Ask The Mayor: Which Roads Belong to Who?

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the most-asked questions submitted to his staff.

Dear Mayor Alan Arakawa,

Q: I’m getting really tired of calling the county to complain about roads and having them tell me it’s not them it’s the state. What are the jurisdictional rules because I have no idea how you guys figure out which roads belong to who. Thanks.

A: This is a common question and not a lot of people know which roads are county and which are state. Here are some things to remember that might help:

(1) Major roads between cities or towns are state highways (2) roads servicing transportation centers such as harbors and airports are also state roads (3) Department of Hawaiian Home Land roads are owned by DHHL but by state law are maintained by the county, and (4) all roads within Haleakalā National Park are Federal roads. Most other roads are county roads.

To check you can call the county surveyor in the Engineering Divison at 270-7411.

Want to ask the Mayor? Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa at [email protected], (808) 270-7855 or mail them to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.