HomeMy WebLinkAboutState of Hawaii Coordinated Transportation Plan
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary .........................................................................................................3
Chapter 1. Introduction...................................................................................................12
1A. Purpose and Background.....................................................................................12
1B. Current Funding Sources for Transportation Services .........................................17
1C. Plan Approach and Development ........................................................................27
Chapter 2. Hawaii County ..............................................................................................31
2A. Community Profile................................................................................................31
2B. Existing Transportation Services..........................................................................41
2C. Transportation Needs Assessment......................................................................49
2D. Strategies for Improved Service and Coordination ..............................................55
Chapter 3: Kaua’i County ...............................................................................................60
3A. Community Profile................................................................................................60
3B. Existing Transportation Services..........................................................................68
3C. Transportation Needs Assessment......................................................................79
3D. Strategies for Improved Service and Coordination ..............................................87
Chapter 4. Maui County .................................................................................................94
4A. Community Profile................................................................................................94
4B. Existing Transportation Service .........................................................................103
4C. Transportation Needs Assessment....................................................................110
4D. Strategies for Improved Service and Coordination ............................................116
Chapter 5: Next Steps and Recommendations ............................................................120
Appendix A: Transportation Inventory........................................................................1204
Appendix B: Public Meeting Participants .....................................................................140
Appendix C: Provider Workshop Participants ..............................................................148
Appendix D: Hawaii Statewide Transportation Plan Goals and Objectives .................149
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Director’s Message
Today’s transportation challenges transcend all levels of
government. Addressing the needs and priority concerns
require focused examination of such important matters such
as: multi-modal transportation systems to ensure seamless
inter-modal connections within and between modes, people
movement that accommodates bicycling and pedestrians,
preservation of the environment in the creation and
operation of transportation facilities, and supporting a
sustainable lifestyle in response to forecasted changes.
The expectation of responsibility now entails—to a greater
and greater degree—understanding statewide goals for job
development, clean energy, food self-sufficiency, and tracking the demographics of our
population for responses to the growing number of those who must make regular or
special arrangements when establishing their personal mobility. We need to look at
these challenges not as problems, but opportunities to build upon.
This Coordination Plan focuses and presents opportunities to address the transportation
needs of Hawaii residents in the greatest need of services to support their mobility –
older adults, people with disabilities and low-income families and individuals. It is a
guiding document to be used by local communities in the interest of leveraging federal
funds to fill gaps in service through the coordination of local agencies.
This Plan will also be used in coordination with other transportation plans developed by
the State of Hawaii and the Counties of Hawaii, Kauai and Maui. We look forward to the
innovations made possible by bringing together individuals, agencies, and organizations
committed to enhancing the mobility of older adults, people with disabilities and
economically disadvantaged families and individuals.
Mahalo,
Glenn M. Okimoto, Ph.D.
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Executive Summary
Background
This Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Transportation Plan (CSP) for the
State of Hawaii is sponsored by the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) and
is intended to provide direction to improve transportation statewide for:
• Individuals with disabilities
• Older adults
• Low-income individuals
Plans like this are required by federal law, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act or “SAFETEA-LU” [PL 109-59], which was signed into law in
August 2005. It authorized $52.6 billion for federal community transportation programs
over six years, which is available to fund projects consistent with the strategies
identified in local coordination plans. These three funding programs, administered by
the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), are the statewide Formula Program for Elderly
Individuals and Individual with Disabilities (Section 5310) and the small urban and rural
Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC, Section 5316) and New Freedom (Section
5317) programs.
As described further in this report, federal planning requirements specify that
designated recipients of these sources of funds must certify that projects funded with
those federal dollars are derived from a coordinated plan. HDOT serves as the
designated recipient for the funds described above. This plan focuses on the Counties
of Hawaii, Kaua’i and Maui.1 The City and County of Honolulu has developed a plan for
Oahu, approved in 2009, which was developed in coordination with HDOT. These
projects are intended to improve the mobility of individuals with disabilities, older adults,
and people with limited incomes.
1 The term “non-urbanized area” includes rural areas and urban areas under 50,000 in
population not included in an urbanized area. The City and County of Honolulu, designated
recipient of these funds for urban areas, developed a separate plan for the island of Oahu in
2009 and is currently implementing projects aligned with their top priority strategies.
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This federal guidance specifies four required elements of the plan, as follows:
1. Transportation Providers – An assessment of available services that identifies
current transportation providers (public, private, and nonprofit);
2. Needs Assessment Process and Results – An assessment of transportation
needs for individuals with disabilities, older adults, and people with low incomes.
This assessment can be based on the experiences and perceptions of the
planning partners or on more sophisticated data collection efforts, and gaps in
service;
3. Strategy Development – Strategies, activities, and/or projects to address the
identified gaps between current services and needs, as well as opportunities to
achieve efficiencies in service delivery; and
4. Priorities – Priorities for implementation based on resources (from multiple
program sources), time, and feasibility for implementing specific strategies and/or
activities.
Furthermore, across the nation, there is a growing movement towards building
sustainable communities, aging in place, walkability and mobility. Recognizing that
resources are scarce and our population is aging, governments and their communities
are trying to leverage resources, coordinate services, and invest in an accessible future
that provides mobility for everybody.
Transportation Funding
Funding for the various transportation services is complex. Public transit and human
service transportation programs are funded by a variety of federal, state and local
dollars, as well as money from private foundations and grants. In fact, in 2003, the
United States General Accounting Office (GAO) identified 62 federal programs
administered by eight federal agencies that provided an estimated $2.4 billion in
transportation services for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and persons with
low incomes.
General transit services, as well as complementary Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) paratransit and other specialized transportation services, are provided by public
transit agencies. In addition, many communities offer specialized transportation through
senior centers and other human service agencies to help people access senior nutrition
sites, employment, medical appointments and more.
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The sources for transportation funding within each county in the State of Hawaii include:
• County General Funds, Federal Transit Administration formula grants for non-
urbanized areas (Section 5311): General transit and paratransit services
• Administration on Aging (Older Americans Act), State of Hawaii Department of
Health Executive Office on Aging, and Federal Transit Administration (Sections
5310, 5317): Seniors and disability transportation
• State of Hawaii Department of Human Services, Benefits, Employment and
Support Services Divisions (BESSD), and Federal Transit Administration
(Section 5316): Employment transportation
• State of Hawaii Department of Human Services, Med-Quest Program: Medical
transportation
• Federal Funding: The State of Hawaii serves as the designated recipient for
5310, 5316 and 5317 funds for the rural and small urban portions of the State.
This means that the state is required to select projects for use of these funds
through a competitive process, and to certify that projects funded are derived
from the coordinated plan.
Project Stakeholder Consultation
Transportation coordination efforts will be most successful when federal, state and local
policies all work together to support these efforts. Promoting coordination between
decision-makers at the state and local level, this project developed new workgroups to
guide the planning process and integrate state and local priorities.
A single State Mobility Workgroup was initiated to design selection criteria for
distribution of federal funds. In addition, Local Mobility Workgroups were established in
each county with the purpose of prioritizing transportation needs and gaps, as well as
developing coordinated strategies that respond to those needs and gaps.
The general public and other key stakeholders were also invited to play active roles
throughout the planning process. Methods of engagement included stakeholder
interviews, public meetings, accessible website with public input form, press releases
about public input opportunities, newsletter articles for social service providers, flyers
and information sheets, email and direct mail public meeting invites, and needs review
surveys.
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Transportation Providers
Through the Local Mobility Workgroups and the public input processes described
above, the major public transit and human service transportation providers in Hawaii,
Kaua’i, and Maui Counties were identified.
Transportation in the County of Hawaii (the Big Island) is provided primarily by the
Hawaii County Department of Mass Transit’s Hele-On Bus, which offers regular fixed
route and commuter bus service throughout the county, as well as a subsidized shared
ride taxi service in the Hilo and Kona areas. Curb-to-curb paratransit service is also
provided through a contract with Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council.
Another major provider, Hawaii County Parks and Recreation Coordinated Services for
the Elderly, offers information and referral services as well as direct transportation for
seniors to access nutrition sites and for people with disabilities under 60 years old to
access various needs on a priority basis. Six additional non-profit agency providers
were also identified, which provide limited transportation services that are typically
designed to serve their own programs and clientele.
Transportation services provided in the County of Kaua’i are largely the responsibility
of one entity, the County of Kaua’i Transportation Agency (or CTA). CTA provides both
fixed-route (“The Kaua’i Bus”) and Paratransit services, in addition to Kupuna Care
(senior transportation through a contract with the County Office on Aging) and some
agency subscription services. Besides the fixed-route and paratransit service provided
by CTA, very limited accessible/affordable transportation is available. A small number of
agencies provide transportation to their clients. A few private providers offer demand
response service, and very limited volunteer service is available, primarily for veterans
to access VA medical appointments.
The County of Maui Department of Transportation (MDOT) is responsible for the vast
majority of transportation services in the County of Maui. MDOT administers Maui Bus,
which was created in 2002 to provide an island-wide public transportation system on
Maui. MDOT also operates the curb-to-curb ADA complementary paratransit service
and provides funding for a variety of other specialized services, including youth
transportation and access to senior nutrition sites, through contracts with Maui
Economic Opportunities (MEO). Three additional non-profit agency providers were
identified, primarily providing program-related services. The County of Maui also funds
transportation programs on Molokai and Lanai through its contract with MEO. Service
focuses on seniors or persons with disabilities, although there is rural shuttle service
available to the general public and a youth shuttle on Molokai.
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Detailed information about each of these programs is provided in Appendix A of this
Plan as well as online at findtherightride.org, a tool jointly funded by the City and County
of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii.
Needs Assessment Process and Results
A key step of this planning project was to define and prioritize the transportation needs
and gaps in transportation services for older adults, people with disabilities and low-
income residents in each of the counties. A long list of needs was initially developed
through interviews with transportation and human service providers that serve these
populations. These lists were organized into categories of needs and presented to the
public in open public meetings. During the public meetings, these lists were refined and
prioritized by the participants using electronic polling.
For the Big Island, the top priority needs categories were identified as:
Service/Assistance, Capacity/Infrastructure and Coordination. The top service and
assistance needs included more door-to-door transportation and information about
transportation options as well as how to use public transit. The top capacity and
infrastructure needs were newer and more small, lift-equipped vehicles. The top
coordination needs were identified as the ability to coordinate schedules among various
providers, as well as identification of a lead agency to help with this and other
coordination needs.
For Kaua’i, the top priority categories were Service, Infrastructure and Assistance
needs. The top service needs were identified as providing evening and Sunday service.
However, the County responded quickly to these needs and has since added transit
service in the evenings and on Sundays. The top infrastructure needs were considered
sidewalk safety and provision of more bike lanes. The top assistance need was
information about available transportation options as well as how to use public transit.
For Maui, the top priority categories were Service/Assistance, Training and Human
Service Transportation Coordination needs. The top service and assistance needs were
affordability and service to outlying areas. The top training need was driver training in
general, including some type of accountability system for the drivers. The top
coordination needs identified at the Maui public meeting were establishing multimodal
transportation to connect people living on each of the islands in the county and
coordination of federal funding. However, these coordination issues were determined to
be a lower priority during the transportation provider workshops held later in the year.
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A Needs Review Survey for each county was distributed by mail and email to public
meeting participants and various transportation and social service agencies to distribute
to their clients. (A copy of the survey is included in Appendix E.) In general, the survey
results in all three counties concurred with the identified needs and priorities.
Strategy Development
Strategies were initially developed by the consultant team based on stakeholder
interviews, public meetings, local mobility workgroup input, and past experience in
working on projects of similar scope. A local provider workshop was held in each of the
counties. Participants included Local Mobility Workgroup members as well as other
transportation and social service providers. Participants methodically reviewed each of
the proposed strategies, deleting some, adding some and editing others to ensure that
they were appropriate strategies for each county.
Priorities
During the same local provider workshop as described above, workshop participants
prioritized the strategies through a facilitated discussion, using consensus-based
decision-making. Strategies were sorted into four categories, A-D, according to their
priority, with A being the top priority category.
In order to prioritize the strategies, workshop participants considered each strategy in
terms of four criteria, developed by the consultants based on prior experience with
transportation coordination planning:
• The number and priority of needs that could be met;
• The financial feasibility of the strategy;
• The feasibility of implementation; and
• The involvement of coordination, partnerships and potential community support.
These criteria were important to use in order to identify strategies that would meet the
most critical needs, use resources efficiently and effectively and be feasible to
implement in the near future. Strategies to meet some top priority needs were
determined to be unfeasible at this time, and were ranked lower as a result.
The top priority strategies (Category A) on the Big Island included:
• Develop a countywide vehicle replacement program
• Establish a mobility manager position
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• Develop a transportation financial plan in order to enhance and expand the
specialized transportation provided throughout the county
The top priority strategies on Kaua’i included:
• Purchase accessible taxis
• Develop a subsidized taxi voucher program
• Access funding for free or reduced bus passes
The top priority strategies for Maui included:
• Establish a lead agency for human service transportation coordination
• Develop bus stops or transfer points between the Maui Bus and human service
agencies to promote better coordination
• Coordinate training between the various transportation providers in the county
Workshop participants considered issues for all three islands in Maui County. Two of
the top three strategies should apply to Molokai and Lanai as well as the island of Maui.
Next Steps and Recommendations
The State Mobility Workgroup has identified a statewide selection process. The process
considers geographic diversity, acknowledges local priorities and funds a variety of
projects. State funding priorities include expanding/improving service operation,
replacing/expanding vehicles or other capital infrastructure and establishing mobility
management services. The selection committee will be transparent in their selection
process and ensure no conflicts of interest. Providers will be notified of opportunities to
apply for funds, and applications will be made available at
http://hawaii.gov/dot/administration/stp/fta-grant.
Funds available each year are limited; not all needs can be met. Counties should be
strategic in seeking funds for projects. It is recommended that counties institutionalize
their Local Mobility Workgroups and utilize these workgroups to develop viable projects
according to local priorities. It is also recommended that counties work together to be
strategic in their applications for funds. It would be beneficial for the state to facilitate
this process.
Finally, it is recommended that the state provide technical support to the counties in this
work, lead efforts to coordinate with state agencies that fund human service
transportation and establish funding mechanisms for on-going needs assessments.
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Additional funding is needed in order to enable HDOT to provide this type of leadership
and support for coordination.
Reading the Plan
Chapter 1 provides the purpose and background of the Coordinated Public Transit-
Human Services Transportation Plan (CSP), as well as the federal planning
requirements established under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). This chapter presents
information on federal and state roles in funding of public transit operators and human
service transportation providers.
Chapter 1 also includes the methodology used to develop the plan, including the use of
state and local mobility workgroups and their roles, the studies and documents
supporting development of the plan, and the public involvement process.
Chapters 2, 3 and 4 cover the community and transportation profiles for the counties of
Hawaii, Kaua’i and Maui. This includes demographic trends, travel patterns for key
demographic and activity centers and a detailed description of existing transportation
services. The chapters also cover the unmet transportation needs and service gaps in
each county, and the prioritized strategies for addressing the most critical transportation
needs. Appendix A provides an inventory of existing public transportation services,
including fixed-route and paratransit services, and services supported by social service
agencies and other private providers.
Chapter 5 completes the CSP by establishing an implementation plan for allocating
federal resources from multiple program sources, including the competitive selection
process for FTA Sections 5310, 5316, and 5317 funds. It also includes consultant
recommendations for next steps for implementing local strategies.
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Chapter 1. Introduction
1A. Purpose and Background
Purpose
Many residents of all counties in Hawaii currently need specialized transportation
services. Even more are likely to need such services
in the future. When this happens, it is essential that
a public infrastructure be available to provide
transportation in the most cost effective manner
possible.
Access to work, education, shopping, medical care,
nutrition, social services, cultural and social events,
and everyday activities is critical to a vital, active and
productive life.
The State of Hawaii Coordinated Public Transit–
Human Services Transportation Plan (CSP) provides a strategic direction for improved,
accessible transportation in Hawaii, Kaua’i, and Maui counties for:
• individuals with disabilities
• older adults
• economically disadvantaged individuals
The planning process brought together public transit, social service, non-profit agencies,
transportation providers, and other community organizations. Together, these agencies
and the people they serve identified and prioritized the transportation gaps and needs in
Hawaii, Kaua’i, and Maui counties. After reviewing the existing transportation services
currently available, as well as existing needs and gaps, the plan participants developed
a prioritized list of coordinated strategies intended to address the most critical
transportation needs.
This coordinated plan is intended as a strategic planning tool that will position the
Counties of Hawaii, Kaua’i, and Maui to enhance coordination of existing transportation
services, and ensure eligibility for federal and other funding opportunities that support
improved mobility.
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Coordination: Desired and Required
Coordinated transportation strategies can enhance access, minimize duplication of
services, and facilitate cost-effective solutions using existing resources.
For the rural counties of the State of Hawaii, coordinating transportation services is not
an option – it’s a survival technique. As a result,
the transportation providers on Hawaii, Kaua’i
and Maui have been coordinating services with
human service providers in their counties for
many years, on both an informal and a formal
basis.
Oftentimes, transit, human service agencies, and
other community organizations provide special
transportation services exclusively within the
context of their individual programmatic and functional areas. This is largely driven by
the specific requirements of the funding sources, which may limit the provision of
services to a specific clientele, or for a specific type of trip. In 2003, the United States
General Accounting Office (GAO) identified 62 federal programs administered by eight
federal agencies that provided an estimated $2.4 billion in transportation services for
older adults, individuals with disabilities, and persons with low incomes.
Recognizing that efficiencies could be found if all of these disparate transportation
programs were better coordinated, legislation was passed requiring local coordinated
transportation plans to be in place before states are eligible for certain federal funds.
SAFETEA-LU Planning Requirements
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act or “SAFETEA-LU”
[PL 109-59] was signed into law in August 2005. It authorized $52.6 billion for federal
community transportation programs over six years. Beginning in federal Fiscal Year
2007, projects funded through three programs in SAFETEA-LU – the Formula Program
for Elderly Individuals and Individual with Disabilities (Section 5310), the Job Access
and Reverse Commute Program (JARC, Section 5316), and New Freedom (Section
5317) – must be part of a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services
transportation plan (CSP). A more thorough description of these funding sources is
outlined in Section 1B of this chapter.
