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<br /> <br /> <br /> The agency has a small staff of nine people and is funded through the <br />general fund, the highway fund and some federal money. Purchases of <br />buses usually come from grant money. <br /> <br />Ms. Kierkiewicz reported the following on the hydrogen bus project: <br /> <br /> <br /> Mass Transit has a project with US Manoa for hydrogen buses. <br /> <br /> The agency is trying to determine where they will be sourcing the hydrogen. <br /> <br /> Biodiesel is also a possibility; will need to get a vendor to provide that fuel. <br /> <br />Ms. Kierkiewicz reported the following on current bus fees and payment system: <br /> <br /> <br /> Bus fees on the current system are reasonable; route from Hilo to Kona is <br />$2.00. Back in 2005, it was free. Currently looking to restructure the fare <br />scheme where riders would pay a little more if going from Hilo to Kona versus <br />Hilo to Honoka‘a. <br /> <br /> There is a lot of money coming out of the County’s budget to subsidize the <br />operations; hoping to have a more comprehensive payment system. Oahu <br />has a scan system where you put in money or a ticket or scan a card. Right <br />now, the County bus drivers are accepting cash, coupons and tickets by hand <br />and are counted manually at the end of each shift. A scan system that <br />captures payments as well as ridership would be helpful to the agency. <br /> <br /> There is an extra cost to bring on a bike, and surfboards aren’t allowed <br />because of lack of compartment space. <br /> <br />Ms. Kierkiewicz reported the following on Information Technology: <br /> <br /> <br /> Trying to develop an app that shows where the bus is in real time. A student <br />from Pāhoa created and won a contest back in May for developing an <br />innovative app that could serve your community. <br /> <br /> The University of Michigan teamed with the Kohala Center to create a report <br />called Expanding Transportation Opportunities on Hawai‘i Island. <br />It examined the public transportation system and came up with high impact <br />solutions to reduce fossil fuel usage and improve access. That report can <br />downloaded from the Kohala Center’s website. <br /> <br /> Close to 50 bus shelters have been built island wide that provide cover from <br />the elements. Hoping to include bus maps that tell riders which bus number <br />comes to each stop. <br /> <br />Ms. Kierkiewicz reported the following on updates to the Mass Transit Agency <br />website: <br /> <br /> <br />23 <br /> <br /> <br />