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MPV-06-200a 06:15 PM 9069659254 P. 01
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MAlr4MA O PUNA
P. C~. Box 1520
Pehoa, Hawai 'i 96778
(808) 965.9254
Preserving Hawai 'i's precious natural heritage
May 6, 2003
To: Chairman Arakaki ~ members of the
Hawaii County Council
Re: Bi1198 (1" Reading May 7, 2003)
I am limiting my testimony to that p ofBi1198 which covers "Transportation
Services -Additional Hilo•Pahoa Bus Route~44,000)".
Puna is the fastest growing area of this County, as you all know. For a great
many years the public has been calling for more bus routes between Pehoa and Hilo, to
no avail With our burgeoning population, this means increased traffic on the existing
route, increased air pollution from emissions, increased road rage by fiustrated drivers. It
also means decreased ability of many people to access necessary services. It means ow
young people have trouble getting to and fiom classes at U. H., and to and from pan time
jobs in Hilo. It means that many of our senior citizens, who can no longer drive, are
restricted iri their activities
As a slossprofit that uses community service people assigned to us by the coasts,
we know of many traffic ofPendets who could not got to court because they had no
transportation and ended up with bench warrenta. Then their licenses get cancelled and
they can't even get to their Community services assignmetlts.
There are so many reasons that we need another route -even mote than one
additional route. We are many years behind the need- Please pass this appropriation.
And please suggest m Tom Brown that the new routes need to be widely publicized. No
one will be able to use the service or justify the cost of an additional route if the public
doesn't know about it.
9i ly,
,,~,al~6G'1~-
Renb Siracusa
President ~ '
Comm. No. ~11• ~ ,
Ref. T~!~MA~
Ref. Date