For the rural counties of the
State of Hawaii, coordinating
transportation services is
not an option – it’s a
survival technique.
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SAFETEA-LU guidance issued by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) states that
the plan should be a “unified, comprehensive strategy for public transportation service
delivery that identifies the transportation needs of individuals with disabilities, older
adults, and individuals with limited income, laying out strategies for meeting these
needs, and prioritizing services.”2
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued three program circulars to provide
guidance on the administration of the three programs that are subject to this planning
requirement. These circulars can be accessed through the following websites:
Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities (5310):
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/C9070.1F(1).doc
Job Access and Reverse Commute (5316):
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_C_9050.1_JARC.pdf
New Freedom Program (5317):
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_C_9045.1_New_Freedom.pdf
Federal guidance specifies four required elements of the plan:
• An assessment of available services that identifies current transportation
providers (public, private, and non-profit).
• An assessment of transportation needs for individuals with disabilities, older
adults and people with low incomes. This assessment can be based on the
experiences and perceptions of the planning partners or on more sophisticated
data collection efforts, and gaps in service.
• Strategies, activities, and/or projects to address the identified gaps between
current services and needs, as well as opportunities to achieve efficiencies in
service delivery.
• Priorities for implementation based on resources (from multiple program
sources), time, and feasibility for implementing specific strategies and/or
activities.
The State of Hawaii serves as the designated recipient for FTA Sections 5316 and 5317
funds for the rural and small urban portions of the State, including the outer islands. It is
also the direct recipient for all FTA Section 5310 funds for the state. This means the
2 Federal Register: March 15, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 50, page 13458)
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state is required to certify that projects which are funded using SAFETEA-LU funds are
done so as result of the coordinated plan.3
In July of 2008, the State of Hawaii adopted its first Human Services Transportation
Coordination Plan. The original plan and this update were prepared in accordance with
the general guidelines described in the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Circulars
9070.1F, 9045.1 and 9050.1.
Federal Coordination Efforts
The requirements of SAFETEA-LU build upon previous federal initiatives to enhance
human service transportation coordination. Among these are:
• Presidential Executive Order: Signed in February 2004, this Executive Order
established an Interagency Transportation Coordinating Council on Access and
Mobility to focus 10 federal agencies on the coordination agenda. The executive
order may be found at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-4451.pdf
• A Framework for Action: This self-assessment tool was designed for states
and communities to identify areas of success and highlight what actions are still
needed to improve the coordination of human service transportation. This tool
has been developed through the United We Ride initiative sponsored by FTA,
and can be found on FTA’s website:
http://www.unitedweride.gov/1_81_ENG_HTML.htm.
• Previous research: Numerous studies and reports have documented the
benefits of coordinated federal programs that fund or sponsor transportation for
their clients.4
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) plays an important role in coordination
efforts, as individuals with disabilities are among the populations that these planning
efforts are intended to help. For people with disabilities who cannot independently use
3 The City and County of Honolulu is the designated recipient of the funds for the urban areas of
Oahu.
4 Examples include United States General Accounting Office (GAO) reports to Congress entitled
Transportation Disadvantaged Populations, Some Coordination Efforts Among Programs
Providing Transportation, but Obstacles Persist, (June 2003) and Transportation Disadvantaged
Seniors—Efforts to Enhance Senior Mobility Could Benefit From Additional Guidance and
Information, (August 2004).
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the fixed-route bus service, even with accommodations, transit agencies that provide
fixed route services are required by the ADA to provide paratransit services that are
complementary to those fixed routes.
Although each paratransit provider has unique service characteristics, ADA paratransit
services are available for any purpose, and there is no limit on the number of trips an
ADA-eligible person may take. Often the service level is “curb-to-curb” meaning the
passenger is picked up and dropped off at the curb. Assistance is not provided to and
from the pickup and drop off locations.
The intent of ADA paratransit services is to provide a service that is complementary to
the fixed route bus services. This means, for example, that paratransit service is
provided where the fixed route service operates, and during the same hours of service.
ADA paratransit service is required to meet the following service standards:
• Paratransit service is provided the same days and times that the fixed route
operates.
• Service is to be provided within ¾ mile of existing fixed route bus routes
(excluding commuter service).
• The passenger cannot be required to pay more than twice the regular fare as
on the fixed route service.
• Basic service standards may be established as origin to destination.
• A transit operator is not allowed to turn down or deny trips—any trip purpose
is considered eligible.
• A transit operator is allowed to “negotiate” the time the trip is delivered up to
an hour before or after the trip is requested.
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1B. Current Funding Sources for Transportation Services
Transportation funding is complex. Public transit and human service transportation
programs are funded by a variety of federal, state and local dollars, as well as money
from private foundations and grants. This section provides a broad overview of the
varied transportation funding sources utilized by the Counties of Hawaii, Kaua’i and
Maui.
Transportation funding typically falls under the umbrella of general public transit and
related complementary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit services, older
adult transportation, medical transportation or access to employment-related services.
Of the 62 federal programs administered by eight federal agencies, seventy percent or
$1.7 billion is distributed through the federal Department of Health and Human Services,
as illustrated in Figure 1-1.
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Figure 1-1: Estimated Spending on Transportation Services by Identified Agencies5
The sources for transportation funding within each county in the State of Hawaii include:
• County General Funds, Federal Transit Administration formula grants for non-
urbanized areas (Section 5311): General transit and paratransit services
• Administration on Aging (Older Americans Act) and State of Hawaii Department
of Health Executive Office on Aging, and Federal Transit Administration
(Sections 5310, 5317): Seniors and disability transportation
• Hawaii Department of Human Services, Benefits, Employment and Support
Services Divisions (BESSD), and Federal Transit Administration (Section 5316):
Employment transportation
• State of Hawaii Department of Human Services, Med-Quest Program: Medical
transportation
5 Department of Transportation spending does not include FTA Section 5311 dollars.
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Different funding programs have different matching dollar requirements, different
reporting requirements, and different service and eligibility requirements. This can make
it challenging to coordinate transportation services.
Primary transit and human service transportation funding sources for each county for
Fiscal Year 2011 are illustrated below in Figure 1-2.
Figure 1-2: Major Transportation Funding Sources FY 2011
Hawaii Kaua’i Maui
Local Funds
County General Fund $4,107,000 $4,082,000 $7,598,000
Transit Farebox Revenue $0 $346,000 $1,200,000
Other Local Sources $260,000
Federal Transit Administration Funds
FTA 5311 $582,000 $582,000 $565,000
Other State and Federal Funds
Department of Labor & Industries $2,4006
Area Agency on Aging/Older Americans Act $37,000 $126,0007
TOTAL $4,986,000 $5,138,400 $9,363,000
6 These funds represent funding for bus passes provided by Kauai Economic Opportunity.
7 These funds represent the County of Kaua’i Elderly Affairs Division only. Wilcox Adult Day
Health also uses OAA funds, but the amount is unknown.
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As shown in Figure 1-3, the vast majority of funding for public transit in the Counties of
Hawaii, Kaua’i and Maui is derived from the counties themselves.
Figure 1-3: Public Transit Funding Sources – Hawaii, Kaua’i and Maui Counties
Combined
Following is a brief overview of major transportation funding sources. Because the
funding arena is complex and varied, this section is not intended to identify all potential
sources, but rather to identify the major funding sources for public transit and human
service transportation in the three counties that are the focus of the coordinated plan.8
Local Funding
The public transit fixed-route and paratransit services in Hawaii, Kaua’i, and Maui are
provided through each county’s transportation agency. The primary local funding source
for public transit is derived from property taxes in the general fund.
Fixed route transit operators9 are obligated under the American with Disabilities Act
(ADA) to provide complementary paratransit service for individuals with disabilities who
cannot use the fixed route system, and to provide such services consistent with service
criteria established through federal regulations.
8 For more information on other federal funding sources for transportation, refer to
“Transportation-Disadvantaged Population,” United States General Accounting Office (2003),
and the Honolulu “Paratransit Service Study,” Coordinated Opportunities, Chapter 4 (2006). 9 Commute bus routes and Deviated fixed routes are exempt from the requirements to provide
ADA complementary paratransit
Local
91%
Federal
9%
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In addition to public transit, county monies fund a variety of community transportation
programs. Figure 1-4 below illustrates the different programs that receive county funds
for Fiscal Year 2011.
Figure 1-4: Major Transportation Programs Funded with County Funds
Hawaii Kaua’i Maui
Fixed Route $5,200,000 $2,875,000 $7,022,500
ADA Paratransit N/A $1,600,000 $375,000
Other Paratransit $2,226,00010 $0 $0
MEO (Dialysis) N/A N/A $921,905
MEO (General Fund) N/A N/A $4,532,184
TOTAL $7,426,000 $4,475,000 $12,851,589
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Funding Programs
The three sources of FTA funds subject to this plan [JARC (5316), New Freedom
(5317), and Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities (5310)] are described
below. The State of Hawaii serves as the designated recipient for Section 5316 and
5317 funds for the rural and small urban portions of the State including the neighbor
islands, and for all statewide 5310 funds. This means that the state is required to select
projects for use of SAFETEA-LU funds through a competitive process, and to certify that
projects funded are derived from the coordinated plan.
Section 5311 FTA funds are not subject to the requirements of this plan. This is a rural
program that is formula based and provides funding to states for the purpose of
supporting public transportation in rural areas, with populations of less than 50,000.
Figure 1-5 provides an estimate of the levels of 5310, 5311, 5316 and 5317 funding
available for small urbanized and non-urbanized portions of the state from 2006 to
2010. The annual apportionments combine these two portions, but do not include the
apportionment from the City and County of Honolulu.11
10Includes $880,000 for HCEOC, $1 million for Coordinated Services, and $380,000 from
County Department of Aging
11 The City and County of Honolulu is the designated recipient for all urbanized funds on Oahu.
Page | 22
Figure 1-5: Federal Funding Estimates (2006-2010) for the State of Hawaii
Federal Fiscal Year 5310 5311 5316 5317
2006 563,249 1,736,613 299,046 172,101
2007 585,120 1,810,778 169,033 111,321
2008 627,290 1,942,170 183,119 120,255
2009 665,421 2,044,808 214,934 138,615
2010 657,049 2,042,259 205,502 136,042
TOTAL $ 3,098,129 $ 9,576,628 $ 1,071,634 $ 678,344
These funds require that a share of total program costs be derived from local sources,
and may not be matched with other federal Department of Transportation (DOT) funds.
Projects funded through Sections 5316 or 5317 that support operating costs must
provide a 50% local match. Capital projects require a 20% local match. Mobility
management projects are considered “capital” projects, and are therefore subject to the
lower match threshold.
Examples of match funds which may be used for the local share include:
• State or local appropriations
• Non-DOT federal funds, such as TANF, Older Americans Act
• Dedicated tax revenues
• Private donations
• Revenue from human service contracts
• Revenue from advertising and concessions
• Non-cash funds such as donations, volunteer services, or in-kind contributions
are eligible to be counted toward the local match as long as the value of each is
documented and supported.
FTA Section 5310 Elderly and Disabled Specialized Transportation Program
The goal of the 5310 program is to improve mobility for elderly persons and individuals
with disabilities. FTA makes funds available to support transportation services planned,
designed and implemented to meet the special transportation needs of these population
groups. Funds for this program are allocated by a population-based formula to each
state for the capital costs of providing services to older adults and individuals with
disabilities. Typically, vans, small buses, and equipment are available to support non-
profit transportation providers. In the State of Hawaii, 5310 funds are used exclusively
for the purchase of vehicles. 5310 funds pay for up to 80% of capital costs.
Page | 23
Examples of eligible 5310 projects include:
• Buses
• Vans
• Wheelchair lifts and securements
• Vehicle rehabilitation, manufacture and overhaul
• Preventative maintenance, as defined in the NTD
FTA Section 5316 Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Program
The purpose of the JARC program is to fund local programs that improve access to
transportation services to employment and employment related activities for welfare
recipients and eligible low-income individuals. Also included are programs that transport
residents of urbanized areas and non-urbanized areas to suburban employment
opportunities. JARC funds are distributed to states on a formula basis, depending on
the state’s rate of low-income population. This approach differs from previous funding
cycles, when grants were awarded purely on an “earmark” basis. As described above,
JARC funds will pay up to 50% of operating costs and 80% of capital costs. The
remaining funds are required to be provided through local match sources.
Examples of eligible JARC projects include:
• Late-night and weekend service
• Guaranteed ride home programs
• Vanpools or shuttle services to improve access to employment or training sites
• Expansion of fixed-route service
• Car-share or other projects to improve access to autos
• Access to child care and training
• Mobility management (an eligible capital cost)
Eligible applicants for JARC funds may include state or local governmental bodies,
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), Regional Transportation Planning
Authorities (RTPAs), Local Transportation Commissions (LTCs), social services
agencies, tribal governments, private and public transportation operators, and non-profit
organizations.
FTA Section 5317 New Freedom Program
The New Freedom formula grant program aims to provide additional tools to overcome
existing barriers facing Americans with disabilities who are seeking integration into the
workforce and full participation in society. Recognizing that the lack of adequate
transportation is a primary barrier to employment for individuals with disabilities, the
Page | 24
New Freedom Program seeks to reduce barriers to transportation services and expand
the transportation mobility options beyond the requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA).
New Freedom funds are available for capital and operating expenses that support new
public transportation services and alternatives that are designed to assist individuals
with disabilities with accessing transportation services, including transportation to and
from jobs and employment support services. The same match requirements for JARC
apply for the New Freedom Program.
Examples of eligible New Freedom Program projects include:
• Expansion of paratransit service hours or service area beyond minimal
requirements
• Purchase of accessible taxis or other vehicles
• Promotion of accessible ride sharing or vanpool programs
• Administration of volunteer programs
• Building curb-cuts, providing accessible bus stops
• Travel training programs
Eligible applicants for New Freedom funds may include state or local governmental
bodies, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), Regional Transportation Planning
Authorities (RTPAs), Local Transportation Commissions (LTCs), social services
agencies, tribal governments, private and public transportation operators, and non-profit
organizations.
FTA Section 5311 Formula Grants for Other than Urbanized Areas
Section 5311 is not subject to this Plan, but it is an important source of funding for local
transit agencies. It is a rural program that is formula based and provides funding to
states for the purpose of supporting public transportation in rural areas, with populations
of less than 50,000. The goals of the non-urbanized formula program are to:
• Enhance the access of people in non-urbanized areas to health care, shopping,
education, employment, public services, and recreation;
• Assist in the maintenance, development, improvement, and use of public
transportation systems in rural and small urban areas;
• Encourage and facilitate the most efficient use of all federal funds used to
provide passenger transportation in non-urbanized areas through the
coordination of programs and services;
Page | 25
• Assist in the development and support of intercity bus transportation12; and
• Provide for the participation of private transportation providers in non-urbanized
transportation to the maximum extent feasible.
The Rural Transit Assistant Program (RTAP) and the Tribal Transit Program are
separate programs funded within the Section 5311 program. The RTAP program
provides training and other resources for rural transit providers, and the Tribal Transit
Program provides grants directly to designated Indian Tribes for transportation
purposes.
Other Federal and State Funding Sources
Older Adult Transportation
The Older Americans Act (OAA) was signed into law in 1965 amidst growing concern
over older adults’ access to health care and their general well-being. The OAA
established the federal Administration on Aging (AoA) to advocate on behalf of an
estimated 46 million Americans 60 or older and to implement a range of assistance
programs for older adults, especially those at risk of losing their independence.
Transportation is one of many needs of older Americans and is thus a major service
under the OAA. It provides access to nutrition, medical and other essential services
required by an aging population. Funds can be used for transportation under several
sections of the OAA, including Title III (Support and Access Services) and the Home
and Community-Based Services (HCBS) program.
Each of the counties has a department that serves as the Area Agency on Aging. The
Area Agency on Aging receives State funds from the State Executive Office on Aging to
provide Kupuna Care Transportation.
Medical Transportation
The Medicaid program was established in 1965 under Title XIX of the Social Security
Act (Public Law 89-87). This program is administered by states that receive matching
federal funds to pay for primary, acute, and long-term care health care services for low-
income individuals. Federal regulation 42 CFR 431.53 requires that a Medicaid State
Plan must specify that the Medicaid agency will ensure necessary transportation for
recipients to and from providers.
12 Certification has been made that the State of Hawaii intercity bus service is being adequately met. Due
to the island nature of the state, connectivity is not possible between the islands. County transit agencies
in the nonurbanized areas of the state have certified that their intercity bus needs have been adequately
met.
Page | 26
State Medicaid programs pay for non-emergency transportation for their recipients in
accordance with their State Plan or waiver as approved by the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services. The type of non-emergency transportation covered typically includes
bus passes, paratransit trips, mileage reimbursements, and cab rides.
The State of Hawaii has two main Medicaid managed care programs: 1) QUEST for
those younger than 65 and not blind or disabled; and 2) QUEST Expanded Access
(QExA) for individuals age 65 or older, or blind or disabled (ABD). Most of the ground
non-emergency transportation was utilized by the ABD recipients, which had been
poorly managed in the fee-for-service program prior to QExA. With the implementation
of QExA, the contracted health plans are beginning to reduce inappropriate and
inefficient utilization.
Employment Related Transportation
The Benefits, Employment and Support Services Division (BESSD) of the Hawaii
Department of Human Services provides financial and other support to low-income
residents in the State of Hawaii. The First-to-Work (FTW) program, implemented in FY
1997, is designed to assist able-bodied adults to become attached to the workforce.
FTW serves Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients and
emphasizes employment, skill-building, training, on-the-job training, and job search
activities. FTW also provides supportive services such as childcare, transportation
reimbursement, and work-related expenses for qualifying participants.
These supportive services are designed to remove barriers to getting and keeping a job.
Transportation has been identified as a major barrier to employment. The FTW program
of BESSD provides bus passes, mileage reimbursements, employer transportation
reimbursements, and assistance in purchasing personal vehicles to mitigate the
transportation barriers for qualifying program participants.
