Okinawa traffic snarls send planners to board - JapanUpdate.com

Okinawa traffic snarls send planners to board - JapanUpdate.com
Every road in Okinawa is a potential traffic jam each morning and evening.

That’s the concensus of most drivers facing the roadways across the island. All agree there are too many cars, not enough roads, and not enough lanes on existing roads. Okinawa Prefecture and the Okinawa General Bureau agree as well, conducting a symposium at the Harborview Hotel to hash out solutions.
Everyone feels frustration caused by traffic. The Kokusai International Street area has been suffering declines in the number of visitors, both tourists and local residents. “We have a real headache problem,” says a Kokusai businessman. “Competition outside the downtown area is great, with supermarkets and department stores flourishing around the island. There’s not so much need for residents to come to Kokusai anymore. About 70~80% of our business is for tourists.” That is wrong, he said, adding “we want citizens to come back to Kokusai and shop, but the Kokusai area has very bad traffic jams.”