KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — Hawaii County announced the opening of a new park-n-ride location, a result of a collaboration with the Kailua Village Business Improvement District. The County Park-n-Ride is on Loloku Street on the south side of Target in Kailua-Kona.

What You Need To Know

  • All aspects of the park-n-ride are free — parking, bus fares and Kona Trolley fares

  • 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. parking hours accommodate peak parking hours for Historic Kailua Village businesses

  • The new park-n-ride is next to an existing bus stop on Luhia St. that will help people seamlessly connect to other transportation options

  • Kona Trolley will stop at the park-n-ride at hour and half-hour intervals

The extended parking hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. accommodate peak parking hours for Historic Kailua Village businesses.

All aspects of the park-n-ride are free — parking, bus fares and Kona Trolley fares.

“At the end of the day, our people, those working, visiting or shopping in the village need to be our priority when it comes to ensuring a sustainable Hawaii Island where our keiki can raise their keiki for generations,” said Mayor Mitch Roth in a news release.

“Right now, folks are struggling to find free parking in Kona. This isn’t just for fun stuff; it’s to get to work, it’s for programs at Hale Halawai and needed services. That’s not right. As a county, we’re looking at every avenue to alleviate the parking concerns of our residents in Kona, and this park-n-ride is just one of the creative ideas that we’ll be bringing forward to address this issue — for our workers, for their companies, and for our local families,” Roth said.

The strategic placement of the park-n-ride next to an existing bus stop on Luhia Street will help people seamlessly connect to other transportation options. The bus stop is a transfer point for different routes, including transportation across the West Hawaii region.

The Kona Trolley will also stop at the park-n-ride at hour and half-hour intervals. Trolley route starts at Luhia Street and stops at Kona Commons, Kona Brew, Queen Kaahumanu Highway, Palani Road, Alii Drive and Keauhou Shopping Center.

Residents and visitors can easily access a variety of businesses, dining spots, farmers’ markets and beaches, helping to grow the local economy.

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.