Some employment related funds are also available through the state Department of
Labor and Industrial Relations, which is responsible for ensuring and increasing the
economic security, well-being, and productivity of Hawaii’s workers. They are not a
major funder, though there is some history of them providing transportation dollars. For
instance, Kaua’i Economic Opportunity receives these funds in order to provide bus
passes to program participants to assist in accessing jobs or job training opportunities.
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1C. Plan Approach and Development
In addition to complying with the FTA regulations (see section 1A.), this plan
emphasizes three planning principles: leveraging existing plans and studies,
developing an integrated state and local decision making process, and ensuring an
inclusive public input process.
Leverage Existing Plans and Studies
This Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan is a sub element
of the Hawaii Statewide Transportation Plan (HSTP). The HSTP is a policy document
that establishes the framework to be used in the planning of Hawaii's transportation
system. The goals and objectives identified in the HSTP provide the keys to the
development of an integrated, multi-modal transportation system for the safe, efficient
and effective movement of people and goods throughout Hawaii.
The goals and objectives of the HSTP were adopted as the overarching goals and
objectives for this planning effort as well. The HSTP can be found at:
http://www.hawaiistatewidetransplan.com/.
This plan also leveraged the work of existing local plans and documents, including:
• Kaua’i Senior Information and Resource Directory (2008-2009)
• Kaua’i County Transportation Agency: Annual Reports (2007 – 2009)
• Hawaii Department of Transportation, Coordinated Public Transit-Human
Services Transportation Plan, July 2008
• State Health Planning & Development Agency, Hawaii County SubArea Health
Planning Council Transportation Study, prepared by Dolores Foley, Department
of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Hawaii at Manoa
• County of Maui Short Range Transit Plan, January 2005
• Maui Island Plan, May 2010
Integrated State and Local Process
In order to coordinate transportation services, the federal, state and local policies also
need to be coordinated to support one another. Consequently, this project developed
new workgroups, at the state and local levels, to help guide the planning process and
integrate state and local priorities.
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A single State Mobility Workgroup was initiated to design selection criteria for
distribution of federal funds. In addition, Local Mobility Workgroups were established in
each county with the purpose of prioritizing transportation needs and gaps, as well as
developing and implementing coordinated strategies that respond to those needs.
The State Mobility Workgroup met three times during the project: October 2010,
January 2011 and May 2011 (tentative). Membership of the State Mobility Workgroup
includes:
Chair: Ryan Fujii, Programming Section Manager, Department of
Transportation, Statewide Transportation Planning Office
Don Medeiros, Transit Manager, County of Maui
Celia Mahikoa, Transit Manager, County of Kaua’i
Tom Brown, Transit Manager, County of Hawaii
Scott Ishiyama, Honolulu Department of Transit Services
Caroline Cadirao, Department of Health, Executive Office on Aging
Kay Yoneshige, Department of Human Services, Vocational Rehabilitation and
Services for the Blind
Keith Yabusaki, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Community
Services
Judy Paik, Disability and Communication Access Board
The Local Mobility Workgroups met four times during the project: July 2010, August-
September 2010, November-December 2010 and May 2011 (tentative). Membership of
the Local Mobility Workgroups includes:
County of Hawaii:
Tom Brown, Transit Administrator, County of Hawaii, Mass Transit Agency
Alan Parker, County of Hawaii, Office of Aging
Harold Bugado, County of Hawaii Department of Parks and Recreation, Elderly
Activities
Lester Seto, Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council
County of Kaua’i:
Celia Mahikoa, Kaua’i County Transportation Agency
Kealoha Takahashi, Kaua’i County Agency on Elderly Affairs
Terri Yamashiro, Kaua’i Center for Independent Living
Rhodora Rojas, Kaua’i Center for Independent Living
Christina Pilkington, ADA Coordinator
Page | 29
Pacita McDermott, Wilcox Adult Day Health
Lynn Kua, Kaua’i Economic Opportunity
County of Maui:
Jud Cunningham, Aloha House
Audrey McGauley, ARC of Maui
Keri Pasion-Salas, ARC of Maui
Don Medeiros, County of Maui - Department of Transportation
Deborah Arendale, County of Maui - Office on Aging
Melissa King-Hubert, Easter Seals
Erllie Cabacungan, Hale Makua - Wailuka
Mark Souza, Hale Makua - Wailuka
Leola Muromoto, Kaunoa Senior Services
George Reioux, MEO Inc.
Inclusive Public Input Process
The general public and key stakeholders were invited to play active roles throughout the
planning process. Methods of engagement included:
• State and local mobility workgroups, as described above.
• Stakeholder interviews – Each of the consultant teams solicited input from
public transit and social service providers in Maui, Hawaii and Kaua’i Counties.
• Accessible website with public input form – Hawaiirides.org was developed to
provide information about the planning process and to allow opportunities for the
public to provide input on the draft plan.
• Radio ads and press releases – Press releases were submitted to local radio
stations and newspapers to advertise public meeting opportunities.
• Newsletter articles – Brief newsletter articles were drafted and distributed to
social service providers who had indicated that they would distribute print or
electronic newsletters to their program participants.
• Flyers and information sheets – Information sheets about the project were
distributed to public transit and social service providers prior to the stakeholder
interviews. Public meeting flyers were emailed and mailed to public transit and
social service providers in each of the counties, with a request that they distribute
Page | 30
the flyers to their program participants. For the initial public meetings, flyers were
also hand-distributed to service providers and other community locations, such
as grocery stores, to directly publicize the public meetings. For Kaua’i, the flyers
were also translated into Ilocano and Tagalog. Service providers in Maui and
Hawaii Counties indicated that translations were not necessary.
• Email and direct mail public meeting invites and needs review summaries –
Flyers for public meetings were emailed and/or mailed to each of the providers
identified in the Title VI Economic Justice lists for each county, provided by the
state Department of Transportation, as well as other transportation and social
service providers. Needs summaries and priorities identified during the initial
public meetings were distributed to the same groups, as well as public meeting
participants, to verify the needs and priorities and capture any needs that were
not previously identified.
• Public Meetings – Open public meetings were held at two stages in the process,
one to verify and prioritize needs and the other to review and comment on the
complete draft plan.
Figure 1-6: Timeline of Public Input Opportunities
Chapter 2. Hawaii County
2A. Community Profile
This chapter provides a description of the
demographic trends in the County of Hawaii
that reflect residents’ travel patterns and auto
dependency. This is followed by a discussion
of the variety of transportation resources
available to residents who are low-income,
have a disability and/or are over 65 years of
age. Finally, the chapter presents the
prioritized transportation needs of these
population groups and a list of coordinated transportation strategies.
Study Area Description and Demographic Summary
This demographic profile documents important characteristics about the County of
Hawaii as they relate to this planning effort. In particular, the profile examines the
presence and locations of older adults, individuals with disabilities, and low-income
persons within the area.
This aspect of the plan relies on data sources such as the United States Census Bureau
and the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Census information from 2008 reflects population characteristics on a state and
countywide level. Data pertaining to the individual communities is not available. We
found that some relevant data points for this plan are only available for the year 2000.
Where applicable, data for both 2000 and 2008 is shown. For each of the illustrating
figures, the relevant data source is referenced.
While new data has become available since writing this section of the report, it was
determined that these data should remain in this report, as it is the same set of data
used for the Hawaii Statewide Transportation Plan, More current data will be used in the
updates of both of these plans. It is important to note that this information is provided
only to develop a general understanding of the area in which this Coordination Plan will
be applied. It will not be used in making FTA grant funding decisions.
Page | 32
Population Overview
The County of Hawaii encompasses the entire island of Hawaii, and with a land area of
just over 4,028 square miles, it is called the “Big Island” to distinguish it from the State
of Hawaii. The county encompasses almost 63% of the land area of the entire state.
Population density for the county is 36 persons per square mile. Tourism is Hawaii
County’s major industry, with approximately one out of six residents work in tourism.
Agriculture, ranching, science and technology also support the county’s economy.
Hilo is the county seat and the largest city. Other population centers are shown in
Figure 2-1 below.
Figure 2-1: Population Centers13
Location Population
Hilo 47,181
Kailua 11,425
Hawaiian Paradise Park 8,186
Waimea 8,135
Kalaoa 7,864
Holualoa 7,069
The primary focus of The Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation
Plan is to improve transportation options for three target populations – seniors, persons
with disabilities and people with low incomes. Individuals in these groups typically have
less access to personal vehicles as their primary form of transportation. Transit
dependent individuals can experience an especially difficult time in non-urban areas
with low population densities and limited public transit services. Figure 2-2 presents
population data for the County of Hawaii and the State of Hawaii as a whole.
13 Source: U.S. Census 2008 American Community Survey
Page | 33
Figure 2-2: Basic Population Characteristics: 2000 to 200814
Total
Population
Persons aged
65+
Persons with
Disability, age 5+
Persons at or
below
Poverty Level
State of Hawaii
Census 2000 1,211,537 160,601 13.3% 199,819 16.4% 126,154 10.7%
2008 Estimate 1,288,198 190,067 14.8% Not available 115,937 9%
County of Hawaii
Census 2000 148,677 20,119 13.5% 26,253 18.9% 22,821 15.7%
2008 Estimate 175,784 24,239 13.8% 21,094 12% 22,852 13%
Older Individuals
As shown in Figure 2-2 above, 13.8% of the residents of Hawaii County in 2008 were
age 65 and older. This is lower than the statewide figure of 14.8%. The proportion of
seniors, however, is projected to substantially increase over the next 25 years, as is
shown in Figure 2-4 on page 33.
Individuals with Disabilities
In Hawaii County, among people at five years of age and older in 2008, 12% reported a
disability, according to the American Community Survey, 2008. However, the
prevalence of having a disability varied depending on age, from 2% of individuals
between 5 and 15 years, to 9% of those 16 to 64 years, and to 39% of those 65 years
and older.
Individuals At or Below Poverty Level
U.S. Census estimates for 2008 report median household income in Hawaii County at
$54,044, which is lower than the state average of $66,701. As of 2008, the County
reported 13% of all residents were living below the poverty line compared to 9%
statewide. Eight percent of the 65 year and over population were below the poverty
level.
Access to a Vehicle
As reported in the American Community Survey 2008, Hawaii County has a lower
percentage of households without a car, van or truck for private use (5%) than the state
as a whole (8.7%). Traditionally, individuals who rent a home are far less likely than
14 Source: U.S. Census 2000, 2008 American Community Survey
Page | 34
homeowners to have access to a car. In addition, households headed by a person age
65 years and older are less likely to have access to a car than other households.
Homeless Population
The homeless population on Hawaii decreased between 2005 and 2007. Based on
Homeless Point-in-Time surveys conducted by the State of Hawaii Public Housing
Authority15, there were 1,442 homeless individuals in 2005. The point-in-time count
conducted in 2007 reported 1,290 people. These figures include both sheltered and
unsheltered individuals.
Persons with low-incomes, including those who are homeless, typically have
transportation challenges that impede their ability to reach employment, training, or
other necessary services. The expense of owning and maintaining a vehicle may be
beyond reach for this population, and for some, even the cost of riding public
transportation may be prohibitive.
Race and Ethnicity
No racial group residing in the County of Hawaii constitutes a majority. Figure 2-3
shows the distribution of the population by race.
Figure 2-3: Hawaii Population by Race16
15 Source: Homeless Point-in-Time Count, 2007, State of Hawaii, Hawaii Public Housing
Authority
16 Source: U.S. Census 2000
AIAN
American Indian or Alaskan Native
NHPI
Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander
2+ Races
People who self-identified as being two or more races
Page | 35
The Hispanic/Latino population, which accounts for 12% of the population, is not
included in the chart above because it is an ethnicity and not tracked as a separate
race.17
In the County of Hawaii, 20% of people at least 5 years of age reported that they spoke
a language other than English at home. Of this group, 44% said that they did not speak
English “very well.”
Population Trends
The County of Hawaii is experiencing continuing and sustained population growth. The
county recorded a population of 148,677 residents in 200018. In 2007 the estimated
population increased to 172,547. The Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic
Development and Tourism projects that by 2020,
more than 221,862 people will call Hawaii County
home and by 2030, the population will reach
approximately 261,758.
Over the same time period, it is important to
compare the population growth of the older
population to the general population in the county. Figure 2-4 below shows the county-
wide growth of all residents as well as residents 65 and older. The percentage of older
adults is projected to increase from 13.6% in 2007 to 24.6% in 2030.
Figure 2-4: County Population Projections: 2007 – 2030 for Older Adults
County of Hawaii 2007 2015 2020 2025 2030
TOTAL HAWAII COUNTY 172,547 199,488 221,862 242,643 261,758
Population 65 and over 23,427 34,757 44,939 56,070 64,390
Population 65 and over as % 13.6% 17.4% 20.3% 23.1% 24.6%
Economic Indicators in the County of Hawaii
The following section provides economic information pertaining to the County of Hawaii,
including unemployment rates, major employers in the county and employment
changes.
17 U.S. Census 2006 – 2008 American Community Survey
18 U.S. Census 2000
The County of Hawaii is
experiencing continuing and
sustained population growth.
Page | 36
County of Hawaii Employment
The visitor industry is the largest employment sector in the County of Hawaii. In the
years 2005 – 2007 the County experienced steady employment growth, adding 4,300
jobs. This increase is offset, however by the 6,750 jobs that were lost in the 2008 –
2009 timeframe. This employment reduction represents an 8.1% decline from the
employment peak in 2007.
Figure 2-5: Major Employers in the County of Hawaii19
Employer Name Location Employer Class Size
Hilton – Waikoloa Village Waikoloa 1,000 – 4,999
Hilo Medical Center Hilo 1,000 – 4,999
Fairmont Orchid Hawaii Waikoloa 500 - 999
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel Waikoloa 500 - 999
Canoe House Restaurant Waikoloa 500 - 999
Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel Waikoloa 500 - 999
Hawaii County Police Department Hilo 250 - 499
Four Seasons Resort Kailua Kona 250 - 499
North Hawaii Community Hospital Waikoloa 250 - 499
Hawaii County Public Works Hilo 250 - 499
Wal-Mart Kailua Kona 250 - 499
Kona Community Hospital Kealakekua 250 - 499
Robert’s Hawaii Tours Kailua Kona 250 - 499
Unemployment Rate
During the three year period 2005 - 2007, the county’s unemployment rates were
somewhat higher than statewide statistics. However, in 2008 and 2009, unemployment
in the County of Hawaii increased at a much higher rate than experienced throughout
the rest of the State. Figure 2-6 below provides the increase in unemployment rates in
both the County and the State during the entire five year period.
Figure 2-6: Unemployment Rates: 2005 – 200920
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
State of Hawaii 2.5% 2.5% 2.7% 4.0% 6.8%
County of Hawaii 3.3% 2.9% 3.4% 5.6% 9.7%
19 Source: Hawaii Workforce Informer, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, March 7,
2008
20 Source: Hawaii Workforce Informer, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Page | 37
Geographic Distribution of Transit Need
The maps on the following pages illustrate the areas within the County of Hawaii that
likely have the greatest need for public transportation services.
The Transit Dependency Index (Figure 2-7) represents concentrations of people who
are most likely to need public transportation: seniors aged 65 or older, individuals with
disabilities, and people with low income. This map displays the composite measure of
these three indices. Figure 2-7 shows those parts of the focus area with the highest
population and employment density. The highest population and employment areas
typically generate the highest transit usage due in large part to the concentration of
overall trips in these areas.
Page | 38
Figure 2-7: Hawaii County Transit Dependency Index Map
Page | 39
Key Activity Centers and Travel Patterns
The Big Island is the largest of the Hawaiian Islands with 4,028 square miles, making
travel across the island sometimes difficult and time consuming. Most of the major
employers on the island are based on the tourism industry, and those employers
(hotels, resorts) are located on the western (Kona) side of the island. Hilo, on the east
side of the island, serves as the county seat and is also home to the University of
Hawaii and another major employer, the Hilo
Medical Center.
There are two major airports on the island—
one in Kona and one in Hilo; both of these can
also be considered key destinations. Volcano
National Park is located near the town of
Volcano on the eastern side of the island, and
the region of Puna, in the southeastern part of
the island, is the fastest growing region in the
state due to the availability of more affordable housing. Waimea serves as a major
shopping destination for persons throughout the island.
Stakeholders and participants for this planning project have indicated that there is a
need for cross-island travel, especially for those in Kona to reach facilities or services in
Hilo. Travel needs are not limited to one community or even region of the island.
The Big Island is the largest of
the Hawaiian Islands with 4,028
square miles, making travel
across the island sometimes
difficult and time consuming.
Page | 40
Figure 2-8: Hawaii County Key Activity Center Map
Page | 41
2B. Existing Transportation Services
Background
The County’s Department of Mass Transit administers Hele-On Bus, which provides
public transportation services in Hawaii County. The Mass Transit Agency was created
in 1975 to provide a county-wide public transportation system. Its annual operating
budget is $5.2 million and funding sources include federal sources, such as the Job
Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Program, the Capital Program (5309), and Rural
and Small Urban Area Program (5311), as well as Hawaii County general funds. County
general funds provide the majority of transit funding.
The Hele-On’s fleet consists of 53 vehicles, all of them have lifts or ramps. Sixty-one
drivers are employed on a full-time and part-time status.
The Hawaii County Mass Transit Agency’s programs include regular bus service
operating 365 days per year, and a subsidized shared-ride taxi. In addition, Mass
Transit supports the provision of curb-to-curb paratransit services through a contract
with Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council (HCEOC). These programs, as well
as other human service transportation programs, are described below.
Fixed Route
During FY 2009-2010 Hele-On provided 1.1 million trips on its fixed route service. There
are 14 fixed routes operating on the island; of these twelve are considered commuter
bus service. The two non-commuter bus services are those that provide services within
Hilo and within the Kona region of the island. Eight of the routes serve Hilo, the county
seat of Hawaii County, and six serve other areas on the west side of the island. Most
routes offer service Monday through Saturday and there are a few that offer additional
runs seven days a week. Some services begin as early as 3:30 am and operate until
1:00 am. Passenger service is free on all fixed routes.
Figure 2-9 illustrates the routes of Hele-On Bus service.
