The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1919-11-21
Maui Roads Would
Bear Improvement
Such Is Opinion Of A Honolulu Critic
Who Finds Our ThOrOughfareS
Bunny And Poorly Drained Some
Points Well Taken

Maui people have been inclined to
be rather proud of their road system,
particularly when comparing it with
some of the things called roads on
Oahu; yet a Honoluluan who writes
anonymously in the Pacific CONNER
cial Advertiser finds a good deal to
criticize in Maui roads. And a good
deal of the criticism is perhaps JUST
fed, particularly as &c the shaping of
many roads, and their drainage.
The article follows.
Maui has many miles of paved roads
which facilitate travel between prac-
tically all points in the island with
the exception of coast points at the
extreme ends for there is no road
which runs completely around the is
land. Thus it comes that boat or
horseback is the way to reach Hama,
Kipahulu and near 10y points and
horseback trails reach points at the
other opposite ends of the island.
But with it's paved roads there are
dirt roads in the Valley Isle which
are more comfortable for travel than
the paved roads. He who drives a
light car over the paved roads of Maui
and observes the directions as to
speed that appear on signs along the
way will have some shaking up. Speed
along and jump over some of the lit
tie bumps seems to be the course
generally pursued by Maui drivers.
There are many little holes and hol-
lows hat ruffle the surface of the ma
jority of the Maui roads and the hol-
lows and bumps on the dirt roads are
less abrupt than those in the paved
surfaces.
1t is not to be Understood, however,
that Maui is an island of bad roads.
On tn contrary it is a place where
roads are passable and where they
meet commercial needs pretty well.
For pleasure driving and for sightsee-
ing they could be materially improved.
Two points for criticism of road CON
struction occur to the traveller over
Maui's paved roads. One is the fact
that there is little browning and the
roads are apt to slore from sides to
center and the other is the absence of
drainage bitches at the road sides,
Thus the water drains from adjacent
lands into the road instead of from the
road to the land and the side and into
bitches to carry off the rainfall. Some
have answered the first criticism by
saying that heavy traffic has caused
the road centers to settle but there is
no good indication of that, and no
defensed for the absence of storm
bitches at the sides seems to be at
hand.
Driving from Kahului through Pau
meme, Paia, and the Hdmakuapoko and
Hamakualoa districts after a heavy
shower the water can be seer stand,
ing in little puddles and pools on the
road rusface at various points along
the whole distance. The road seems
employed as a ditch to carry off water
instead Of bitches having been CON
structed to catch the water flowing off
the road.
Surface Are Mixed
Nor is the paving of the roads of
one continuous type and there are
breaks in paving where stretches of
dirt road intervene. There are places
where paving has worn and where re,
pairs have been made with dirt OF
gravel. Such are the matters which
tend to diminish the pleasure of travel
over Maui but there is so much worth
seeing, so much of charm to the seen.
cry that one will put up with condi
tons without complaint. There is
nothing about Maui's roads to keel
auto drivers away and much to be
seen on Maui that will attract them.
No new road work is in progress OF
Maui and there has been little new
construction done for some time past
is the information offered by County
Engineer Low. AS TO repair work hC
disclaimed any responsibility. 1t ap
pears that the Maui County engineer
ing department is RESPONSIBLE for new
construction but has nothing to dc
with the making of repairs. Thus re
pair and maintenance work will go oil
in different sections of a road indepen
IDENTIFY Of one another, This may eX
plain the patchwork appearance o
the Maui road system.
One of the most charming drives Il
be found in the Islands is that between
Waikiki and Lahaina. For a consid
kerable distance it winds along TIT
coast and even back from the coas
in the hills, there open yistas whicl