Ask the Mayor: Who Changed Mokulele Highway to Maui Veterans Highway?

Mokulele Highway. Photo courtesy Maui County.

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the questions submitted to his staff. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column. Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa at (808) 270-7855, AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov or mail them to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793.

Dear Mayor Arakawa:

Q: I really want to know if it was the state that renamed Mokulele Highway to Maui Veterans Highway. Did they ask the Maui community for input? I am all for a Maui Veterans Highway, but I am not at all happy to have it replace Mokulele.

I think it would have been great to name Airport Access Road, Maui Veterans Road, instead. I think our visitors are smart enough to find the airport without having to rely on such a “Captain Obvious” kind of road name.

And every visitor in and out of Maui using the Kahului Airport will be honored to drive on Maui Veterans Road.

Can you please do something about this?

A: Unfortunately, no, Maui County does not have a say in this matter as the state retains control over state highways—including the right to name and rename roadways.

To find out whether any community outreach was done, or to offer up your name-change suggestion, you may contact the state DOT Maui office.

Mahalo.