Page | 42
Figure 2-9: Hele-On Transit Route Map
Page | 43
Characteristics of Hele-On Bus routes are summarized below:
• Hilo-Waikoloa Resorts: Service is provided between Hilo and Waikoloa
Resorts, with stops in Papaikou, Laupahoehoe, Honokaa, Waimea, and the
Waikoloa Resorts. The route operates daily with about nine runs in each
direction; morning and early afternoon service operates towards Hilo and
afternoon and early evening service operates towards the resorts.
• Intra-Hilo Bus (Hilo-Kaumana): This route operates between Downtown Hilo,
Aninako and Kaumana. Among others, stops are made at the Mo’oheau Bus
Terminal, the Hilo Library, and the Hilo Medical Center. There are five runs in
each direction with service concentrated in the morning and early afternoon.
Service operates Monday through Saturday.
• Intra-Hilo Bus (Hilo-Waiakea): This route operates between Downtown Hilo and
Waiakea. Among others, stops are made at the Mo’oheau Bus Terminal, the Hilo
Library, and the Hilo Medical Center. There are five runs in each direction with
four operating in the morning and one in the afternoon. Service operates Monday
through Saturday.
• Hilo-Ka’u-Volcano: This route operates between Mo’oheau Bus Terminal in Hilo
and the Volcano National Park Visitor’s Center (one run extends to the Ocean
View Park & Ride Lot), making stops at the University of Hawaii, Hawaii
Community College, Prince Kuhio Plaza, and the Hilo Post Office. There are
three runs each day; service from Hilo is available at 5:00 AM, 2:40 PM, and 4:40
PM and service from Volcano National Park is provided at 6:10 AM, 8:00 AM,
and 5:50 PM. Service operates Monday through Saturday.
• Hilo-Aupuni Center-Prince Kuhio Plaza: This route operates between
Downtown Hilo and Aupuni Center or the Prince Kuhio Plaza. There are 13 runs
in the morning and 14 in the afternoon/evening that begin at the Mooheau Bus
Terminal in Downtown Hilo and stop at the Aupuni Center and continue on to the
Prince Kuhio Plaza. The duration of the trip is 15-20 minutes. There are 10
morning runs and 12 afternoon/evening runs. Service operates Monday through
Saturday, but with five fewer runs in each direction operating on Saturday.
• Hilo-Honoka’a: This route operates between Honoka’a and Mo’oheau Bus
Terminal or Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo (Only two or three runs in each direction
extend to Prince Kuhio Plaza). In the Honokaa-Hilo direction, there are five
morning and eight afternoon/evening runs. The trip duration is 50 minutes to
Mo’oheau Bus Terminal and about 1.5 hours to Prince Kuhio Plaza. In the Hilo-
Page | 44
Honokaa direction, there are eight runs in the morning (seven begin at the Bus
Terminal) and five runs in the afternoon. The majority of the runs operate daily
with some operating fewer days each week.
• Pohoiki-Pahoa-Hilo: This route serves Pohoiki, Pahoa and Hilo, and also makes
stops at the Hawaiian Beaches, Prince Kuhio Plaza, Hawaii Community College,
the University of Hawaii, and shopping centers. From Hilo to Pahoa/Pohoiki,
there are four morning and seven afternoon/evening runs. From Pohoiki/Pahoa
to Hilo, there are four morning runs and seven afternoon/evening runs.
Depending on the number of stops, the runs take between 1 hour and 1.5 hours.
This route operates Monday through Friday; there is a reduced schedule on
Saturday.
• Waimea-Hilo: This route operates between Hilo and Waimea and also makes
stops in Honokaa, Paauilo, Laupahoehoe, Hakalau, Honomu, and Papaikou.
Service runs daily, although some runs operate Monday-Friday or Monday-
Saturday only. End to end, the run’s duration is two hours, although the runs that
terminate at the Moorheau Bus Terminal are 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• Kona-Hilo Route: Operating between Kona and Hilo, this route has 34 stops in
both directions, although there are some shorter runs that don’t make all of the
stops. There are two morning runs and one afternoon run in both directions; the
run duration is between 3.0-4.5 hours depending on how many stops are made.
This route operates Monday through Saturday.
• Keaukaha Route: This route operates between King’s Landing in Keaukaha and
the Mo’oheau Bus Terminal. In the Mo’oheau direction, there are six stops and
five morning and four afternoon runs. The run takes 20 minutes from end to end
in this direction. In the Keaukaha direction, there are 10 stops, including the
Univeristy of Hawaii, Hawaii Community College, and Prince Kuhio Plaza. There
are four morning and four afternoon runs; the run duration is 35 minutes in this
direction. Service operates Monday through Saturday.
• Pahala-South Kohala: This route operates between Pahala on the south side of
the island and South Kohola in the northwest corner of the island. It makes 18
stops, including many of the hotels and shopping centers, Keahole Airport,
Ocean View Park & Ride Lot, and the Naalehu School. In the Pahala-South
Kohala Resorts direction, there are two morning runs operating Monday-
Saturday and one afternoon run that operates daily. End to end, the run takes
about 3.5 hours. In the South Kohala Resorts-Pahala direction, there is one
Page | 45
morning run (Monday-Saturday) and two afternoon runs (daily, Monday-
Saturday).
• North Kohala-South Kohala: This route operates in the far northern area of the
island with service between Kapa’au and the Hilton Waikoloa. There is one run in
the morning departing Kapa’au at 6:20 and arriving to the Hilton Waikoloa at
7:40. In the afternoon there is one run departing the Hilton Waikoloa at 4:15 and
arriving to Kapa’au at 5:35. Service operates Monday through Saturday.
• North Kohala-Waimea-Keauhou: This route provides service in the far
northwest corner of the island, serving Kapa’au, Waimea, Waikoloa Village, and
Keauhou. There is one morning southbound run that departs Kapa’au at 6:45
and arrives at Keauhou at 9:50. In the afternoon, there is a northbound run
departing Keauhou at 1:35 and arriving in Kapa’au at 4:55. This route operates
Monday through Friday. On Saturday, there is an express route with one morning
and one afternoon run.
• Intra-Kona: This route serves the Kona area and makes 15 stops, including the
Kona Hospital, shopping centers, the Old Airport/Kona Commons, and the Kona
International Airport. In the northbound direction, there are six morning runs and
four afternoon runs; in the southbound direction, there are four morning runs and
six afternoon/evening runs. The trip duration is about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Most runs operate Monday through Saturday.
• Intra-Waimea: This route serves the Waimea area and makes seven stops:
Lakeland, Waimea Civic Center, Waimea Park, HPA Lower Campus, Jacaranda
Inn, and Kamuela View Estates. Service runs every hour between 6:30 AM and
5:00 PM. Service operates Monday through Saturday.
Shared-ride Taxi Program
The County of Hawaii sponsors door-to-door transportation service within the urbanized
area of Hilo and the Kailua-Kona area through its flexible shared-ride taxi program. This
program is open to the public and allows taxi companies to consolidate trips. There are
no eligibility requirements.
Passengers are required to pay for their trip using non-transferrable coupons. There are
three sizes of ticket books: a $30.00 book has 15 coupons, a $25.00 book has 10
coupons, and a $15.00 book has five coupons. Individual tickets range from $2.00 to
$3.00 depending on the quantity purchased.
Page | 46
There is a limit of one book per person per week and all tickets expire within one year.
The maximum allowable trip length is nine miles. A trip of 1 to4 miles = one coupon and
a trip of 4.1 to 9 miles = two coupons.
There are seven participating taxi companies in Hilo and one in Kona. Two of the
companies provide service to Hilo Airport. Service hours are subject to the taxi
companies’ discretion.
Paratransit
Twelve of Hele-On’s 14 fixed route bus routes are considered commuter bus service,
and are therefore not subject to complementary ADA paratransit requirements. Hele-On
staff has also indicated that the two remaining routes, those that circulate through Hilo
and Kailua, will deviate upon request, and also do not require complementary
paratransit. Therefore, no ADA complementary paratransit service is provided on the
Big Island. Paratransit services are provided as described below.
Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council
The County of Hawaii contracts with the Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council
to provide paratransit services. The County allocates $500,000 for paratransit services
for those who are not able to take public transit. The service is primarily oriented to
people with disabilities, older adults, young children, and low income populations.
Persons requesting trips are asked to fill out an application form; eligibility is income-
based as services are intended for those with a low-income. Those who could otherwise
take public transit are encouraged to do so.
In addition, the Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council operates client-based
paratransit services for a number of other agencies, including the Office on Aging, Head
Start, and Medicaid.
During FY 2009-2010, 663 total passengers were served and 78,708 total trips were
made. The agency’s paratransit budget totals $881,000. Of this, about 56% is provided
through County Mass Transit; remaining revenues are provided through the Office on
Aging, Head Start, and Medicaid (HCEOC also serves as a provider for non-emergency
medical transportation on behalf of the State Medicaid program, known as MedQuest).
The service area includes the entire area of Hawaii County. Paratransit services are
provided Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM-3:00 PM.
Page | 47
There are 22 vehicles in the paratransit fleet: two 8-passenger vehicles, twelve 20-
passenger vehicles, and eight 14-passenger vehicles. Eighteen drivers are employed
for paratransit services.
Hawaii County Parks and Recreation Coordinated Services for the Elderly (CSE)
The Elderly Activities Division is a public agency created in 1975 and is currently
operated through the Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation. The
agency’s primary mission is to provide information and assistance (I&A) for seniors age
60+ regarding a variety of services available within the county. These services are
handled through EAD’s 29 fulltime employees within Coordinated Services for the
Elderly (CSE). CSE coordinates with various programs, such as the Nutrition Program,
Elderly Recreation Program, and the Senior Training and Employment Program.
CSE provides transportation to two of the fifteen nutrition sites operating on the island,
as well as all eleven Senior Centers. The agency has a fleet of 22 vehicles, and their
primary source of fleet funding is HDOT. All maintenance is handled through the county
motor pool. CSE also has a contract to handle civil defense transportation for seniors in
the event of an emergency. The agency has never had a direct contract with Mass
Transit, but does coordinate with them as needed.
In addition, CSE staff provides transportation services to people with disabilities who are
under 60 years of age in the Hilo district and with limited services in other districts on a
priority basis. Contributions are accepted and the suggested contribution is $2.00 per
trip. Priority is given in the following order: medical care, access to resource agencies to
qualify for benefits or services, and essential shopping assistance.
Other Transportation Programs
A number of other agencies provide limited transportation services that are typically
designed to serve their own programs and clientele. Their operating characteristics are
summarized in Appendix A, the provider inventory. Some examples of these services
are:
Hawaii Island Adult Care
The Center owns and operates 3 vans to transport people into the center, group
excursions, and occasionally medical appointments or therapy. There are 3 part time
drivers, all of whom have other staffing responsibilities. They serve older adults and
people with physical disabilities. At present there are 89 clients; of these, about 60
people per day come to the center for a meal program or other activities.
Page | 48
The program provides approximately 12 trips per day, or 60 trips per week, plus
excursions. The clients are charged a fare, depending on how far they travel; on
average trips may cost $5 - $7 for a one-way ride. The operating cost for providing the
transportation service on an annual basis totals approximately $52,000, which does not
include staffing costs. About 50% of this is covered by fares.
The agency has received one vehicle with federal Section 5310 funds, and another
Section 5310 vehicle is on the way.
Kona Adult Day Center
This is a private non-profit providing a variety of services for adults with special needs,
ages eighteen and up. The agency has the capacity to serve up to 60 clients, but
currently has just 30, due in part to job cutbacks amongst their client’s families. They do
not provide any medical care/transportation services. Their service area extends from
the Kona Airport in the North down to Captain Cook in the South. The agency offers
excursions 2-3 time per month with their two vans; one of which has a wheelchair lift.
The Arc of Kona
This is a private non-profit providing services for persons with disabilities, their
advocates and families. They strive to assist persons with disabilities to achieve the
fullest possible independence and participation in the community. The agency offers
adult day programs, personal assistance, chore services, residential services, job
placement and vocational training. They work with DHS caseworkers to team up with
developmental and mentally challenged persons to teach a variety of life skills. They
typically host 30 clients per day for the day programs. The agency provides twice
weekly excursions to a local ranch, the library, etc., receiving a percentage of funding
per client from DHS for transportation services to help defray costs.
The Brantley Center
The Brantley Center, Inc. is a private non-profit, devoted to working with people with
physical and mental disabilities. The agency provides training programs focused on
encouraging independence in the home, workplace, and community. They also provide
information and referral services to assist clients to gain access to housing, health care,
employment, and education. The employment rehabilitation program offers older
students with disabilities the opportunity to transition from school to the work
environment during their senior year of high school.
Page | 49
The service area is primarily North Hilo, North Kohala and other rural parts of the
Northwestern tip of Hawaii. The agency maintains a fleet of two vehicles, one of which
is wheelchair accessible. These are used exclusively for day excursions, including the
senior center, movies, beach days, the swimming pool, and Hilo Arc. Agency vehicles
are driven by staff who are estimated to spend 10% of their time performing these tasks,
in addition to a variety of other functions. The Brantley Center has a contract with
HCEOC to provide clients with transportation to and from the center. All transportation
costs are included as part of the client’s tuition.
Alu Like
Alu Like is a non-profit organization that provides a range of services to older adults (60
years and over) of Native Hawaiian ancestry and their spouses. They are located in
Oahu, Kaua’i, Hawaii, Maui and Molokai. The organization provides transportation to
any of its eligible clients for any trip purpose. Alu Like maintains five vehicles in its fleet.
Drivers also have other job responsibilities with the organization. They receive in-house
training and bi-annual update training.
2C. Transportation Needs Assessment
The following needs were derived from stakeholder interviews, data review, and review
of other studies and reports. These reports include:
• Hawaii Department of Transportation, Coordinated Public Transit-Human
Services Transportation Plan, July 2008.
• State Health Planning & Development Agency, Hawaii County SubArea Health
Planning Council Transportation Study, prepared by Dolores Foley, Department
of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Stakeholders were asked to elaborate on the role their organization plays in providing or
arranging transportation, the budget and level of service provided, and any perceptions
or experiences with unmet transportation needs or gaps in service specific to the
clientele served by the agency. It is important to note that the summary reports reflect
the views, opinions, and perceptions of those interviewed. The resulting information was
not verified or validated for accuracy.
This needs assessment was reviewed and confirmed through additional consultation
with key stakeholders, as well as review with members of the public at two workshops
held in Kailua-Kona on August 30 and in Hilo on August 31, 2010.
Below is a summary of transportation needs and gaps identified for Hawaii County.
While these needs have not been validated or otherwise verified, it is important to note
Page | 50
that they represent the views, perspectives and opinions of those consulted for this
project, and are considered as the basis for developing mobility strategies later in this
chapter.
Infrastructure/Capacity Needs
Need for increased funding and staffing capacity to provide agency
transportation services
• Many social service agencies provide limited client-based transportation, but
transportation is not considered a core function of the overall mission.
• Most cannot afford the dedicated drivers needed to enhance transportation
services.
• Agency personnel must “wear multiple hats” providing direct client support as
well as drive the vehicles.
• For the most part, these social service agencies do not have the infrastructure or
expertise to manage a transportation program.
• Most agencies expressed concern about the impact of transportation costs to
their low-income clients.
• Due to state budget cuts, some agencies are closed for services on certain
required furlough days, which makes access even more critical for their client
populations on the days they are open.
• Several stakeholders expressed the need for in-house or collective grant-writing
skills and services, to improve their ability to be competitive for state and federal
transportation and infrastructure funds.
Improve and add equipment and capital infrastructure
• Many of the stakeholders cited significant concerns about availability of fleet
vehicles and the condition of vehicles.
• Stakeholders expressed concern about the age of their fleets and a desire/need
to have more consistent access to replacement vehicles.
Page | 51
• Several agencies indicated an interest in contracting with other organizations to
provide transportation services to additional populations with existing or
enhanced fleets.
• Stakeholders commented on the lack of safe, well-marked and accessible bus
stops located along fixed route lines. This is especially an issue in the Puna
region.
• Others expressed the opinion that the shared-ride taxi service isn’t adequately
serving the community outside of the 11 mile radius around Hilo, and there is a
lack of accessible vehicles within the taxi fleet.
Technology/Software Needs
Improve speed and ease of communication
• Internet connections are reportedly slow in the county, radio communication is
spotty in some areas, and few, if any, providers use automated scheduling
programs. Improvements in these areas would help make transportation services
more efficient and effective.
Policy/Planning Needs
Improve land use planning
• There appears to be no county requirements for developers to pay transportation
impact fees for development occurring in areas far from basic services. As a
result, people are moving to areas where housing is more affordable, but are not
easily accessible to jobs, medical facilities or other services. This may be
contributing to the difficulties residents face in these areas when attempting to
obtain access to public transportation for work, errands, recreation or special
needs services. For example, Paradise Park is one of the fastest growing areas
in the county, yet it is five miles from the highway. People are moving there for
more affordable housing, but then have to commute all the way to Hilo for
employment or other essential services. Since the fixed route lines only run along
the highway, this means these residents must travel some distance from their
homes to the highway bus stops. People who rely on paratransit or who do not
have access to an automobile are even more isolated because they have fewer
mobility options.
Page | 52
Service/Assistance Needs
Expand transit service area and level of service
• The County covers a very broad, geographically diverse area. Access to many of
the rural regions is especially challenging for lift-equipped vehicles. This is
especially true in the Kona region, where a number of clients live in the high hilly
coffee growing areas.
• It was reported that some parts of the island are not currently being adequately
served by transit or paratransit services, including the northwestern tip, Kauu,
Puna. Other site-specific needs were also discussed, such as the Hilo Pier,
senior living communities and some subdivisions. The distance to bus stops is
often inaccessible, especially for older adults and people with disabilities, in
these areas due to difficult terrain. For people living in rural areas this causes a
significant challenge to accessing employment.
• The lack of transit service on the weekends and late at night and limited
frequency of runs and stops were also cited as creating challenges to accessing
work and other basic needs. This is especially true in the rural areas.
• In general, there is a need for more door to door transportation for persons with
disabilities throughout the island. Such services are currently limited resulting in
an unmet demand for paratransit.
