Honolulu commuters sleep, eat in cars to deal with traffic

Many who live on the island's West side leave their homes at 3 or 4 a.m. to beat traffic as they drive into town, and then sleep in their cars in mall parking lots or on residential streets before going to work.

The average commute time for public transit riders was 50 minutes, and less than 10 percent of commuters hopped on buses to get to work, while an increasing percentage of Oahu commuters chose to drive alone, the Census Bureau reported.

A $6 billion Honolulu rail project that officials estimate will take 40,000 cars off the road is expected to be completed in 2019, but without additional money, the project will fall short by $910 million, Formby said.

The Hawaii Legislature approved a plan to extend taxes to fund the shortfall, and the bill awaits Gov. David Ige's signature.

Councilwoman Kymberly Marcos Pine, who represents the west side, said in a phone interview from her car that she's working to raise awareness about job openings in the area.

LoPresti, who lives in Ewa Beach, sometimes drives east from the capitol on his way home — crossing a mountain range and driving through Kailua in a 20-mile detour — to avoid traffic and save 10 minutes on his commute.