Meeting Highlights

Lifetime Achievement Award

Congratulations to our very own Cathy Leong for winning the 2026 ITE Western District Lifetime Achievement Award! The Western District Lifetime Achievement Award is the District’s highest recognition of professional accomplishment and outstanding services in the interest of Western District. It is designed to honor members of Western District who, as active or retired members in good standing of the ITE Western District, have accomplished significant achievements over a period of at least 20 years. Cathy was presented with a plaque at the Western District Annual Meeting and a video describing her accomplishments. Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do for the Western District and congratulations, Cathy, on this well-deserved honor!

Transportation Project of the Year

Congratulations to HDOT for winning the 2026 Western District Transportation Project of the Year! This award was established in 2020 to compliment the ITE International’s Transportation Achievement Awards and is selected by a panel of judges. HDOT’s award-winning presentation, presented by Robin Shishido and Colby Stanton at the 2026 ITE Western District Conference, covered proposed traffic management plans during tsunami warnings for all islands, with the intention to reduce evacuation times and improve safety during tsunami events. Given the recent tsunami warning in 2025 which essentially gridlocked most of Honolulu, these traffic management plans have the potential to save significant time and even lives if implemented properly. Congratulations again to HDOT!

Presentation linked here.

H3 Tunnels Technical Tour

Jimmy Kephart and Gerald Pang from HDOT graciously gave 20 ITE members a tour of the H3 Tunnels facilities to take a look at the exhaust and supply fans and other infrastructure, as well as the maintenance tunnel to see cross passes, electrical, and communications rooms. Highlights of the tour included being able to be up close to and right above the roads where it felt like we could feel the cars rumbling up and down the tunnel, and going all the way to top of the Kaneohe side of the tunnels to look down on the H3 like royalty. ITE members displayed impressive stamina as the many flights of stairs did not seem to deter a single person from continuing on with the tour. It was truly incredible to learn about the engineering that went into the construction of the tunnels which included excavating and building the membrane at the blistering pace of several feet every day. The tour really helped to give a newfound appreciation and understanding of the H3 Tunnels.

Lahaina Recovery Efforts

Jennifer Maydan from the Maui County Office of Recovery presented on the ongoing Lahaina Recovery Efforts which included the following topics:

• Lahaina Long-Term Recovery Plan (December 2024)
• Rebuild Lahaina Plan
• Streets & Mobility Plan
• Front Street Improvements

The presentation covered a variety of different ongoing recovery projects and programs which all had their own unique challenges and opportunities. Of particular interest to the transportation field was the Rebuild Lahaina Plan, which had planned streets & mobility improvements such as wide sidewalks and new street connections to enhance mobility for all modes of travel. It was heartwarming and encouraging to hear about all of the ongoing efforts to restore Lahaina and support its recovery.

Presentation

Smart Parking Management for Efficiency and Affordability

Todd Litman from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute gave a presentation about the benefits of parking management which included the following topics:

• Typical Parking Costs
• Required Parking Minimums
• Parking Management Strategies
• Parking Management Success Stories

After the presentation, Todd led a hands-on workshop which explored how to navigate conversations around parking management with different types of audiences ranging from hotel developers to politicians. The presentation and workshop highlighted how a shift in thinking about parking spaces from the old mindset (more is better) to a new mindset (less is more) is potentially beneficial from both a financial and efficiency perspective.

Presentation

Hawaii Section Annual Meeting

The Section Annual Meeting included remarks from Kimberly Leung, ITE Western District International Director, followed by recognition of the current executive board, committee chairs, and section representatives. The section conducted a brief review of 2025 activities and accomplishments, including meetings, technical events, and the winning of the 2025 Western District Section Momentum Award, and the 2025 Western District Small Section Activity Award. ITE Hawaii Section election results were announced, and the newly elected offices were formally sworn in.

Upcoming Events

The ITE Hawaii Section invites you to our January 7, 2026, hybrid meeting featuring a professional development workshop on Parking Management, led by Todd Litman, founder and executive director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, an independent research organization dedicated to developing innovative solutions to transport problems. 

To register, see the registration form here.