Improve public information
• A number of the stakeholders on the island indicated that they were unaware of
special needs transportation options beyond what they currently utilized or
directly offered their clients. For example, the fact that Hele-On deviates off some
fixed routes is not well advertised. Better public awareness could encourage use
of fixed route services. Many would like consolidated information about these
resources, as well as the eligibility criteria, schedules and routes to be shared
comprehensively throughout the special needs community, including veterans.
Typical means of distributing information does not always reach people most in
need, as some do not have access to telephones or the internet.
Page | 53
Coordination Needs
Enhance coordination among service providers
• Service providers uniformly expressed an interest in coordination with others,
especially with regard to the sharing of driver training resources, but they
expressed concerns about liability/insurance issues and schedule conflicts.
• A lead agency to direct coordination efforts, or to work towards mutual goals and
objectives on behalf of social service agencies and their constituents does not
currently exist.
Training Needs
Coordinate and expand training information
• There is interest in coordinating training among service providers on The Big
Island. Specific training interests include travel training to help riders learn to ride
the fixed route bus, hands-on training for drivers on safety issues, as well as
instruction on how to use a wheelchair lift and wheelchair securement devices.
Additionally, there was some interest in training on how to start a new
transportation service.
Prioritized Transportation Needs
During the public meeting held in Kailua-Kona on August 30 and in Hilo on August 31,
2010, participants ranked the needs categories then ranked the list of needs within the
top three categories. The top three categories were Service/Assistance (79%),
Capacity/Infrastructure (53%), and Coordination (29%) needs. The prioritized list of
mobility needs in these categories was reviewed by the Local Mobility Workgroup,
which concurred with the prioritization of the Workshop participants. The priority needs
were again reviewed via a survey distributed in November 2010 and at a final public
meeting to review the draft plan on June 29, 2011. Some refinement was made to the
various needs as described in more detail above.
Following are the results.
Page | 54
Service/Assistance Needs
Public meeting participants’ needs varied in degree between the Hilo and Kona
meetings. However, the rankings were generally consistent, with door-to-door
transportation being the top ranked need overall. Details are displayed in Figure 2-10.
Figure 2-10: Most Important Service/Assistance Needs
Capacity/Infrastructure Needs
Priorities for capacity/infrastructure needs also varied between Hilo and Kona meeting
participants. However, both groups ranked newer and smaller lift-equipped vehicles at
the top of this category of needs. Figure 2-11 displays the detailed results.
Figure 2-11: Most Important Capacity/Infrastructure Needs
35%
(6)
47%
(8)
47%
(8)
41%
(7)
44%
(8)
50%
(9)
56%
(10)
78%
(14)
40%
(14)
49%
(17)
51%
(18)
60%
(21)
Transporta7on
to
medical
appts
Transporta7on
for
non-‐medical
appts
Informa7on
Door-‐to-‐door
transporta7on
Total
Kona
Hilo
39%
(7)
44%
(8)
33%
(6)
50%
(9)
28%
(5)
50%
(9)
26%
(5)
21%
(4)
37%
(7)
42%
(8)
63%
(12)
53%
(10)
32%
(12)
32%
(12)
35%
(13)
46%
(17)
46%
(17)
51%
(19)
Shared-‐ride
taxis
Trained
people
for
emergency
svcs
Resources
to
manage
transp
needs
Safe/accessible
bus
stops/shelters
Newer
vehicles
Smaller
liP-‐equipped
vehicles
Total
Kona
Hilo
Page | 55
Coordination Needs
Public meeting participants discussed the polling results and determined that
coordinated scheduling and shared trips was essentially the same thing. As a result, the
priorities established by both groups of meeting participants were very similar, with
coordinated scheduling/trips and a lead coordinating agency at the top. Detailed results
are shown in Figure 2-12.
Figure 2-12: Most Important Coordination Needs
2D. Strategies for Improved Service and Coordination
This section describes local strategies designed to address the mobility gaps identified
during previous meetings in the County of Hawaii. These strategies were initially
developed by the consultant team based on interviews, public meetings, local mobility
workgroup input, and past experience in working on projects of similar scope. During a
local provider workshop held in Hilo on December 6, 2010, the Local Mobility
Workgroup, comprised of transportation and social service providers, refined and
prioritized these strategies. The participants of the Workgroup meeting are listed in
Appendix C.
The strategies presented at the December Workshop were prioritized into four
categories, A-D, with A being the top priority category. In order to prioritize the
strategies, workshop participants reviewed each strategy in terms of:
• The number of critical needs that could be met;
• Its financial feasibility;
• Feasibility of implementation; and
24%
(4)
59%
(10)
41%
(7)
59%
(10)
22%
(4)
28%
(5)
50%
(9)
23%
(8)
29%
(10)
34%
(12)
54%
(19)
Address
liability
issues
Coordinate
shared
ride
trips
Lead
agency
-‐
coordina7on
efforts
Coordinate
scheduling
Total
Kona
Hilo
Page | 56
• The involvement of coordination, partnerships and potential community support.
As several workshop participants were new to the process and had not previously
attended stakeholder meetings, an overview of the entire planning project was provided.
In particular, unmet transportation needs specific to the Big Island were discussed as
well as their ranking from the public meetings held in August in Kona and Hilo.
Workshop participants were then provided with a list of six potential service strategies,
and the group added another strategy. They were then asked to rate strategies each for
categories A-D. These decisions were made by consensus. The results of this process
are described below, including brief descriptions of each strategy and the needs they
are intended to address.
Category A
Strategy Description Need(s) Addressed
HSTP Goals/
Objectives
Addressed21
Develop a
countywide
vehicle
replacement
schedule
Determine optimal number
of smaller vehicles.
Explore cost effective
opportunities for non-
profits to purchase surplus
public agency vehicles,
including vanpool vehicles.
• Systematic
approach to
vehicle
replacement
• Need to expand
paratransit fleet
• Goal 1,
Objective 1
Establish a
mobility
manager
position (within
an existing
agency)
Develop and staff a
coordination council,
prepare a coordination
action plan, seek and
apply for relevant grant
funds, develop and
conduct a travel training
program, and facilitate
training opportunities.
Provide leadership in
providing service in
underserved areas and at
underserved times.
• Lack of local
designated lead
agency to
implement
coordination
activities
• Goal 1,
Objectives 3
and 5
• Goal 4,
Objective 5
21 HSTP Goals and Objectives are detailed in Appendix D.
Page | 57
Develop a
transportation
financial plan
Develop a long-term
financial plan and
advocacy strategy to seek
new sources of funds in
addition to federal funds
provided through this
planning effort. Include all
agencies that provide
transportation services.
• Need to expand,
enhance and
improve special
transportation
services
throughout the
county
• Goal 1,
Objectives 1
and 5
Category B
Strategy Description Need(s) Addressed
HSTP Goals/
Objectives
Addressed
Develop a
countywide
information
center
This strategy would
update customer
information and referral
materials, including
websites and links to
appropriate resources. It
would also develop and
distribute resource
materials focused on
how to use the
transportation systems in
each client’s area.
Information should be
provided in different
formats and various
locations, such as
libraries.
• Lack of information
about local
transportation
resources and how
to access them
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2
and 5
• Goal 4,
Objective 5
• Goal 5,
Objective 4
Expand taxi
voucher
program
This strategy would
expand the geographic
service area available to
clients and research
ways for the taxi fleet to
incorporate more
accessible vehicles.
• Need to provide
additional taxi
vouchers in some
circumstances
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2
and 5
• Goal 4,
Objective 5
Page | 58
Bus Stop
Improvement
Plan
This strategy involves
conducting a fixed route
resource assessment to
determine routes, origins
and destinations for
persons with disabilities;
developing a plan to
identify and prioritize how
and where signage,
shelters and accessible
bus stops should be
located; and identifying
and applying for
applicable grant funding
sources
• Need to access
existing fixed route
services, especially
for persons with
disabilities
• Goal 1,
Objective 5
• Goal 2,
Objectives 1
and 4
Category C
Strategy Description Need(s) Addressed
HSTP Goals/
Objectives
Addressed
Enhance use
of technology
This approach involves
developing strategies to
enhance use of
technology, such as
coordinated scheduling
programs, better internet
access, use of AVL and
GPS systems for
paratransit fleets, etc.
• Need to improve
coordination and
communication
across the county
• Goal 1,
Objectives 1, 3
and 5
Develop and
implement
pilot projects
This strategy involves
developing a vehicle
sharing program to allow
two agencies to share
use of single vehicle(s)
and/or drivers. It also
involves developing a
coordinated service
program, to allow two
agencies to provide
services for each other’s
clients.
• Need to relieve
some social service
agencies of
transportation tasks
• Need to expand and
extend limited
resources
• Goal 1,
Objectives 1
and 5
Page | 59
Public Comment on Strategies
A public meeting was held in Hilo on June 27, 2011, and in Kona on June 28, 2011. In
both meetings, participants concurred that the listing of transportation needs was
thorough and accurate. While most participants concurred with the presented strategies,
there was not uniform consensus that these strategies were comprehensive enough. As
a result, additional strategies were identified:
• Establish connector service to help people access the fixed route transit service.
• Create a downtown circulator service to ease access to entertainment and
general quality of life activities.
• Establish direct connections to transit or other transportation services for senior
housing sites
• Expand and coordinate training for all transportation providers.
• Expand transit service into later evening hours and on weekends and holidays.
• Provide additional funding to existing transportation providers who are already
operating throughout the island.
• In general, expanded bus service is needed, particularly in West Hawaii.
Several participants expressed their interest in moving beyond planning, conducting
surveys, and developing needs assessments in order to implement solutions. One
participant enthusiastically added, “Let’s move forward!”
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Chapter 3: Kaua’i County
3A. Community Profile
This chapter provides a description of the
demographic trends in the County of Kaua’i
that reflect residents’ travel patterns and auto
dependency. This is followed by a discussion
of the variety of transportation resources
available to residents who are low-income,
have a disability and/or are over 65 years of
age. Finally, the chapter presents the
prioritized transportation needs of these
population groups and a list of coordinated transportation strategies.
Study Area Description and Demographic Summary
This demographic profile documents important characteristics about Kaua’i County as
they relate to this planning effort. In particular, the profile examines the presence and
locations of older adults, individuals with disabilities, and low-income persons within the
area.
This aspect of the plan relies on data sources such as the United States Census Bureau
and the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Census information from 2008 reflects population characteristics on a state and
countywide level. Data pertaining to the individual communities is not available. We
found that some relevant data points for this plan are only available for the year 2000.
Where applicable, data for both 2000 and 2008 is shown. For each of the illustrating
figures, the relevant data source is referenced.
While new data has become available since writing this section of the report, it was
determined that these data should remain in this report, as it is the same set of data
used for the Hawaii Statewide Transportation Plan, More current data will be used in the
updates of both of these plans. It is important to note that this information is provided
only to develop a general understanding of the area in which this Coordination Plan will
be applied. It will not be used in making FTA grant funding decisions.
Page | 61
Population Overview
With a land area of just over 622 square miles, the County of Kaua’i is comprised of the
islands of Kaua’i, Niihau, Lehua, and Kaula. Population density for the County overall is
94 persons per square mile. Tourism is the County’s major industry.
The county seat of Lihu’e is located on the island of Kaua’i. Other population centers (all
areas over 1,500 population) are shown in Figure 3-1 below:
Figure 3-1: Population Centers22
Location Population
Kapa’a 9,472
Lihu’e (County Seat) 5,674
Wailua Homesteads 4,567
Kalaheo 3,913
Hanamaulu 3,272
Kekaha 3,175
Hanapepe 2,153
Kilauea 2,092
Wailua 2,083
Eleele 2,040
Lawai 1,984
Koloa 1,942
Anahola 1,932
Waimea 1,787
Princeville 1,698
Virtually all county residents live on the island of Kaua’i. Census 2000 figures report that
160 individuals lived on Niihau while both Lehua and Kaula were uninhabited. The focus
of this plan will be the island of Kaua’i.
The primary focus of the Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation
Plan is to improve transportation options for three target populations – seniors, persons
with disabilities and people with low incomes. Individuals in these groups typically have
less access to personal vehicles as their primary form of transportation. Transit
dependent individuals can experience an especially difficult time in non-urban areas
22 Source: U.S. Census, 2000
Page | 62
with low population densities and limited public transit services. Figure 3-2 presents
population data for the County of Kaua’i and the State of Hawaii.
Figure 3-2: Basic Population Characteristics: 2000 to 200823
Total
Population
Persons aged
65+
Persons with
Disability, age 5+
Persons at or
below
Poverty Level
State of Hawaii
Census 2000 1,211,537 160,601 13.3% 199,819 16.4% 126,154 10.7%
2008 Estimate 1,288,198 190,067 14.8% Not available 115,937 9%
County of Kaua’i
Census 2000 58,463 8,069 13.8% 10,662 19.6% 6,085 10.5%
2008 Estimate 63,689 9,470 14.9% Not available 5,095 8%
Older Individuals
As shown in Figure 3-2 above, 14.9% of the residents of Kaua’i County in 2008 were
age 65 and older. This is very similar to the statewide figure. However, the proportion of
seniors in Kaua’i is projected to increase over the next 25 years, as is shown in Figure
3-4 on page 61.
Individuals with Disabilities
As shown in Figure 3-2, 2008 census
information for individuals with disabilities
in Kaua’i County is not available due to the
small size of the sample. 2008 American
Community Survey states, “Displaying
data would risk disclosing individual data.”
However, the proportion of people with
disabilities in 2000 was noticeably higher for Kaua’i than the statewide percentage.
Individuals At or Below Poverty Level
Poverty levels overall are fairly comparable between the County of Kaua’i and the
statewide numbers. U.S. Census estimates for 2008 report median household income in
Kaua’i County at $62,359, which is slightly lower than the state average of $66,701. As
23 Source: U.S. Census 2000, 2008 American Community Survey; 2006 – 2008 American
Community Survey
Kaua’i County has a significantly
lower percentage of households
without a car, van or truck for private
use (4%) than the state as a whole.
(8.7%).
Page | 63
of 2008, the County reported 8% of all residents were living below the poverty line
compared to 9% statewide. Eight percent of individuals 65 years and over were below
the poverty level, suggesting that seniors in Kaua’i are not disproportionately low-
income compared to other age groups.
Access to a Vehicle
As reported in the American Community Survey 2008, Kaua’i County has a significantly
lower percentage of households without a car, van or truck for private use (4%) than the
state as a whole (8.7%). Car ownership is often closely associated with income levels,
and yet there is no significant difference between the income levels of the state and the
county. A possible explanation for the exceptionally high car ownership rate on the
island could be due to the limited availability of bus service and the low density patterns,
which make reliance on non-auto alternatives more difficult.
Homeless Population
The homeless population on Kaua’i was relatively stable between 2005 and 2007.
Based on Homeless Point-in-Time surveys conducted by the State of Hawaii Public
Housing Authority24, there were 248 homeless individuals in 2005. The point-in-time
count conducted in 2007 reported 257 people. These figures include both sheltered and
unsheltered individuals.
Persons with low-incomes, including those who are homeless, typically have
transportation challenges that impede their ability to reach employment, training, or
other necessary services. The expense of owning and maintaining a vehicle may be
beyond reach for this population, and for some, even the cost of riding public
transportation may be prohibitive.
Race and Ethnicity
No racial group residing in the County of Kaua’i constitutes a majority. Figure 3-3 shows
the distribution of the population by race.
24 Source: Homeless Point-in-Time Count, 2007, State of Hawaii, Hawaii Public Housing
Authority
Page | 64
Figure 3-3: Kaua’i Population by Race
The Hispanic/Latino population, which accounts for approximately 10% of the
population, is not included in the chart above because it is an ethnicity and not tracked
as a separate race.25
In the County of Kaua’i, 18% of people at least 5 years of age reported that they spoke
a language other than English at home. Of this group, 38% said that they did not speak
English “very well.”
Population Trends
The County of Kaua’i is experiencing continuing and sustained population growth. The
County recorded a population of 58,463 residents in 200026. In 2007, the estimated
population increased to 62,761. The Hawaii
State Department of Business, Economic
Development and Tourism projects that by
2020, more than 72,000 people will call
Kaua’i County home and by 2030, the
population will reach approximately 79,000.
The population growth of the County during
the next two decades is important to compare
to related increases in older residents during the same period of time. Figure 3-4 below
shows the county-wide growth of all residents as well as of residents 65 and older. The
25 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2006 - 2008.
26 Source: U.S. Census 2000
The percentage of older adults is
projected to increase substantially
from 14.7% in 2007 to 24.4% in
2030.
AIAN
American Indian or Alaskan Native
NHPI
Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander
2+ Races
People who self-identified as being two or more races
Page | 65
percentage of older adults is projected to increase substantially from 14.7% in 2007 to
24.4% in 2030.
Figure 3-4: County Population Projections: 2007 – 2030 for Older Adults27
County of Kaua’i 2007 2015 2020 2025 2030
TOTAL KAUA’I COUNTY 62,761 68,440 72,148 75,598 78,837
Population 65 and over 9,200 12,227 14,884 17,409 19,217
Population 65 and over as
% 14.7% 17.9% 20.6% 23% 24.4%
Economic Indicators in the County of Kaua’i
The following section contains economic information pertaining to the County of Kaua’i,
including unemployment rates, major employers in the county and employment
changes.
County of Kaua’i Employment
The visitor industry is the largest employment sector in the County of Kaua’i. However,
the Kaua’i Economic Outlook Summary 2009 -10 states that visitor arrivals dropped
14% during 2008 and are not expected to recover until 2010 - 2011. The impact of the
global economic downturn in 2008 had a devastating effect on Kaua’i’s economy. The
loss of cruise ship dockings and the bankruptcy of Aloha Airlines had ramifications
throughout the county, especially for areas and businesses that had positioned
themselves to cater to tourists.
