parking in Waikiki.

Some residents say the City is continuing to let businesses buy up parking spots, leaving them with fewer options.

"Sometimes I wait 20 to 30 minutes for a spot to open up," said Tim Garry, who surfs Waikiki almost everyday.

Several construction signs that read "No Parking, Tow Away Zone" line Ohua Ave. and Paoakalani Ave.

The City says five different contractors paid for permits to take up the metered parking stalls for weeks at a time while construction continues at Pacific Beach Hotel.

Garry doesn't think its fair contractors pay less than $20 a day for prime spots.

He also pointed out a Jeep rental company that takes up more parking stalls in Waikiki just to advertise its business.

"They are public spots being taken up by commercial people," Garry said.

We spoke with the owner of Paradise Jeep Rentals who says he's not doing anything wrong.

Danny Walker says he keeps about five jeeps parked around Waikiki and the rest are stored in a garage.

"It's not necessarily me parking them," Walker said. "People rent and then they park near the hotel they're staying at."

The City council passed a bill last month that establishes a group to manage traffic related policies.

The Waikiki Improvement Association is leading the charge.

It's president, Rick Egged, is also concerned about vehicles overstaying their time in loading zones.

"For passenger loading and unloading, it's supposed to be three minutes," said Egged. "For freight it's 30 minutes but oftentimes you'll see vehicles well beyond the allowed times."

Egged hopes the Waikiki Traffic Management Association will have formal plans to improve traffic woes by next Spring.

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