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Interesting History/Stories of the Trail by Leningrad Elarionoff
Did you know that the TRAIL utilizes a part of the road installed by the forty thousand Camp Tarawa Marines who came here to recuperate after fighting the battle in Tarawa Island. Richard smart, owner of Parker Ranch leased 31 thousand acres to the US Military for one dollar a year for them to recuperate and prepared for the invasion of Okinawa, Japan which the eventually did.
Besides that, in prehistoric Hawaiian history, Waimea was the home of a special forces type of Hawaiian Warriors known as the Ki Puu Puu warriors who trained for battle in the hills above Waimea. As part of their training, they were trained in the art of Pelu, a Hawaiian Martial Arts skill known as Lua that made them fierce and feared in battle. They were taught that martial arts move by an old Hawaiian man who lived close to the trail on a hill known as Puu O Pelu, or hill of Pelu. Richard Smart built his house on that hill and there is a street in Waimea that dead ends just before the Trail, easement pointing directly at the Hill Puu O Pelu. The Ki Puu Puu warriors needed to cross the Trail on their way to practice the Pelu art from the old man. Some people believe that the path they utilized to get to the old mans house was eventually named Puu O Pelu St.
There is also a legend about two lovers who were separated by war when he got killed in battle. Legend says that she walks the trail searching for him to this day. Numerous people claim to have heard her weeping as she searched. She died waiting for his return and was buried along the trail. When preparing for this Trail, we located some bones on the ground and a state archeologist identified the bones as belonging to a young female. Plans have been made to relocate those bones to a more prominent location on August 16, 2021.
There is much more to the legend but ancient history with the Ki Puu Puu warriors and the not too ancient history of the Camp Tarawa Marines will be kept alive with the establishment of the Ke Ala Kahawai O Waimea Trail for all to remember.
Waimea Trails and Greenways Project
Ke Ala Kahawai O Waimea: The Streamside Trail of Waimea
Project History
The rural community of Waimea, Hawai‘i’s center of ranching activities and paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) culture, has envisioned and supported iterations of the Project for more than 28 years, and creating a safe space for walking and biking in this area would fulfill community needs. This solution has been contemplated and envisioned for decades, as noted in the Final Environmental Assessment for the Project(5): in 1994, the Waimea Trails and Greenways (WTG) Committee held community meetings where residents discussed goals and concerns and explored potential routes. Although not sponsored by the County, the WTG began in the early 1960s and represents the community voice; it is made up of regular citizens who are avid trail walkers and cyclists and have supported the Project since inception. Discussion around development of a safe transportation route linking where people live, work, shop and learn concluded with a linear trail route along Waikōloa Stream. In September 1994, Waimea Main Street - a local non-profit trade organization - submitted a proposal to the Hawai‘i County Council for the trail concept, and in January 1995, the Council approved seed money to secure federal ISTEA (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act) dollars for this transportation enhancement. The Project then experienced setbacks due to the time needed to negotiate with private landowners and transitions in the team, but the County is now ready to move ahead after securing necessary permissions and rights of way.
To view what the trail will look like
Waimea Trails- what it will look like
Ke Ala Kahawai O Waimea will be a foundational component of the bicycle and pedestrian network desired by the community. The multi-use trail can be used by adults, children, the elderly and the physically disabled, and those who cannot or choose not to drive. It will provide families with the option of allowing children to walk to and from school safely. Overall, the trail will provide Waimea residents with more connectivity, flexibility, and options in their transportation decisions for work, school, and recreation, and so improve quality of life for the community while addressing transportation equity.
Transportation Challenges Addressed by Proposed Trail
The Project overall would be a critical component of the transportation infrastructure required to facilitate the town’s growing community by connecting nature parks, schools, cultural centers and local businesses. It would improve connectivity and greatly enhance the safety of motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. It would expand connectivity with existing transit services as the path is close to the island’s bus network and would provide convenient connections between Waimea and other parts of the island. It would also provide residents and visitors opportunities to increase physical and mental health through outdoor exercise and access to nature. For example, over 1,500 students from seven area schools within a half mile radius could benefit from a nature-based transportation feature.
Members of the Waimea Trails and Greenways Committee conducted an independent survey in January 2024 of 225+ Waimea community members:
- 94.3% indicated that they do not feel safe and/or do not feel that their children are safe walking or biking on the town roads in Waimea.
- 98.7% indicated that they and/or their children would walk or bike more if there were a safe, accessible passage through Waimea town.
Transportation-disadvantaged members of the community could also benefit, as County data notes that area residents spend about 68% of their income on housing and transportation compared to the national average of about 50% – with transportation disadvantaged broadly defined as the elderly, poor, children, non-English speakers, and the physically or developmentally disabled. For example, this Project will help to forestall issues that will occur and could be exacerbated for these disadvantaged populations, as the community continues to grow and housing developments such as Native Hawaiian homesteads become available for more residents.
The community's current car dependence is clear from a 2021 study that found 88% of workers drive alone to work, compared to the national average of 69%. The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation identified Waimea as a high-traffic area in need of transportation solutions for safety and active transportation to relieve congestion. Such congestion will only increase when additional developments come online, such as the DHHL Lalamilo Phase 2A with 83 residential lots and the recent donation of 282 acres to the Hawaiʻi Island Community Development Corporation for affordable housing at ʻŌuli. As the population of Waimea continues to expand, putting increased pressure on roadways, the trail project will provide an essential alternate transportation corridor for the community.