Figure 3-5: Major Employers in the County of Kaua’i28
Employer Name Location Employer Class Size
County of Kaua’i Lihu’e 1,000 – 4,999
Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Koloa 500 - 999
Wilcox Memorial Hospital Lihu’e 500 - 999
Marriott Kaua’i Resort Lihu’e 500 - 999
Princeville Resort Princeville 250 - 499
Wal-Mart Lihu’e 250 - 499
27 Source: Hawaii State Data Book, Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic
Development and Tourism
28 Source: Hawaii Workforce Informer, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, March 7,
2008
Page | 66
Sheraton Koloa 250 - 499
Kaua’i Medical Clinic Lihu’e 250 - 499
Point at Poipu Koloa 250 - 499
Hilton Kaua’i Beach Resort Lihu’e 250 - 499
Costco Lihu’e 100 - 249
Unemployment Rate
Employment in the county increased slightly during the three year period 2005 – 2007,
with the addition of 1,000 jobs. During 2008 and 2009, however, 3,050 jobs were lost, a
decline of 9.4% from the employment peak of 2007.29
During the three year period 2005 - 2007, Kaua’i’s unemployment rates closely mirrored
statewide statistics. However, beginning in 2008, unemployment in the County of Kaua’i
increased at a higher rate than experienced throughout the rest of the State. The
unemployment rate in the county – which was at 2.7% in 2007 – jumped to 9.3% by
2009. Figure 3-6 below illustrates the increase in unemployment in both the County and
the State during the entire five year period.
Figure 3-6: Unemployment Rates: 2005 – 200930
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
State of Hawaii 2.5% 2.5% 2.7% 4.0% 6.8%
County of Kaua’i 2.7% 2.4% 2.5% 4.5% 9.3%
Geographic Distribution of Transit Need
The map on the following pages illustrates the areas within the County of Kaua’i that
likely have the greatest need for public transportation services.
The Transit Dependency Index (Figure 3-7) represents concentrations of people who
are most likely to need public transportation: seniors aged 65 or older, individuals with
disabilities, and people with low income. This map displays the composite measure of
these three indices. Figure 3-7 shows those parts of the focus area with the highest
population and employment density. The highest population and employment areas
typically generate the highest transit usage due in large part to the concentration of
overall trips in these areas.
29 Source: Research and Statistics Office, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, State of
Hawaii
30 Source: Hawaii Workforce Informer, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Page | 67
Figure 3-7: Transit Dependency Index Map
Key Activity Centers and Travel Patterns
While there are no large urbanized centers in the County of Kaua’i, there are a number
of nodes where population and activity centers are concentrated, namely around Lihu’e
and Poipu on the south coast, Wailua and Kapa’a on the east coast. Most travel occurs
within three miles of the coast, with the greatest concentration between these centers.
In contrast to the travel patterns of tourists which are distributed throughout the coastal
areas, low-income individuals, seniors and those with disabilities are most likely to travel
between the government agencies, medical facilities and shopping areas in Lihu’e and
the residential areas in the Wailua/Kapa’a region.
In addition, the target population groups travel frequently within their own communities,
where most of the essential services are located. However, due to the limited medical
facilities and costly shopping areas available on the north shore, residents of Hanalei
and Kilauea often need to travel to the east shore for those services. Some of the key
destinations on the island include Kukui Grove Mall, Wilcox Memorial Hospital,
Page | 68
neighborhood centers, and government agencies in Lihu’e. Major destinations are
shown in Figure 3-8, the key activity center map.
Figure 3-8: Key Activity Center Map
3B. Existing Transportation Services
Overview
Transportation services in the County of Kaua’i are largely the responsibility of the
County Transportation Agency (CTA). Besides the fixed-route and paratransit service
provided by CTA, very limited accessible/affordable transportation is available, as
follows:
• A small number of agencies provide transportation to their clients
• A few private providers provide demand response service
• Limited volunteer service
Page | 69
The CTA is very well integrated into the social service network in the county and has
historical roots in the Office on Elderly Affairs in the 1970s, primarily providing shopping
and nutritional trips. Fixed-route service was initiated after Hurricane Iwa in 1982.
Following Hurricane Iniki in 1992, considerable federal funding became available for the
replacement of transit vehicles that had been destroyed. Due to the passage of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prior to the hurricane, all vehicles purchased were
lift-equipped. However, transit service at that time was largely unreliable due to the lack
of fleet capacity to provide service seven days a week. As a result, service was cut back
to six days a week, with a particular focus on
cultivating a culture of transit usage among the
younger generation.
The CTA was officially established under the
Office of the Mayor in 1995, and then was
consolidated with the Agency on Elderly Affairs
and the Housing Agency into the Offices of
Community Assistance in 1999. These were later separated as individual agencies in
2007. Since the 1990s, coordination has been an integral part of the transportation
service model in the county, and most of the services described below are associated in
some fashion with the CTA.
Kaua’i Transportation Agency
Transportation services provided to the target population are largely the responsibility of
one entity, the County of Kaua’i Transportation Agency (or CTA). CTA provides both
fixed-route (“The Kaua’i Bus”) and Paratransit services, in addition to Kupuna Care and
agency subscription services. Following is a brief description of the service parameters.
Fixed-Route: Transit services are provided daily between Hanalei and Kekaha (in
addition to Mana on an on-call basis). Weekday services are from 5:27 am to 10:40 pm,
and weekends from 6:21 am to 5:50 pm. Limited on-call service is available for trips
outside of these hours, particularly at the beginning and end of each bus run. Due to the
recent success of the transit system in attracting new riders, the agency is no longer
able to provide substantial numbers of route deviations as this would impact schedule
adherence. The Kaua’i Bus used to deviate up to ten times daily to serve riders who
were not able to access their fixed-route stops. Below is a summary of each of the
Kaua’i Bus routes. They are illustrated in Figure 3-9.
Lihue/Airport/Courthouse Shuttle – Operates between 5:55 am and 10:05 pm,
Monday through Friday, and between 7:55 am and 5:05 pm on weekends and holidays.
Since the 1990s, coordination
has been an integral part of the
transportation service model in
the county.
Page | 70
Each run is an hour apart. They begin at the Kukui Grove Mall and circulate through
town, stopping at the airport, Kaua’i High School, the courthouse and other key
destinations, with some on-call stops.
Lihue Lunch Shuttle – Operates between 10:30 am and 1:55 pm, Monday through
Friday, circulating in central Lihue.
Kekaha-Lihue/Lihue-Kekaha Mainline – Operates between approximately 5:30 am
and 10:30 pm, Monday through Friday, and approximately 7:30 am to 5:30 pm on
weekends and holidays. This route includes on-call stops at the Pacific Missile Range
Facility. Runs begin one hour apart.
Koloa-Lihue/Lihue-Koloa Mainline – Operates approximately 6:00 am to 6:00 pm,
Monday through Friday, and approximately 7:20 am to 6:00 pm on weekends and
holidays. Depending on the time of day, runs begin one or two hours apart.
Koloa Shuttle – Operates between 1:31 pm and 10:08 pm, circulating between Koloa,
Kalaheo and Poipu, Monday through Friday only. Runs begin one hour apart.
Hanalei-Lihue/Lihue-Hanalei Mainline – Operates approximately 6:15 am to 10:40
pm, Monday through Friday, and approximately 7:15 to 5:45 on weekends and holidays.
Runs begin one hour apart, connecting Hanalei, Kilauea, Kapa’a, and Lihue.
Kapa’a-Lihue/Lihue-Kapa’a Mainline – Operates approximately 6:00 am to 9:35 pm,
Monday through Friday, and approximately 8:00 am to 5:30 pm on weekends and
holidays. Runs begin one hour apart, connecting Kapa’a and Lihue.
Kapahi Shuttle – Operates approximately 6:30 am to 10:00 pm, Monday through
Friday, and approximately 7:00 am and 5:00 pm on weekends and holidays. Depending
on the time of day, runs begin one or two hours apart, circulating through Kapa’a.
Wailua-Lihue/Lihue-Wailua Mainline – Operates on a limited run between 6:30 am
and 6:30 pm, Monday through Friday only. It departs the Kapa’a/Wailua area twice in
the morning and returns once in the afternoon and twice in the evening.
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Figure 3-9: Kaua’i Transit Route Map
Measures that have recently been taken to improve access to the target population
include the addition of new bus routes, later weeknight and Sunday service31, on-call
stops and park-and-rides, express bus service, and the installation of standee straps,
retrievable securement systems, and illuminated destination signs. In addition, as part
of the ADA Bus Stops Improvement project, accessibility was improved at 50 stops
throughout the island, and accessibility at the remaining 50 stops is expected to be
completed by mid-2011. Fourteen vehicles have been added to the fleet in the recent
fiscal year, and an additional seven vehicles have been purchased using federal
funding.
ADA Paratransit Service: The CTA also provides ADA Paratransit service to those
who are eligible. Until 1994, paratransit eligibility was largely based on self-declaration
31 These increased service hours were implemented after the needs assessment for this Plan
was complete.
Page | 72
by applicants. The current ADA paratransit eligibility process is paper-based, with a
requirement for medical verification. In addition, seniors can apply for eligibility based on
a shorter paper application form. Although clients were provided service on separate
vehicles in the 1990s, this is no longer the practice. A portion of the vehicle fleet is now
intermingled between fixed-route and paratransit, and this has resulted in greater
service efficiencies. Prior to providing service to a new registrant, an agency staff
person conducts an assessment of the environment around the registrant’s home, in
order to determine the type of vehicle needed to access the home. Service hours are
comparable to those on fixed-route. Although 24-hour advance notice is officially
required, limited same day service is also provided on a space available basis.
The paratransit service uses the Transportation Manager from Shah Software Inc. to
schedule trips. This software is geared towards rural and small urban paratransit
systems, and the County reportedly is satisfied with the software’s performance.
Kupuna Care: Kupuna (senior) Care paratransit services are provided to seniors 60
years and older through an agreement with the County Agency on Elderly Affairs. In
addition, a number of human service agencies have cost-sharing arrangements with the
CTA to provide transportation to their program participants, such as Easter Seals/ARC
and the County Recreation Agency. These are described in more detail below.
Fare Structure: Fixed-route and paratransit fares are $2 for the general public and $1
for seniors over 60 and youth 7 – 18. However, nearly half the trips are paid for by
Frequent Rider Passes. Until July 2010, these ranged from $20/month, to $90 for 6
months, and $180 per year, but the agency has now increased the cost of the annual
passes to $240. These fares also apply to paratransit users, but those who are ADA
paratransit eligible only pay $1 for a paratransit ride. There are no free transfers allowed
except onto Express buses in the early morning. Otherwise passengers must pay every
time they board a bus.
Since riders with disabilities under 60 years old are not entitled to the fare discount on
fixed-route, there is a financial incentive for them to use paratransit rather than fixed-
route services. Personal care attendants ride for free on both modes. Some agencies
such as the Boys and Girls Club, Work Wise and Nursing Home without Walls purchase
bus passes for their clients.
In addition to the fares described above, discounted fares are charged for shuttle
services, which are fixed-route services in a designated area (Lihu’e area only, Kapahi
area only, and Koloa area only). Since these are shorter trips, passengers pay $0.50 or
$0.25 if they are seniors or youth.
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Funding Sources: The CTA is funded through the County General Fund, federal
programs (5309, 5310 and 5311 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
program), and a State Assisted Transportation grant through the Agency on Elderly
Affairs. In addition, the agency has cost sharing arrangements with a number of
organizations, with varying degrees of cost recovery for the different contracts.
Fleet Inventory: The Kaua’i Bus fleet consists of 50 vehicles, including nine 33
passenger, six 31 passenger, and four 25 passenger vehicles. The remainder consists
of smaller capacity buses. Although there is some shifting of modes between the
vehicles, overall about 75% are used for fixed-route service, and 25% for paratransit. All
vehicles are lift-equipped.
Staffing: CTA employs approximately 50 full-time individuals, about 33 of whom are
drivers (although five of these positions are currently frozen), in addition to
approximately 30 part-time drivers. However, due to the State’s fiscal crisis, non-driving
staff furloughs were scheduled for implementation at the time of the consultant team’s
initial site visit.
Operating Information: The operating budget in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009/10 was
approximately $2.3 million for fixed-route service and $1.6 million for paratransit. The
total capital budget (since some vehicles are used inter-changeably) for FY 2010/11 is
$625,000. This will include the purchase of five new vehicles and bus stop
improvements. The county provided approximately 430,000 one-way trips, traveling
approximately 950,000 miles, on fixed-route, and 67,000 one-way trips, traveling
approximately 500,000 miles, on paratransit in FY 2009/10. The average cost per trip on
the fixed route service is approximately $5.30, while it is about $23.90 on the paratransit
service, The average cost per mile between the two services is much closer –
approximately $2.40 on fixed route and $3.20 on paratransit.
Other Public Transportation Providers
County Agency on Elderly Affairs
Through the Kupuna Care program, the County Agency on Elderly Affairs contracts with
CTA to provide service on a donation basis to about 140 seniors over 60. In addition,
the agency provides limited transportation for medical trips through the services of
approximately half a dozen volunteers.
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
The VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) provides primary health care to
eligible veterans. The VA does not provide transportation directly. They refer most
people to Kaua’i Transit/Elderly Affairs for assisted transportation program referrals.
However, Disabled American Vets (DAV), a separate organization, provides a volunteer
driver service to transport ambulatory veterans to and from their VA appointments.
There are two drivers. The DAV has one vehicle in good condition. Rides must be
requested 48 hours in advance, and transportation is provided on a first come first serve
basis between 8am and 2pm. They typically only take one or two appointments in a day.
Non-Profit Transportation Providers
A number of non-profit organizations provide transportation through contracts with the
CTA, where CTA provides the actual service and is reimbursed by the non-profit
organizations. This includes Easter Seals and Kaua’i Adult Day Health (formerly
Wilcox). In addition, some non-profit organizations provide limited service to their own
clients. Examples include Easter Seals Adult Day Health Center (formerly ARC), Alu
Like, Kaua’i Economic Opportunity (KEO), and Kaua’i Adult Day Health. Each of these
is briefly described below. Further detail may be found in the transportation inventory.
Easter Seals Hawaii
Easter Seals provides home and community based programs to approximately 170
youth under 20 who have developmental disabilities. The agency provides daily
excursions to clients within the community. There is no charge to the clients for these
services.
Easter Seals also contracts with CTA’s paratransit program to provide service to up to
75 individuals of all ages, but primarily under 20, for their community based program.
These clients are located throughout the island from Waimea to Hanalei. They are
transported on weekdays to one of Easter Seals’ three sites. Not all clients attend
programs five days a week. The teenagers through older adults (70 in total) who
participate in the programs are all diagnosed as having a developmental disability,
whereas the 100 child participants between 0 and 5 years of age are considered to
have “delays” based on a testing mechanism. There are currently no services available
for those between 5 and the teenage years. The clients do not pay for the transportation
services, as these are covered through Easter Seals’ contract with CTA. Besides the
service provided by CTA Paratransit, Easter Seals also provides service for day time
excursions on the three vehicles.
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Kaua’i Adult Day Health Center (Easter Seals/ARC)
ARC Kaua’i was started by five families in 1957 who realized there were no services for
their children once they graduated out of Easter Seals programs (which started with the
early childhood niche). The families created the adult day health program, which
merged with Easter Seals in September 2009. Although Easter Seals/ARC has 70 staff
members on the island, most of these work one on one with clients in the field, and only
six work at the Adult Day Health (ADH) Center in Kapa’a. This is the only ADH program
for adults with developmental disabilities on the island, although there used to be four
programs.
The ADH contracts with the County’s Paratransit program, paying the full cost of the
trip, which is basically a pass through of state money since ARC is not able to provide
transportation themselves. Thirty three of the 36 program participants are transported
on Paratransit to the Center daily. Current clients come from Kekaha to Anahola, but in
the past some have come from Kilauea. The clients receive door to door service, and
none of them use assistive devices.
The ADH program starts around 8:30am and ends at 2:30pm. Participants are
transported on four Paratransit buses. Because the rides are shared and some people
come from as far away as Kekaha, ride times for some passengers exceed 2.5 hours
each way.
ADH received federal funding for two vans. These were obtained through coordination
with a CTA vehicle fleet purchase. The 14-passenger vans are from 2006 and 2007.
They are used daily to provide excursions for the Center’s clients, and the destinations
vary daily. Although the vans are not used on weekends, federal maintenance
requirements would reportedly represent a barrier to sharing the vehicles with other
agencies.
Paratransit reportedly provides quality service to ARC clients, generally arriving within 5
to 10 minutes of the scheduled pick-up time. Service is provided five days a week.
Sometimes all the clients, including those who do not attend programs at the center,
congregate at the Lihu’e office for an event.
Kaua’i Economic Opportunity
Kaua’i Economic Opportunity (KEO) provides a variety of services for older adults,
individuals with disabilities and low-income residents. KEO has four programs with
transportation related services: homeless housing program, homeless barrier removal
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program, group home for high functioning people with disabilities, and after-school
program for “at risk” youth.
The homeless housing program has a care-a-van service that provides bus passes
when funds are available. However, they ran out of funds for this year. The homeless
barrier removal program, which started in June 2010, has funding for gas cards and bus
passes. The primary justification for use must be employment. The program also has an
11-passenger van (not accessible) to drive clients to job fairs and interviews and to
apply for jobs.
The group home has an 8-passenger accessible van for people who live in the group
home in Kapa’a, but it is not used frequently. The afterschool program is for middle
school aged children. The program has two 15-passenger vans and one 7-passenger
van. Neither is wheelchair accessible. KEO also has a Meals-on-Wheels program under
the auspices of Medicaid.
Kaua’i Adult Day Health Center (KADH), Lihu’e
This is the only agency in the county that provides a supervised daytime program for
disabled adults and frail elderly, the majority of whom have dementia and Alzheimers.
The agency is operated by Ohana Pacific Foundation and is funded in part by Kaua’i
Agency on Elderly Affairs Kupuna Care Program. ADH is licensed for 50 clients, but not
all attend the program daily. Close to ninety percent of their clients arrive on CTA’s
paratransit vehicles, and one is transported from Hanalei on the fixed-route bus. Clients
reside throughout the County of Kaua’i. They each purchase their bus passes
individually.
Bus service to and from the program does not align with the program hours. Although
the agency’s program starts at 9:30am, some clients arrive as early as 7:15am because
of the way the trips are scheduled. The program ends at 5pm, but the first bus arrives
around 1:30pm and clients get picked up until 4:15 by buses.
