The creation of a contraflow lane to alleviate rush hour traffic in Nanakuli on Farrington Highway is working for drivers traveling west but not for those going east. In addition, making left-hand turns to enter homes or stores along the highway has stumped most local residents who have to find a round-about way to do so. The biggest problem lies with the single lane that east-bound commuters are allowed to go out of Waianae after work. The unending line of cars backs up to Maile and causes drivers to wait an hour or two before getting out of Nanakuli. Public school teachers have reported correcting several class sets of student work while idling in traffic on their way out of Waianae and Maile. Because many teachers are discontented with extended travel time, it was suggested at a Neighborhood Board meeting that restoring the teacher cottages built by the Department of Education in the past to house teachers will put a hold on the large annual teacher turnover in the Waianae Coast schools.
A town hall meeting with the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), sponsored by Senator Maile Shimabukuro, was held on September 12, 2016. Senator Shimabukuro released a newsletter revealing that the contraflow lane is expected to end in late 2017 when the 1.2 mile continuous fifth lane would be completed in Nanakuli, and that the HDOT is working on the following:
- A feasibility study to extend the fifth lane to Hakimo Road.
- Twelve million dollar resurfacing of Farrington Highway along the entire stretch of the Waianae Coast.
- Traffic cameras at the Nanakuli Avenue and Haleakala Avenue stoplights.
- High tech infra-red sensors at key intersections in Nanakuli.
- LED lighting along Farrington Highway.
- Tow-truck services on Farrington Highway.
Residents also voiced concerns about the inadequacy of the highway during times of emergency when evacuation was necessary. Alternate routes such as Kolekole Pass and the Waianae Coast Secondary Access Route (WCSAR) were suggested and requested to allow the coast safer ways of exiting the area.
