HO'OKIPA GATE, Let my people surf, safely.

PLEASE lend a hand to help with the problem at Ho'okipa each morning. The gate to the beach park is closed until 7am nowadays. It used to be open at sunrise pre-Covid.

Whenever there is a swell, there are up to 100 cars parked on Hana Highway, adults and keiki crossing the road near dawn, trying to get in the water before work and school.

It's dangerous for the people out of their cars, 'in their cars commuting, and even for the road shoulders that are getting chewed up.

IT'S ALL AVOIDABLE - OPEN da GATE at 5:30 am.

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• Waiehu Municipal (County) Golf Course opens at 5:30 AM
• Ho'okipa Beach Park opened at sunrise prior to COVID, for years
• Ho'okipa gate is closed until 7AM

As surfers that use this park many days a week before work and school, we have narrowly missed being hit by both drivers in the dark and those distracted by the waves, their phones, etc while crossing the road and while walking and parking along the highway.

Fall is here. Winter swells will be here soon.

The current MAYOR'S ANSWER is that this is an issue that must be STUDIED before it could be addressed, 'that the UNIONS don't want this, 'that we must look at the BUDGET and do a Pilot Program.

Other County Council members and the Parks Department have echo'd this - literally word-for-word in many cases.

We have faith that our public leaders CAN DO MORE. And, we ENCOURAGE them to step up now.

Again - thank you for your help in fixing this issue. Let's deal with it before anyone in our community is seriously injured.

Mahalo for your consideration and for spreading the word.