The KADH has two vehicles that are used for excursions, and all staff members are
trained to drive these vehicles. One is an accessible 10-passenger van that is used
twice weekly. The second vehicle is a six passenger minivan that is used for medical
appointments, or if there is insufficient space on the main vehicle to transport
passengers on excursions.
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Alu Like
Alu Like provides a comprehensive range of services and activities to fill identified
needs in the Native Hawaiian community, including community economic development,
business assistance, employment preparation, training, elder services, library services,
and educational and childcare services for families with young children. Some of the
programs are also open to non-Native Hawaiian residents. Close to one thousand
residents are served each year.
Transportation is provided for two of the programs, namely the elder service and the
youth program. The elder service has two sites, one in Waimea that is used by about 20
elders, and the second in Anahola that is used by about 10 elders. Some participants
drive to the programs, while others use the Alu Like bus.
Alu Like has two vehicles. One is used to provide service four days a week to elder
programs in Waimea and Anahola. This is a 15-passenger van from approximately
2000. The van is occasionally used on weekends, but cannot be used for non-
programmatic purposes due to the grant funding requirements. The van is also
occasionally used to transport elders to medical appointments. The second vehicle is a
seven-passenger 1997 minivan that is used to provide services to youth activities,
primarily on the east side of Kaua’i. This vehicle is not used on a routine basis and is
currently experiencing mechanical problems. Alu Like coordinates closely with the
Agency on Elderly Affairs.
Privately Operated Transportation Services
Akita Enterprises
Akita Enterprises provides transportation for schools; churches, sports groups and non-
profit excursions; and limited demand response non-emergency medical transportation
(NEMT). The demand response NEMT service is provided during the hours when
school transportation is not required. There is no NEMT service 6-8 am and 1-3 pm,
Monday through Friday. Akita transports older adults, people with disabilities, and
school children. People can call for a ride between 8am-4pm, Monday through Friday.
Akita serves the entire island and has base yards for vehicles throughout the island.
Typical trips are between Wilcox Memorial Hospital/Veterans Outpatient Clinic and the
airport or between the hospital/airport and home. Social workers at the hospitals are
aware of their service.
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Riders on Akita’s service self-pay, unless they are Medicaid-eligible. If Medicaid eligible,
the service is paid for by the rider’s MedQUEST health plan. Fee for service is based on
ride time, distance and time of day (evenings are more expensive). An evening trip
between Waimea and Hanapepe is $108. The rate is by trip rather than number of
passengers. Vehicles can accommodate two wheelchair users and 10 ambulatory
adults as well as luggage.
Akita has twelve 12-passenger accessible yellow school vans. They also provided
regular service in the wake of Hurricane Iniki (1992). Akita used their tour buses to
transport people in order to help keep the roads clear during disaster response.
Kaua’i Medical Transportation
Kaua’i Medical Transportation (KMT) offers non-emergency transportation for
ambulatory as well as non-ambulatory clients with disabilities, using specially modified
vans to accommodate wheelchairs or stretchers. They can provide transportation for a
variety of reasons but typically provide medical transportation. Riders pay for the service
themselves. The base rate is $50 for a one-way trip, adjusted by distance from Lihue.
KMT is currently a provider for Evercare, a Med-QUEST health plan contractor.
KMT has only been in operation since May, and as of July, they had served 10 to 15
people. They have one wheelchair and gurney accessible vehicle. They have one full-
time driver, one part-time driver, and one part-time dispatcher. Driver training is
provided informally in-house by the full-time driver, who is a former EMT.
KMT is interested in expanding their service.
Duplication of Service
There appears to be very limited duplication of transportation services in the County of
Kaua’i. In fact, the limited number of services is extremely well coordinated through the
nexus of the County Transportation Agency. Most of the stakeholders are related in
some manner to this agency, whether through existing contracts or the provision of
services to their clients as individuals. While a small number of the private and non-
profit agencies have vehicles that are not utilized throughout the day, liability issues and
different service needs appear to present barriers to greater utilization of their fleets.
Additionally, there are opportunities for joint vehicle maintenance, insurance and
purchase.
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3C. Transportation Needs Assessment
The transportation needs identified in this section were derived from a variety of
sources, including interviews with key stakeholders, analysis of the transit dependency
map, input by the Local Mobility Workgroup, and a public workshop that was conducted
in Lihu’e on August 27, 2010. The workshop was attended by 18 members of the public,
in addition to transit agency, DOT and consultant staff. Participants were:
• Predominantly (81%) under 60 years of age
• Evenly split between those who lived on limited/fixed income and those who do
not (keeping in mind that some of those who were not low-income may have
been agency staff who represent low-income clients)
• Almost all participants indicated that they do not have a disability
• Almost two-thirds were associated with an agency or a transportation or social
service provider
• While the overwhelming majority (78%) indicated that they drive, this reflects a
lower percentage than the overall auto ownership of Kaua’i households (96%).
Other key forms of transportation used by participants were being driven by
family and friends as well as riding bicycles.
Workshop participants were given a map exercise to identify their geographic
distribution and the location of their most common destinations. Results showed that a
third of the participants reside in the Lihu’e/Wailua/Kapa’a area, while the others were
distributed from Hanapepe on the south shore to Kilauea in the north. Despite their
scattered residential locations, almost half their common destinations were in the
Lihu’e/Hanama’ulu area. This confirms that despite the fact that Kapa’a has the largest
population of all urbanized areas on the island, for this group at least, the business/civic
locations of the Lihu’e/Hanama’ulu area remain a strong attraction for trip destinations.
Below is a summary of transportation needs and gaps for Kaua’i County. Note that
these needs have not been filtered in terms of feasibility but are presented as the basis
for developing mobility strategies later in this chapter.
Assistance Needs
Increase financial assistance for transportation
• Kaua’i Economic Opportunity and Catholic Charities provide bus passes for
transit riders with limited incomes. However, the funding is not adequate to meet
the demand, so they run out of funds to provide these passes each year.
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• There is also a need for financial assistance for other types of transportation
when transit is not a viable option. This is particularly an issue when people get
released from hospital and need door to door service as well as during hours
when transit is not in operation.
Improve public information
• Kaua’i residents expressed a desire for various types of information in various
ways. They want more
information about
transportation options on the
island, improved education
and awareness of the
availability of transit service
and how to use it, more
places to get the
information, and provision of
the information in more
languages, especially for
older Filipinos on the north
shore and Marshallese and
Spanish speakers throughout the county.
More options for bus pass purchasing
• Currently, bus passes can only be purchased at the Lihue Civic Center and the
CTA office. Residents expressed a desire to have additional places to purchase
bus passes, such as bus transfer points, libraries, post offices, and banks, or
perhaps even an online purchase option.
Help with scheduling/coordinating trips
• Because information about transportation services is not always accessible or
easy to understand for some people, residents expressed a desire for more
hands-on help, which could be provided through a mobility manager, online trip
planning and/or rideshare matching.
Kaua’i residents want more information
about transportation options on the
island, improved education and
awareness of the availability of transit
service and how to use it, more places to
get the information, and provision of the
information in more languages.
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Capacity Needs
Increase volunteer driver capacity
• There are very few volunteer drivers on Kaua’i. Efforts to increase the volunteer
driver pool are needed.
Coordination Needs
Remove barriers to vehicle sharing
• Though there are few agencies that provide direct transportation services, there
are agencies that have vehicles available at off-hours and that could be used by
other organizations to provide services during those hours. Concerns about
liability need to be addressed in order to facilitate vehicle sharing.
Eligibility Process Needs
Refine eligibility process
• Access to paratransit services is determined by a registration process rather than
a more detailed eligibility process. Since paratransit services are more expensive
than fixed route services and some who are currently using the paratransit
service could be riding fixed route, it may be useful to develop a more accurate
ADA paratransit eligibility process to ensure that the paratransit services are
available for the people that need it, moving others onto the fixed route system.
Infrastructure/Facility/Capital Needs
Increase number and type of vehicles available
• Social service organizations were interested in access to vehicles to help their
clients get to medical appointments.
• Smaller vehicles are needed to access homes where there is limited turnaround
space. Paratransit vehicles are not able to reach some homes currently, and
there are no taxi or rental cars that are lift-equipped. The fact that there are no
lift-equipped taxis or rental cars also impacts mobility outside the Kaua’i Bus and
paratransit hours of operation.
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• There was also a suggestion that rideshare vehicles would be useful, such as
vanpool vehicles, to help low-income residents get to work.
Improve accessibility and safety for pedestrians, cyclists, low-speed vehicle
drivers and transit riders
• Bus shelters were identified as an important need in this area. Accessible bus
shelters are needed for future projects as well as at existing bus stops.
• Safety improvements are needed for pedestrians and cyclists as well, including
curb cuts, crosswalks near bus stops, streetlights, sidewalks to bus stops and in
high traffic resort towns, bike lanes or widened shoulders, and low-speed vehicle
lanes. For instance, a dangerous walkway was identified in Hanapepe on the
makai side of the highway before the hill to Ele’ele, and it was noted that there is
not sufficient room for bikes or pedestrians between Kalaheo and Omao.
Relieve congestion
• One person suggested that high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes are need, so
buses won’t be slowed by congestion.
Policy/Planning Needs
Improve coordination and implementation of planning efforts
• There are many planning efforts related to the transportation system on Kaua’i
and statewide. It was noted that these planning efforts should be coordinated in
order to be effective. Additionally, these plans should not just sit on the shelf, and
priority projects should be implemented. It was suggested that an agency or
group should be identified to coordinate services and put this plan into action.
Improve transportation accessibility through policy changes
• It was suggested that bikes should be allowed on buses because there is not
enough room on the bike racks. This has resulted in problems for people who
commute using a combination of cycling and public transit. These riders have
needed to wait for the next bus when the racks are full, and in some areas, there
is a long wait between buses.
• A policy was suggested to require or incentivize taxi and/or rental car companies
to have some number of lift-equipped vehicles in their fleet. This would help local
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and visiting people with physical disabilities access transportation off paratransit
hours.
Address Medicaid compensation
• There are few Medicaid providers in the county, in part because of a reportedly
difficult system to register as a Medicaid provider as well as low compensation
for high touch trips, such as door-through-door or gurney service.
Think long-term in planning
• Finally, when planning, consideration should be given to future needs, 10-50
years out, in order to take into account the trend in growth the county has been
experiencing as well as the public’s vision for the county’s future.
Service Needs
Provide access to transportation outside of current transit hours and at greater
frequency within operating hours
• Residents expressed a need for Sunday service at the same level as Saturday
service and evening service until 10pm. The evening service was especially
important for people working part-time jobs or non-standard shifts. The CTA
quickly responded to this need, implementing these services as described here
as of February 14, 2011. While all recognize that this is a great step forward,
some concern still exists about the lack of evening service on weekends and
holidays. Also, weekend service hours are limited, making weekend travel
challenging.
Increase transit service in underserved areas
• The frequency of bus service and points of access to transit were key issues
raised by many people. More bus stops, particularly around Kapa’a, Kapahi,
Kalaheo, Lawai, Koloa, Poipu, Lihue, Kekaha, along the north shore and through
the Wailua Homesteads, are needed. Residents would like to see a shorter
distance between stops as well as having them within a 10-minute walk of
residential and commercial units in urban areas. They would also like to see
more frequent bus service, every 15 minutes along the main highway and every
30 minutes in rural areas. They think strategies to increase ridership would help
to make this possible.
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• In addition to an increase in fixed route service, residents would like to have
more accessible demand response service for the northshore, west side, Kapahi,
Koloa, Hanalei, and Kekaha areas.
Provide faster ride times
• At the same time as people would like more bus stops, they would like faster
transit ride times between Kapa’a and Wailua Homesteads as well as paratransit
ride times for some program clients.
Provide service to key destinations
• Transportation for shopping, particularly for Costco, Kukui Grove Mall, Walmart,
Koloa, and Poipu, was identified as an important need. However, public transit
currently accesses all of these destinations other than Costco, so there may be
some disconnect in public information.
• Accessible on-island and inter-island transportation is needed for medical care
every day of the week. For on-island trips, this is especially important for people
being discharged from the hospital and may not be able to use public transit
either because of their condition or transit’s hours of operation.
• A commuter service is needed for people who work at the resort areas on the
south shore of the island. Current levels of transit service do not meet all of the
needs of these workers.
Technology/Software Needs
Use technology to support coordination between transit and private
transportation providers
• Some interest in coordinating service between public transit and private taxi
companies has been expressed. Having GPS devices on all of these vehicles,
especially the taxis, would help the CTA to dispatch taxis to areas the buses
can’t reach.
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Training Needs
Promote driver safety and help drivers meet the needs of riders with specific
needs
• Driver safety was generally identified as a need for all agencies that operate their
own transportation service. Training these drivers to be sensitive to older adults
and people with various types of disabilities as well as how to help those
individuals who use mobility devices was also thought to be needed.
Prioritized Transportation Needs
Public workshop participants were asked to select the three most important categories,
and prioritize the needs within those categories. The top three categories chosen were
service (78%), infrastructure (67%), and assistance (39%) needs. The prioritized list of
mobility needs in these categories was reviewed by the Local Mobility Workgroup,
which concurred with the prioritization of the workshop participants. The priority needs
were again reviewed via a survey distributed in November 2010 and at a final public
meeting to review the draft plan on June 29, 2011. Some refinement was made to the
various needs as described in more detail above.
A summary of the priorities is provided below.
Service Needs
Transportation service on Sundays and weekday evenings were easily rated the most
important of all the needs identified, as shown in Figure 3-10. As previously mentioned,
the CTA rapidly responded to this top priority need by extending evening service hours
to 10pm and adding Sunday service as of February 14, 2011.
These were followed by more bus stops, more frequent service, accessible inter-island
service for medical trips, and commuter service. Figure 3-10 shows the full ranking of
the needs in this category.
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Figure 3-10: Most Important Service Needs32
Service Needs
Stakeholders indicated that improved sidewalk safety and bike lanes, followed by
accessible bus shelters and lift-equipped taxis (or other vehicles in public service) are
the most important infrastructure needs for the target population groups. Figure 3-11
shows the full ranking of the needs in this category.
Figure 3-11: Most Important Infrastructure, Facility & Capital Needs
32 A participant in the June 30, 2011, public meeting emphasized the need for more
frequent service and more bus stops as a top priority.
6%
(1)
11%
(2)
11%
(2)
17%
(3)
17%
(3)
17%
(3)
17%
(3)
44%
(8)
44%
(8)
Reduce paratransit ride times/faster service
Transportation for shopping
Increased service in Koloa, Poipu, Lihue,
Kekaha…
More/shorter distance between bus stops
More frequent service (esp. rural)
Accessible inter-island transportation
Commuter service (Poipu resort worker
shuttle)
Sunday service (like Saturday schedule)
Evening service (until 10pm)
6%
(1)
11%
(2)
11%
(2)
11%
(2)
11%
(2)
33%
(6)
39%
(7)
44%
(8)
44%
(8)
HOV lanes
Program vehicles for medical appointments
Smaller vehicles to access hard-to-reach homes
Shared ride vehicles
Farmer’s market access
Lift equipped taxis/vehicles
More accessible bus shelters
Improve sidewalk safety
Bike lanes
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Assistance Needs
The key assistance needs identified by stakeholders were increased opportunities for
finding out about mobility options, and a range of strategies for providing financial
assistance for those who are low-income. In particular, the lack of adequate bus fare
assistance and taxi vouchers were cited as substantive mobility gaps. Stakeholders also
stated that there was a need for more locations to obtain bus passes, including the
possibility of on-line purchasing. Figure 3-12 shows the full ranking of the needs in this
category.
Figure 3-12: Most Important Assistance Needs
3D. Strategies for Improved Service and Coordination
This section describes local strategies designed to address the mobility gaps identified
in the prior section of this plan. These strategies were initially developed by the
consultant team based on interviews, public meetings, local mobility workgroup input,
and past experience. During a local provider workshop held on November 8, 2010, the
Local Mobility Workgroup and other transportation and social service providers refined
and prioritized these strategies. The eight participants, listed in Appendix C,
represented the majority of transportation providers in the County of Kaua’i.
The strategies were prioritized into four categories, A-D, with A being the top priority
category. In order to prioritize the strategies, workshop participants reviewed each
strategy in terms of:
• The number of critical needs that could be met;
6%
(1)
6%
(1)
11%
(2)
17%
(9)
28%
(6)
33%
(6)
33%
(6)
33%
(5)
50%
(3)
Online trip planning
Volunteer drivers
Lanuage accessibility for bus riders
Bus schedule help
Mobility management
Increased bus fare assistance
Financial assistance/taxi vouchers
More places to purchase bus passes/online
More information – mobility options/transit
service
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• Its financial feasibility;
• Feasibility of implementation; and
• The involvement of coordination, partnerships and potential community support.
Workshop participants were limited to selecting three strategies each for categories A-
C, and all remaining strategies fell into category D. These decisions were made by
consensus. The results of this process are described below, including brief descriptions
of each strategy and the needs they are intended to address. Following is a description
of the results of this process.
Category A
Strategy Description Need(s) Addressed
HSTP Goals/
Objectives
Addressed33
Purchase of
accessible
vehicles
This strategy includes
capital projects to purchase
wheelchair accessible
vehicles to add to various
providers’ fleets in the
County of Kaua’i.
• More lift-equipped
vehicles
• Smaller vehicles
to access homes
where there is
limited turnaround
space
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2
and 5
• Goal 4,
Objective 5
Subsidized
taxi voucher
program
This strategy entails a user-
side subsidy for seniors
and/or people with
disabilities to allow for
purchase of vouchers for
taxi service. The number of
monthly trips can be limited,
and the subsidy can be set
for specific budgetary
amounts per annum.
• Allows individuals
to have same day
service that
exceeds ADA
paratransit
requirements.
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2
and 5
• Goal 4,
Objective 5
Funding for
free/reduced
bus passes
This strategy involves non-
profit organizations
identifying and accessing
additional sources of
funding to provide deeper
discounts on fares to their
clients.
• Meet needs of
low-income riders
• Goal 1,
Objective 5
33 HSTP Goals and Objectives are detailed in Appendix D.
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Category B
Strategy Description Need(s) Addressed
HSTP Goals/
Objectives
Addressed
Service
expansion
This strategy involves
expanding fixed-route and
paratransit service hours
to include Sunday service
similar to the Saturday
and evening service
beyond the current service
day34. Expansion would
also allow for increased
frequency and service
area and service provided
by private and/or non-
profit shuttles.
