Save Hawaiʻi's
"Stairway to Heaven"
In August 2021, the Honolulu City Council voted to demolish the iconic Haʻikū Stairs. The vote came despite an overwhelming public outcry to save the Stairs. In the preceding two years, over 5,000 public comments were submitted with more than 90% favoring preservation. A professional public opinion poll in April 2022 confirmed that a clear majority of O‘ahu residents want to save the Stairs not destroy them. The Stairs are a historic World War II monument eligible for the National Historic Register. They offer a unique, world-class hiking experience, treasured for generations. It would be tragic to lose them.
The Friends of Haʻikū Stairs are spearheading the fight to save the Stairs. We filed a lawsuit against the City & County of Honolulu in August 2023 and are pushing to block the demolition on multiple fronts. With your help we will convince City leaders to heed the public will.
Please donate to support our efforts.
Keoni Souza
OHA At-Large Trustee
Nonpartisan
Response to issue of Haʻikū Stairs.
I understand that it is a tough balance between allowing the public to utilize Haiku Stairs and the safety concerns it presents. I do not necessarily have a position on the issue and would be open to learning and engaging more with the community about this specific matter. I do agree, however, that if Haiku stairs were to reopen it would have to be under managed access in order to curb safety concerns.