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Murashige, Laura 37
PICOUNCIL.
. _
From: Steph Bath [stephbath @gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2011 1:10 PM
1.
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Hele on bus service to Hilo airport
Stephanie Bath
P.O. Box 457
Keaau, Hawaii 96749
933 -1131
Bi1135 support
4/5/2011
(time disallowed for editing, please bear with any typos)
Aloha Council,
Thank you so much for considering bus service to Hilo airport
1 am in favor of amending of the PCDP relating to hele on bus
service to Hilo airport for the following reasons. First the topic was discussed extensively during our CDP process
with positive input!.
A while back Tom Brown of MTA addressed the Action Committee of the PCDP and indicated that one reason
they are not considering buses to Hilo
airport is to insure the special interests of the small business taxi
drivers. This was a big concern to many.
The assumption is that people have someone that can run them to the airport or pick them up. With gases prices
the way they are now, for someone living in Mountain View $10 each way would barely compensate the caring
friend or family member for gas. (not to mention time) Presently parking fees have skyrocketed at the airport
making parking a financial hardship for some.
The ride share coupon arrangement is currently not user friendly.
From a practical perspective the ride share only works for those living in Hilo within a 4 mile radius of the airport.
This seems exclusive to me.
The MTA office is the place to pick up coupons. Unfortunately, those
who rely on bus service may not be able to get to MTA during business
hours due to bus routes and schedules. It should not have to take a
days bus travel to get coupons. This is the case for someone from Upper Puna or
Pahala. Are you aware that in order to purchase coupons you must show I.D. That is a bit invasive.
Additionally riders are limited to the number of coupons they can purchase per week.
If the rider has been unable to get to MTA to purchase coupons they
are informed that they must pay full fare to/ from the airport. This has a negative impact on Island visitors and
kamaaina alike. They do not have choice short of walking or hitchhiking.
With rising gas costs I suspect that the subsidized taxi small businesses will be required to raise the fee for ride
share coupons. The County will likely need to subsidize these more. Do we have this in the MTA budget?
Regarding protection of small business.
Comm. No. /3 7. Z
Ref. To: 14 * C
Ref. Dote APR 2 0 2011
4/5/2011
Page 2 of 3
I do not see a moratorium on resorts to insure the interests of local
B and B's.
The recreation at municipal golf course is being subsided. What about the interests
golf courses such as Volcano and the others?
MTA and Mayor Kenoi prioritized a County bus system that would
encourage and support people who were willing to ride the bus.
Lets move forward on the implementation of the hub and spoke system. This will make for a more efficient mass
transit system for Puna . It will encourage and support people of all socioeconomic levels to get out of their cars
and ride the bus.
I have included two scenerios of how the current system makes it a challenge for people to ride the bus,
specically to the airport. With your permission I would be happy read read one.
Mahalo!
Stephanie Bath
Scenerio #1
Keep in mind that the bus rider relies exclusively on hele on for transportation. This person can live in Pahala or
Mountain view for purpose of discussion. It is Friday at two p.m. The doctor just
calls your home to inform you that you have an angiogram scheduled at
Kuikini medical center on Tuesday of the following week at 11 am. You
have your plane ticket and must arrive at the Hilo airport by 7:30 am
Tuesday. You are able to catch a bus from Mountain View /Highway 11
that gets you to Keaau at 7a.m. Prior to catching the bus you must
call a taxi to rendezvous with you at Prince Kuhio Plaza to take you
to the airport. The cab indicates that the coupons will only take you
4 miles. This may requires you to use two coupons to get to the
airport. ($2.00 a coupon) The bus arrives at the plaza late You
arrive and wait and wait. Finally calling the cab they said they
waiting ten minutes and left because you were not there.
Scenerio #2
(formulated after calling MTA yesterday)
I want to share the experience I had with the MTA office
yesterday just after 3 p.m.
I spoke with Merle at MTA.(seems like a nice person).
I called the MTA office inquiring about schedules from Mountain View
to the Hilo airport.
I indicated that I needed to be at the airport by 7:30 a.m.this morning.
Merle immediately told me that MTA does riot provide service to the airport.
The closest they could get me was Prince Kuhio Plaza.When I asked how I could get to the airport from there she
resonded that I
would have to take a cab from there.
(having rid -en the bus this was misinformation but I let it go.)
I asked her if there were any county van or ride shares available. It
was only after I fished for this info that it was revealed to me that
there was a ride share taxi option. In order to participate in this
plan this is what a person must do.
I was advised by Merle that I needed to go on line and down load the
coupon form. I explained that I did not have a computer. She said I
needed to come down to MTA.
I asked where they were located. She gave me the address. I asked what
the hours are which she gave me.
I asked how much the coupon was.
4/5/2011
Page 3 of 3
I was told that I had to buy a minimum of 5 at the cost of $15, 10 for
$25, or 15 for $30.
15 coupons is the maximum any one person could purchase in a week.
ID was required and only check or cash money order is accepted.
I would need to take the bus to town and make my way to the iron works
building with ID and check. I would be required to spend a minimum of
$15 for these coupons.
Please take into consideration I am a person that lives in Mountain View
or Pahala. This person relies exclusively on mass transit for their
transportation needs. It is pouring rain all day. Imagine I am this person.
I do not have a computer so I am unable to access bus schedules
go to a bus stop in Pahala and catch the 7:30 a.m. bus. I arrive at the terminal in Hilo 9:20a.m. From there 1
catch the 9:25 bus that i must ride to kings landing. On its return to the terminal I get off at the highway, walk
across to iron works MTA. It is now about 10:15. a.m.
Fortunately I have my ID and check. I fill out the coupon form, get my 5 coupons (i am on a fixed income, thats all
I can afford) then I wait on the highway for the next bus to pass. I flag it down. I arrive at the terminal at 11:20
a.m.)
Now I have 5 coupons, I am tired am want to get back home. I walk to KTA and the farmers market and pick up a
few things. Then I wait till 2:40 for the next bus to pahala The bus arrives on time in Pahala at 4:25 P.M.
An additional note:
The PCDP has encouraged Hele on to develop a hub and spoke system
between the two primary hubs of Hilo to Keaau. I do encourage the implementation of the hub and spoke system
as sighted in the pcdp mass transit actions 4.2.3 a, c
This would free up buses to focus on the added airport route.
4/5/2011