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Disability
Rights
Hawaii >'.o. so. s9~s, eao, tit vcna (eoal vssasn
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5/3/99
Jtunes Arakaki
County Council Chair
County of Hawaii
Pax: 9ti1-8912
Dear vlr. Arakaki,
Disability Kights Hawaii strongly supports Hele-on Bus routes which serve the Hilo and
Kona airports and the Hilo \b~harl'. V?e oppose the special interest lobby that is trying to keep
those routes closed. Here are our reasons.
The Good News: The 1-Iele-on buses are now becoming accessible to people with disabilities
for the very first time. 1\lass Transit is now our ally instead ofjust another part of the problem.
The Bad News # L 1'he Island of hIawaii has no +vheclchair accessible taxis.
The Bad News #2: Political decisions in the past have prohibited Hele-on from serving the
Airports, and pressure is no+v being exerted to stop Helc-on fiom serving the Wharf.
Prohibiting the Hele-on buses hrom serving dte Airports and the Wharf denies access to
people with disabilities who are either coming to our island or leaving it. The validity of this
statement is based on one simple fact, which is that Hele-on buses are now accessible. There are
no accessible taxis.
Disability Rights Hawaii supports overall improvements to our Mass Transit system. Thy
level of County subsidy is extremely low, less than half of the subsidy given by Honolulu. When
profitable routes like the \7?harf are prohibited because of special interests. this further erodes the
effecti+-mess of the Hcle-on system. The Wharf and Airport bus routes would provide cosh to
T`lass Transit that could be used to improve service to all.
Please Free the Buses! Thank vou.
,.Sincerely,
Daniel Grant-Johnson, President
Disability Rights Hawaii
Y. 0. Box 5575
Hilo, III 96720
Comm. No.
!h'tahiliry~ Xightz Hawoli is a mx•exempt nonprofit corporation PV 8
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