Maui County is handing the mic to West Maui residents Thursday evening, with a virtual meeting and open house set to draw fresh public comment on the long-discussed West Maui Greenway environmental assessment. The session runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. HST as planners advance a proposal for a 25-mile multiuse trail along the coast, envisioned to link communities from Ukumehame north to Līpoa Point while creating safer routes for walking, biking and emergency access.
How to join and weigh in
The meeting will be held on Zoom (Meeting ID 889 3362 6269) and is led by the county Department of Public Works with consultants SSFM International. Residents can review project materials and submit feedback through the project's Konveio page, with comments accepted through July 24. Details are outlined by Maui Now and on the project site SSFM/Konveio.
What the greenway would build
The West Maui Greenway is pitched as a 25-mile, multiuse corridor that would reuse abandoned cane haul roads and a legacy railroad right-of-way to connect towns, schools, parks and beaches along the shoreline. Phase 1 prioritizes three segments, roughly 5.25 miles in total, to tie the Lahaina Civic Center to Launiupoko Beach Park, and the county has secured a $15.43 million RAISE grant to get that initial work moving. These plans are detailed by the County of Maui in its press materials and by the West Maui Greenway Alliance on its project site.
Safety, wildfire lessons and urgency
Supporters argue the corridor would double as an emergency access and evacuation route and could act as a protective firebreak, a case that has only grown stronger since the Aug. 8, 2023 Lahaina wildfire, when some residents escaped using old cane haul roads. That experience, along with ongoing community pressure, has pushed the greenway higher on recovery and resilience priority lists as environmental review steps continue.
Next steps
The environmental assessment is required under state law and will shape final design choices, permitting and any needed utility relocations. Public comments submitted through July 24 will be folded into that process. For more information or questions, County Department of Public Works civil engineer Nolly Yagin can be reached at [email protected], and planning materials are available on the project page and in county notices.
