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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0450.000 2004-2006 ?V V O( MI~ v~:~~ ' ~ Harry Kim Dixie Kaetsu Mayor Managing Director ~"tr'o;•w:+~ Peter L. Hendricks Deputy Managing Director ~ r ~OUritp Of ~AtiUAi`l i- ~~i , 25 Aupuni Street, Room 21 S Hilo, Hawaii 96 72 0-42 52 • (808) 961-821 I Fax (808) 961-h553 KONA 75-5706 Kuakini Highway, Suite 103 • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740"' (808)329-5226 Fax (808) 326-5663 September 16, 2005 The Honorable Stacy Higa, Chairperson, and Members of the Hawaii County Council 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Subject: Bill Creating an Island-wide Transportation Kokua Zone Dear Chairperson Higa and Council Members: The residents of Hawaii County face long commutes, whether for work, shopping, school, or medical reasons. The long commutes and traffic congestion, coupled with rising fuel costs, have had a negative impact on the quality of life of our people. Transportation issues are a major concern of our residents, and with the Council's support and encouragement, several steps have been taken to address them: • Implemented transportation kokua zones between Pahoa and Hilo and between Ocean View and Kawaihae. Ridership has increased over 100 percent on these routes and continues to rise. • Began a new route from Ocean View to Kona and South Kohala, providing workers affordable and comfortable transportation to work. Without public transit, many residents with commute times of two hours each way cannot get to work. This benetlts West Hawaii employers who are struggling to find workers in this time of virtually full employment by opening up a new pool of potential employees, as well as benefiting Ka`u residents who now have a way to get to areas in the County where jobs are available. • Began an after school bus run between Pahala and Ocean View. Over 40 students a day use this service. Previously some students were unable to participate in after school activities as they lacked transportation home. • Received funding from Senator Daniel Inouye and Representative Ed Case for the purchase of new buses. 'fhe County will receive seven new buses in November and three in December of this year. Due to the long commutes our riders face, all of th//~~ese Comm. No. TSO _ ~ t 5y ~ Ref. To: L Ref. Uate Hawaii County is an equal opportunity provider and employer. September l6, 2005 The Honorable Stacy Higa, Chairperson, and Council Members Page 2 buses have fully padded seats, air conditioning and stereos. This will enable a bus ride to be a time of rest, which is especially significant to the daily commuters who catch the 4:00 a.m. bus to commute to work in South Kohala. These new buses will allow the establishment of additional routes. • Provided funding for the construction of park and ride lots, where commuters will have a safe place to park their cars when they travel to work on the bus. While much has been done, there is still much more we can do to address the transportation needs of Hawaii Island. We must make public transit more available to our residents and encourage them to use the transit system. Every new rider on a Hele-On bus represents either one less car on our congested roadways, or increased mobility for someone who would not otherwise have the means to go to work, shopping, school, doctor, or play. To forward our goal of addressing these transportation concerns, and because of the extreme hardship caused by high fuel costs, effective October 1, under the authority granted by the Hawaii County Code, the Transit Administrator will expand the existing transportation kokua zones island-wide for the temporary period allowed by law. We ask for your support to continue this measure. Attached is a bill to designate the entire County of Hawaii as a transportation kokua zone. The bill expands on the successful kokua zones currently provided between Pahoa and Hilo and Ocean View and Kawaihae. Together with new and expanded routes, the people of Hawaii County will have unprecedented access to affordable transportation. We believe the creation of an island-wide kokua zone will produce social, economic and traffic relief benefits. Some of these benefits are: • It will provide our residents with no-cost transportation to go to work, doctor, school, and for recreation. With the distances our residents must travel for basic needs, they will now have the opportunity to participate in activities they may not have in the past. [n addition to helping residents, employers will benefit from an expanded pool of potential employees. This has been demonstrated on a smaller scale by the successful Ocean View to Kawaihae kokua zone bus run. • The kokua zone will help alleviate the impact of rising fuel prices on our residents by providing an affordable alternate means of transportation. This is especially significant for the many who have long commutes of over 100 miles per day. • The kokua zone will have a positive impact on our local economy, as money currently spent on public transportation costs will now be available for other purposes. The money saved by not having to pay for transportation costs can now go to provide a better lifestyle for families. On one of the most heavily utilized routes, the daily September 16, 2005 The Honorable Stacy Higa, Chairperson, and Council Members Page 3 commuting buses from Hilo to Waikoloa for work at the resorts, the average rider must pay over $100 a month at the present time. With the kokua zone proposal, this is now money that can be used by the riders to have a better lifestyle. • With the transit agency receiving unprecedented support from the Federal government, the expansion of public bus service is needed, feasible and timely. New routes are planned for our residents to participate in various activities, whether it is for work, after school programs, or simply social reasons. • Expanding bus service coupled with creating an island-wide kokua zone will affect many areas of our lives, whether it be the "war on ice", as we can now provide our youth with transportation service to activities; "affordable housing", as we can establish bus routes in new housing areas created for those who cannot afford to pay market value; and "transportation mobility", as many of our senior and physically challenged residents will now have the opportunity to travel to their destinations, thereby improving their social well-being. • Having more people riding buses will help alleviate some of the traffic congestion we are experiencing in certain areas of the island. It will also improve the environment as it reduces the number of cars on the road. We realize that this is an unprecedented initiative, but we truly believe that public transportation is a service that should be and must be provided by government to meet the needs of the people it serves. Hawaii Island is different from the other islands in the state. The size of the island is unique in the state. The transportation needs are different, the people are different, and the problems are different. That is why we must use different means to meet the needs of our residents. There is, of course, a fiscal element to this program. We are confident at this time that the lost revenues can be absorbed without fiscal difFiculty by the County's budget. Please call me or Tom Brown of the transit agency if you have any questions or comments. Thank you for your consideration and support. Aloha, f lllHa~ICIm MAYOR cc: Tom Brown