In 2020, the State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Transportation, Highways Division, conducted the Waimea Regional Safety Study: Planning and Environment Linkages Report, to identify potential projects that would improve safety and operations and relieve congestion in the Waimea region. The study notes that Waimea is a primary destination for traffic originating from and destined for areas to the east, including the northern portion of the Hamakua Coast. Truck traffic also goes through Waimea Town between Kawaihae Harbor and Hilo Harbor. The study also noted several bypass and roadway studies considered for the region, dating back to 1976, but for various reasons, including lack of funding, these have not come to fruition. For example, past efforts to work with the State on a highway bypass project to relieve congestion in Waimea over the years decreased in priority on the State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) until it was taken off the STIP completely; this trail Project presents a more sustainable way to reduce local traffic. The 2020 study verified results of a 2007 Waimea Traffic Circulation Study confirming that much of the current traffic congestion is caused by trips within Waimea. The study emphasized the need for inclusive and attractive transportation options to alleviate congestion. The study also suggested a potential bicycle and pedestrian network that “utilizes existing and proposed roadways as the backbone of a bicycle pedestrian network and augments this backbone through the use of the Waimea Trails and Greenways project paths.” As the study further notes, “Pedestrians and bicyclists must compete on the road with vehicles and heavy trucks, and crossing the roadways has little by way of respites or safety zones. This discourages use of either walking or bicycling, even for short distances within town.”
The purpose of the proposed Ke Ala Kahawai O Waimea, the stream trail of Waimea, is to create a green corridor alongside Waikōloa Stream which will provide an accessible, non-vehicular pathway between residences, businesses, and schools. The trail will provide residents with an alternative transportation facility connecting nearby destinations, and provide opportunities to exercise and enjoy nature, enhancing both physical and mental health. The proposed project addresses several needs:
- Alternative, non-vehicular transportation options for Waimea residents and visitors
- Improved safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and others using non-motorized modes of transportation
- Connectivity between residences, businesses, and schools
- Enhanced access to and enjoyment of natural and scenic areas
- Increased opportunities for recreation and physical fitness
Project Readiness (Phase 1)
The project is a collaboration between three different departments in the County. Design is being over seen the County’s Department of Public works, construction will be managed by the Department Park and Recreation and overall project management is being over seen by the Planning Department.
The County is seeking RAISE funding for construction of the trail’s first phase: the central 1.1-mile section near Lindsey Road to Kahawai Street. This includes upgrading, paving, and widening the existing unpaved trail alongside Waikōloa Stream; removing invasive species and planting native flora; installing a comfort station and water fountains; ensuring Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant accessible concrete walkways and parking spaces; and providing access through three entry points. The scope of construction work can be broken into three major categories:
- Civil work includes clearing and grubbing, collapsing and backfilling lava tube voids, excavating trail-way and drainage, asphalt and portland cement concrete paving, and grouted rubble paving installation of handrails where ADA grade cannot be met.
- Structural work includes installation of bridge abutments, a cantilevered walkway, pre-production micropiles, and and two pre-engineered bridges.
- Landscaping work includes wood guardrails, a split rail fence, temporary irrigation, planting soil and a variety of 22 native plants and trees including ʻūlei, ʻōhiʻa, māmane, and koa.
The improved trail will (1) increase safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and others using non-motorized transportation modes; (2) provide ADA-compliant access to green areas; (3) increase opportunities for recreation and physical fitness for health and wellness; (4) provide alternative active transportation routes for the community such as linkages to transit; and (5) alleviate congestion.
Partnerships for trail enhancement, reestablishment of native flora.
In addition to providing transportation options, the Ke Ala Kahawai O Waimea trail system hopes to celebrate the natural and cultural resources of Waimea. All four phases intend to provide opportunities for users to interact with the stream. Phase I within this request passes through Ulu La‘au, Waimea Nature Park. The park was established in 1999 and is home to 36 species of Native Hawaiian ground cover, shrubs and trees. Construction of Phase I will remove invasive plants and trees within the trail easement. A partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation, Waimea Trails and Greenways Committee, and the Outdoor Circle of Waimea will establish native flora along the trail path, enhancing the area’s ability to provide nature-based solutions to flooding, wildfire, and other climate change stressors. This effort would be completed in partnership with Waimea Trail and Greenways, Outdoor Circle, and Blue Zones.
Examples of such plants already present in the area include ‘ōhi‘a, koa, hāpu‘u, koai‘a and kokiʻo keʻokeʻo (Hibiscus waimeae subsp. waimeae). Such plantings, including 389 trees, align with the State of Hawaiʻi’s commitment to conserve, restore or grow 100 million trees by 2030 as part of a global one-trillion-tree effort. It also aligns with the Waimea Town Conceptual Plan, Strategy 1.6: “Recognize and protect significant trees and other plants in Waimea.” Restoration of native species is particularly important, as Hawaiʻi has been well-documented by the Fish and Wildlife Service and others as the endangered species capital of the world.
Waimea Trails and Greenways Project
Updated on 08/06/2021 10:18 AM
community pictures of Waimea Trails and Greenways Project