Honolulu Parks & Rec welcomes new ‘ōpala truck for Leeward O‘ahu

By Nathan Serota
January 28, 2025
City News, DPR News

O‘AHU – Welcoming the newest vehicle in our Parks & Rec fleet to expedite ‘ōpala (trash) pickup for Leeward O‘ahu parks!

Joined by City and County of Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Councilmember Augie Tulba, and Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Director Laura H. Thielen, Leeward maintenance staff tossed the first of many bags of rubbish into a brand new, rear-end loading garbage truck today.

Capable of transporting six cubic yards of rubbish, this vehicle is the first in our trash fleet to have a rear-view camera, providing our operators with an extra view and enhanced safety. At a cost of $185,570, this vehicle will primarily serve the 49 City parks in our District 3 region from ‘Ewa to Kea‘au. More importantly, it will allow park staff to keep these parks clean on a quicker basis so our diverse community off park users can enjoy these Leeward wahi (places).

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi (left) and City Councilmember Augie Tulba welcomed a new rear-end loading garbage truck to service Leeward O‘ahu parks.

The arrival of this trash truck is of particular significance as last summer several DPR trash vehicles were out of service for maintenance, leading to some delays in trash pickup. As a result, DPR shifted operations to adjust to these circumstances by: deploying functioning garbage vehicles from around the island, utilizing smaller vehicles, recruiting additional staff from other districts, and stationing garbage collection sites at our base yards to serve as short-term storage for the accumulated trash.

DPR also received support from our fellow City agency, the Honolulu Department of Environmental Services (ENV), which experienced similar maintenance issues with their aging fleet of vehicles. ENV has additionally made progress in replenishing their rubbish collection resources, adding four rear-end loaders, three flatbed trucks, and 13 side-loaders to their fleet since January 2024.

If you need an auxiliary aid/service, other accommodations due to a disability, or an interpreter for a language other than English in reference to this announcement, please contact the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation at 808-768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email parks@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the scheduled event. Without sufficient advanced notice, it may not be possible to fulfill requests.