Close Mamo St. for Farmers Market ['60 Likes' on February 6, 2012!]
Here is a rendering from the EDH 2025 Plan by local artist, Chuck Snyder, of a street closure gate. I think it would be awesome if during the Farmers Market that Mamo St. was closed from Kamehameha Ave to Punahoa St., and was only open for pedestrians. This would make it safer and allow the farmers market to get bigger.
Everyone wants to see more places for people in Downtown. However, the first step for this idea is finding a Lead Solution Partner (LSP), as we refer to in the EDH 2025 Plan, to help initiate a dialogue with landowners and business owners on this street. Road closures require special considerations and permits. Perhaps a pilot street closure that would turn a portion of Mamo Street into a pedestrian plaza for 1 day or a few hours or an evening event. The LSP doesn’t “do everything”, but serves as a coordinator to bring all the key partners together and to ensure that everyone works together to successfully accomplish the task. This would be an awesome opportunity to turn Mamo Street into a public plaza for people!
Is there an organization who would like to be the LSP to start the dialogue?
Are there Supporting Partners (SP) who would like to help with moving this forward?
EDH 2025 Focus Area 2: Creating Economic Vitality
Secondary Focus Area 1: Managing Growth
September 19, 2011 (last changed October 10, 2012)
Top Comments
Great comments, suggestions and frankly the worn and torn tarps at the farmers market are an eyesore, reflect a lack of pride in our beautiful town…
People could even get some exercise and walk to the market, and then take the sampans back to their cars after they have loaded up with groceries. With the current epidemic of obesity-related diseases, we need to get people walking!
There is plenty of parking. We need fewer cars Downtown! The parking lots toward Suisan are so underutilized. I would love to see people park there, away from Downtown, and have a sampan shuttle service. I so fondly remember the sampans we had when I was young. They would become a tourist attraction in their own right!
Wonderful Idea. The road could be closed to traffic, say, after7- 8am to allow vendors to load-in, then it could be re-opened again after 3-4pm to allow them to pack out.
So access to the market with your car would be down Ponahawai Street? It seems like the cart is in front of the horse. Make parking – then close Mamo on market days.
We should Close Mamo and Keawe Sts to Create a Unique Shopping Experience. Of all of the suggestions so far that have exceeded the minimum 60 “likes” and consequently stand the best chance of coming to fruition, we’re very enthused about the closure of Mamo St. for pedestrian traffic only. In fact, we would go a step further and also suggest closing Keawe St. from Mamo to Haili (simultaneously with Mamo St. closure on Saturdays) in order to procure the concept of open markets and eateries for foot traffic only. We can envision a dreamy, leisurely stroll along Keawe and Mamo, shopping, meeting and greeting old friends and new acquaintances. Such a transformed business “enclave” would lend itself to street-side kiosks of shaved ice, malasadas, and musubi (vendor permitted, of course). How about a portable stage set up at the intersection of Mamo and Keawe for live entertainment on Saturdays as well? Don’t forget to prepare and accommodate for the rain though!!!
Taj Gunter
It would just be from Kamehameha to Punahoa, so the “upper” section of the first block (IE, entrance to KTA parking lot off Mamo St.) would remain open to traffic.
Great comments, suggestions and frankly the worn and torn tarps at the farmers market are an eyesore, reflect a lack of pride in our beautiful town…
There is definitely a need for more parking within walking distance of the market. I would urge closing the street on all market days at that point.
People could even get some exercise and walk to the market, and then take the sampans back to their cars after they have loaded up with groceries. With the current epidemic of obesity-related diseases, we need to get people walking!
There is plenty of parking. We need fewer cars Downtown! The parking lots toward Suisan are so underutilized. I would love to see people park there, away from Downtown, and have a sampan shuttle service. I so fondly remember the sampans we had when I was young. They would become a tourist attraction in their own right!
excellent ideas, all of them!!
Wonderful Idea. The road could be closed to traffic, say, after7- 8am to allow vendors to load-in, then it could be re-opened again after 3-4pm to allow them to pack out.
So access to the market with your car would be down Ponahawai Street? It seems like the cart is in front of the horse. Make parking – then close Mamo on market days.
We also need some permanent garbage cans on Mamo St.There are none there at this time.
Safety and accessibility would be greatly enhanced between the “two sides” of the market. I agree with the comment above about tables and seating (under a tarp) in the street. Also, a couple of luas would be a great addition.
wonderful idea! walking traffic boosts the economy, as many places have seen. I think this would be very beneficial to the market, and vendors there. as a biker, I am always seeking roads with less car traffic…
Yes! There are also places that bring out portable tables and chairs and set them up in the street for people to sit and enjoy food and drinks they buy at the market.
Sometimes when I go to the market, I want to be more social but my bags are heavy and there’s not really many places to sit and connect.