Question about Rush Hour Traffic

[Bookworm62]

I kept reading traffic is bad during rush hour to and from Honolulu.
One post said traffic starts around 3 pm till about 6 pm. What about in the morning? What time is consider before or after rush hour?

Also, is it just to Honolulu, what about to the North Shore?

Thanks-- first time to Aulani and want to maximize the time

 

[olafLover]

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[Pete W.]

Morning rush hour is very early, typically starting around 5am but done by 8 or 8:30am and is mostly concentrated on H1 into and out of Honolulu, not really elsewhere like the north shore. If you're leaving Kualoa Ranch mid-late afternoon on a weekday you will undoubtedly encounter traffic in the Honolulu area if you return to Aulani via H1. The route via the north shore is much longer but indeed you may find it more pleasant!

 

[alohamom]

Also, is it just to Honolulu, what about to the North Shore?

Thanks-- first time to Aulani and want to maximize the time

Once you get off the H1 and start to head up to the North Shore it is usually smooth sailing. Unless there is an accident or something, the only real traffic you will encounter on the way up should be light. You can get bunched up around the Schofield barracks but it just because you need to slow down here and turn right. It is residential and the speed limit is lower. The highway up north is a single lane each way so it can get busy up there too, depending on the day and what is happening like special events. We got very stuck just past Sunset Beach one time because a hydro pole was knocked over in a car accident and no one could get through for most of the day. You needed to turn around and go up over the north end of the island if you needed to get past it.

 

[thedogatemyhomework]

Morning rush hour from aulani to town would probably be about 6 to 8 in the morning on weekdays...almost none on holidays, and weekends. Afternoon traffic heading towards aulani (its actually bad till waianae) or mililani gets bad from 2:30 or so on the weekdays till about 6. Once you pass mililani traffic lightens to the north shore, but can sometimes hit some bad bottlenecks near schofield and/or haleiwa (and once you get within 2-3 miles of waimea if the surf hits 20+)

Weekdays general rule of thumb is travel between 9 am and 2 pm, and from 6 pm to 6 am for the lightest traffic (also pay attention to road closures after 8 pm)...this is mostly for travel from 1 end of the island to the other. Town to aulani/north shore in the morning is the exception as barring road closures, or accidents theres generally no traffic. If public schools are off (especially the university of hawaii), traffic is generally not bad at any time.