• Evening and
Sunday service
• Shorter distance to
bus stops
• Current fixed-route
services do not
work for some
employee needs
• Reduce ride time
• More accessible
demand response
service
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2 and
5
• Goal 4, Objective
5
Supple-
mental taxi
service
This strategy involves
efforts to coordinate
between taxis and
paratransit service,
including possible use of
technology to allow for
transfer of trip requests to
taxis. Supplemental
service could be used
during hours when
paratransit capacity is
unavailable, but would
need to be designed to
ensure that current
paratransit drivers’ regular
hours are not impacted.
• More efficient use
of demand-
response vehicles
• More accessible
demand response
service for the
northshore, west
side, Kapahi,
Koloa, Hanalei,
and Kekaha
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2 and
5
• Goal 4, Objective
5
Hospital
discharge/
This strategy may include
establishing a contract
• Meets need of
individuals going
• Goal 1, Objective
34 This strategy has already been implemented, as of February 14, 2011. However, some
service gaps still exist, including long periods between trips and lack of evening service on the
weekends.
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medical
return trip
program
with a provider that
operates wheelchair
accessible vehicles to
provide subsidized rides to
individuals who are being
discharged from hospitals
without having made
transportation
arrangements, or
establishing a program
that will allow individuals
attending a medical
appointment to be able to
call a taxi rather than rely
on paratransit for the
return trip.
to medical
appointments with
uncertain end
times. “Will calls”
are currently
allowed on
paratransit, but
this strategy would
be useful for
longer trips which
may be difficult for
paratransit on
short notice
• Serves people with
disabilities who are
being discharged
without having
made
transportation
arrangements
5
Category C
Strategy Description Need(s) Addressed
HSTP Goals/
Objectives
Addressed
Older
Driver
Wellness
program
This strategy involves
publishing information and
holding workshops
focused on extending safe
driving, and knowing how
to locate alternative
resources when they can
no longer drive (based on
the comprehensive
American Society on
Aging model).
• Serves seniors who
currently drive and
have not planned for
alternatives once
they terminate or
reduce their driving
• Goal 1, Objective
5
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Additional
Vehicles
This is a capital strategy
to provide additional
vehicles for human
service transportation
providers to enable them
to bring clients to medical
and/or other trips, ideally
sharing vehicles between
agencies.
• Expands capacity to
provide medical or
other transportation
in social service
programs
• Goal 1, Objective
5
Volunteer
driver
program
This strategy would create
volunteer driver programs,
potentially through the
RSVP program, Project
Dana, Veteran's Affairs
and/or other programs
such as KCIL or KEO.
• Serves individuals in
hours when
paratransit/fixed-
route aren't
operating
• Access to under-
served areas
• Allows for door-
through-door service
• Makes same day
service an option
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2 and
5
• Goal 4, Objective
5
Category D
Strategy Description Needs Addressed
HSTP Goals/
Objectives
Addressed
Informa-
tion and
market-
ing
This strategy would
expand current
marketing efforts for
transit and other
transportation services,
such as creating a
system bus route map,
and marketing to specific
groups. Some ideas
include: on-bus
information about other
transportation services,
on-line information and
• More information
about mobility
options
• Education and
awareness of transit
service
• Increase outreach
• Information at more
places
• Visitor information
• Language
accessibility for bus
riders
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2 and
5
• Goal 4, Objective
5
• Goal 5, Objective
4
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scheduling, radio and
newspaper advertising;
flyer distribution to
students; and
“Ambassador” or bus
buddy “programs.
South
Shore
Shuttle
This strategy would
establish a commuter
shuttle to serve the
employees of hotels and
resorts in Poipu area.
• Current fixed-route
services do not work
for employee needs
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2 and
5
• Goal 4, Objective
5
Travel
training
This strategy would
develop programs with
organizations whose
clients may not be
familiar with transit use
in order to teach them
how to use the bus.
• Better access to
using fixed-route
service
• Increase fixed route
ridership
• Goal 1, Objective
5
Casual
carpool
This strategy would
develop a formal ride-
sharing program at
senior housing facilities,
retirement communities
or other sites.
• Provides a form of
volunteer driving
contained within a
senior or other
defined community
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2 and
5
• Goal 4,
Objectives 1 and
5
Cost
sharing
with
medical
entities
This strategy develops
ways to require or
encourage health care
providers to share the
costs of providing
transportation as well as
exploring potential for
Medicaid reimbursement
for paratransit trips to
Medicaid eligible
appointments.
• Increased funding to
be used for
paratransit services
• Provide more access
to paratransit and
private accessible
transportation
services
• Goal 1, Objective
5
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Auto
financial
assist-
ance35
This strategy would
include low-interest auto
loans, assistance with
insurance and
maintenance costs.
• Addresses barriers to
car use by low-
income drivers and
seniors who can still
drive
• Goal 1, Objective
5
Additional Recommendations
In addition to the strategies described above, the Workgroup supported the
establishment of a more accurate paratransit eligibility screening process in order to
ensure freeing up of capacity on paratransit for those who have no mobility alternatives.
However, this was deemed a process recommendation rather than a strategy that would
be ranked against those listed above. In addition, the Transit Advisory Committee is
exploring the possibility of establishing free transit fares for those who are 60 or older
and are not eligible for paratransit.
Public Comment on Strategies
All comments provided by the participants in the June 30 meeting were incorporated
into earlier components of the plan. No categorically new strategies were identified.
However, one participant emphasized that the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for Equal
Access (MACFEA) and other ADA-related agencies and boards should be included in
future coordination discussions and activities.
35 While participants also felt this was an important need, the fact that the cost per beneficiary would be so high
resulted in a lower rank for this strategy.
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Chapter 4. Maui County
4A. Community Profile
This chapter provides a description of the
demographic trends in the County of Maui
that reflect residents’ travel patterns and auto
dependency. This is followed by a discussion
of the variety of transportation resources
available to residents who are low-income,
have a disability and/or are over 65 years of
age. Finally, the chapter presents the
prioritized transportation needs of these
population groups and a list of coordinated transportation strategies.
Study Area Description and Demographic Summary
This demographic profile documents important characteristics about the County of Maui
as they relate to this planning effort. In particular, the profile examines the presence and
locations of older adults, individuals with disabilities, and low-income persons within the
area.
This aspect of the plan relies on data sources such as the United States Census and
the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Census information from 2008 reflects population characteristics on a state and
countywide level. Data pertaining to the individual communities is not available. We
found that some relevant data points for this plan are only available for the year 2000.
Where applicable, data for both 2000 and 2008 is shown. For each of the illustrating
figures, the relevant data source is referenced.
While new data has become available since writing this section of the report, it was
determined that these data should remain in this report, as it is the same set of data
used for the Hawaii Statewide Transportation Plan, More current data will be used in the
updates of both of these plans. It is important to note that this information is provided
only to develop a general understanding of the area in which this Coordination Plan will
be applied. It will not be used in making FTA grant funding decisions.
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Population Overview
With a land area of just over 1,159 square miles, the County of Maui is comprised of the
islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Molokini and Kahoolawe. Population density for the
County is 110.5 persons per square mile. Tourism is the County’s major industry.
Wailuku is the county seat. Other population centers are shown in Figure 4-1 below:
Figure 4-1: Population Centers36
Location Population Island
Kahului 20,146 Maui
Kihei 16,749 Maui
Wailuku (County Seat) 12,296 Maui
Lahaina 9,118 Maui
Pukalani 7,380 Maui
Waihee 7,300 Maui
Lanai City 3,164 Lanai
Kaunakakai 2,726 Molokai
As the list above illustrates, the vast majority of county residents live on the island of
Maui. Census 2000 figures report that 91.7% (117,644) live on Maui while 8.2%
(10,597) reside on Lanai and Molokai. The focus of this plan will be the island of Maui.
The primary focus of the Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation
Plan is to improve transportation options for three target populations – seniors, persons
with disabilities and people with low incomes. Individuals in these groups typically have
less access to personal vehicles as their primary form of transportation. Transit
dependent individuals can experience an especially difficult time in non-urban areas
with low population densities and limited public transit services. Figure 4-2 presents
population data for the County of Maui and the State of Hawaii as a whole.
36 Source: U.S. Census, 2008 American Community Survey
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Figure 4-2: Basic Population Characteristics: 2000 to 200837
Total
Population
Persons aged
65+
Persons with
Disability, age 5+
Persons at or
below
Poverty Level
State of Hawaii
Census 2000 1,211,537 160,601 13.3% 199,819 16.4% 126,154 10.7%
2008 Estimate 1,288,198 190,067 14.8% Not available 115,937 9%
County of Maui
Census 2000 128,241 14,676 11.4% 23,820 18.5% 13,252 10.5%
2008 Estimate 143,691 17,428 12.1% 12,932 9% 11,495 8%
Older Individuals
As shown in Figure 4-2 above, 12.1% of the residents of Maui County in 2008 were age
65 and older. This is lower than the statewide figure of 14.8%. However, the proportion
of seniors is projected to increase substantially over the next 25 years, as is shown in
Figure 4-5 on page 94.
Individuals with Disabilities
In Maui County, among people at five years of age and older in 2008, 9% reported a
disability, according to the American Community Survey, 2008. However, the
prevalence of having a disability varied depending on age, from 3% of individuals
between 5 and 15 years, to 7% of those 16 to 64 years, and to 34% of those 65 years
and older.
Individuals at or Below Poverty Level
U.S. Census estimates for 2008 report median household income in Maui County at
$64,150, which is slightly lower than the state average of $66,701. As of 2008, the
County reported 8% of all residents were living below the poverty line compared to 9%
statewide. Five percent of individuals 65 years and over were below the poverty level.
Access to a Vehicle
As reported in the American Community Survey 2008, Maui County has a lower
percentage of households without a car (5.4%) than the state as a whole (8.7%).
Traditionally, individuals who rent a home are far less likely than homeowners to have
37 Source: U.S. Census, 2008 American Community Survey
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access to a car. In addition, households headed by a person age 65 years and older are
less likely to have access to a car than other households.
Homeless Population
The homeless population on Maui increased slightly between 2005 and 2007. Based on
Homeless Point-in-Time surveys conducted by the State of Hawaii Public Housing
Authority38, there were 747 homeless individuals in 2005. The point-in-time count
conducted in 2007 reported 764 people. These figures include both sheltered and
unsheltered individuals.
Persons with low-incomes, including those who are homeless, typically have
transportation challenges that impede their ability to reach employment, training, or
other necessary services. The expense of owning and maintaining a vehicle may be
beyond reach for this population, and for some, even the cost of riding public
transportation may be prohibitive.
Race and Ethnicity
No racial group residing in the County of Maui constitutes a majority. Figure 4-3 shows
the distribution of the population by race.
Figure 4-3: Maui Population by Race
38 Source: Homeless Point-in-Time Count, 2007, State of Hawaii, Hawaii Public Housing
Authority
AIAN
American Indian or Alaskan Native
NHPI
Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander
2+ Races
People who self-identified as being two or more races
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The Hispanic/Latino population, which accounts for 10 percent of the population, is not
included in the chart above because it is an ethnicity and not tracked as a separate
race.39
In the County of Maui, 28% of people at least 5 years of age reported that they spoke a
language other than English at home. Of this group, 48% said that they did not speak
English “very well.”
Population Trends for the Island of Maui and County of Maui
The County of Maui is experiencing continuing and sustained population growth. The
County recorded a population of 128,241 residents in 200040. In 2007, the estimated
population increased to 141,523.
The Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic
Development and Tourism projects that more than
169,000 people will call Maui County home by 2020,
and by 2030, the population will reach approximately
190,000, with the vast majority of people residing on
the island of Maui.
Figure 4-4 below shows population trends by
community for Maui Island. The Maui Island Plan, updated by the County in 2009,
projects that some regions on the island (Wailuku – Kahului) will experience significant
increases while others (Hana) are expected to grow by a only few hundred people. The
expected growth shown below represents an annual rate on Maui Island of 1.46%,
which equates to a 36.5% population growth over the 25 year period.
Figure 4-4: Maui Island Community Population Projections 2005 – 203541
Community 2005 2015 2020 2025 2030
Lahaina 19,852 22,627 24,326 25,904 27,419
Kihei - Makena 25,609 29,731 32,208 34,528 36,767
Wailuku – Kahului 46,626 54,374 59,010 63,363 67,565
Makawao-Pukalani-Kula 23,176 25,360 26,792 28,077 29,294
Paia-Haiku 12,210 12,474 12,764 12,973 13,151
Hana 1,998 2,173 2,290 2,393 2,429
TOTAL MAUI ISLAND 129,471 146,739 157,390 167,239 176,625
39 U.S. Census, 2006 – 2008 American Community Survey
40 U.S. Census 2000
41 Source: Draft Maui Island Plan, County of Maui, 2009
The percentage of older
adults is projected to
increase from 11.9% in
2007 to 23.6% in 2030.
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The general population growth of the County (including Maui, Lanai and Molokai) during
the next two decades is important to compare to related increases in older residents
during the same period of time. Figure 4-5 below shows the county-wide growth of all
residents as well as of residents 65 and older. The percentage of older adults is
projected to increase from 11.9% in 2007 to 23.6% in 2030.
Figure 4-5: County Population Projections: 2007 – 2030 for Older Adults42
County of Maui 2007 2015 2020 2025 2030
TOTAL MAUI COUNTY 141,523 158,043 169,066 179,404 189,300
Population 65 and over 16,895 24,554 31,326 38,556 44,672
Population 65 and over as
% 11.9% 15.5% 18.5% 21.5% 23.6%
Economic Indicators in the County of Maui
The following section contains economic information pertaining to the County of Maui,
including unemployment rates, major employers in the county and employment
changes.
County of Maui Employment
The visitor industry is the largest employment sector in the County of Maui. However,
the Maui Island Plan indicates that the past rate of growth in resident population,
housing and jobs is higher than the rate of visitor growth, thus signaling a more
diversified economy that is less driven by tourism than Hawaii and Kaua’i counties.
Employment in the County increased steadily during the three year period 2005 – 2007,
with the addition of 3,650 jobs. This increase is offset however by the 7,200 jobs that
were lost during the 2008-2009 time period. This employment reduction represents a
9.3% decline from the employment peak in 2007.43 In addition, news reports an
unidentified number of job losses due to lay-offs at Maui Land & Pineapple and
Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company plant closure in Paia.
As shown in Figure 3-6 below, major employers are located in Wailuku, Kahului Kihei,
and Lahaina. The Wailuku-Kahului area is the economic and the population center of
42 Source: Hawaii State Data Book, Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic
Development and Tourism
43 Source: Research and Statistics Office, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, State of
Hawaii
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the island. Forecasts predict that it will remain so, experiencing a faster growth rate than
other areas on Maui. The Lahaina region enjoyed significant job growth during the
1990’s and this is projected to continue through 2030. The Kihei area has seen growth
in the visitor economy and this trend is expected to continue.
Employment opportunities in Upcountry Maui are limited, and according to the Maui
Island Plan, the majority of the area’s residents commute outside the area for jobs.
Projections indicate that by 2030, there will be only one local area job per 2.1
households, which means Upcountry residents will continue to commute to work.
Figure 4-6: Major Employers in the County of Maui44
Employer Name Location Employer Class Size
Town Realty of Hawaii Wailuku 1,000 – 4,999
Grand Wailea Resort Hotel Kihei 1,000 – 4,999
Hyatt Regency-Maui Resort/Spa Lahaina 500 - 999
Maui County Mayor Office Wailuku 500 - 999
Four Seasons – Maui Kihei 500 - 999
Maui Memorial Medical Ctr Wailuku 500 - 999
Maui Land & Pineapple Company Kahului 500 - 999
Ritz Carlton – Kapalua Lahaina 500 - 999
Westin – Maui Resort Lahaina 500 - 999
University of Hawaii – Maui College Kahului 500 - 999
Wal-Mart Kahului 500 - 999
Hale Makua Kahului 250 - 499
Manele Bay Hotel Lanai City 500 - 999
Unemployment Rate
During the three year period 2005 - 2007, Maui’s unemployment rates closely mirrored
statewide statistics. However, in 2008 and 2009, unemployment in the County of Maui
increased at a higher rate than experienced throughout the rest of the State. Figure 4-7
below provides the increase in unemployment rates in both the County and the State
during the entire five year period.
44 Source: Hawaii Workforce Informer, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, March 11,
2008
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Figure 4-7: Unemployment Rates: 2005 – 200945
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
State of Hawaii 2.5% 2.5% 2.7% 4.0% 6.8%
County of Maui 2.6% 2.4% 2.8% 4.5% 8.6%
Geographic Distribution of Transit Need
The map on the following pages illustrates the areas within the County of Maui that
likely have the greatest need for public transportation services.
The Transit Dependency Index (Figure 4-8) represents concentrations of people who
are most likely to need public transportation: seniors aged 65 or older, individuals with
disabilities, and people with low income. This map displays the composite measure of
these three indices. Figure 4-8 shows those parts of the focus area with the highest
population and employment density. The highest population and employment areas
typically generate the highest transit usage due in large part to the concentration of
overall trips in these areas.
45 Source: Research and Statistics Office, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, State of
Hawaii
Page | 102
Figure 4-8: Island of Maui Transit Dependency Index Map
Key Activity Centers and Travel Patterns
The Island of Maui has several major trip generators such as tourist lodging, social and
medical facilities, retail sites, and government offices. The population and activity
centers on Maui are located primarily in the areas of Kahului-Wailuku, Kihei, and
Lahaina. The majority of trips occur in Kahului and Wailuku, which are the centers for
government, medical service, and retail sales. The main transit transfer hub is located at
the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center in Kahului. Target groups of seniors, individuals with
disabilities and persons with low income need to access services and jobs in Kahului
and Wailuku, necessitating travel from Upcountry and other parts of the Island. Key
destinations on the island include the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center and other shopping
destinations, University of Hawaii Maui College, Maui Memorial Medical Center
Wailuku, and the government center in Wailuku. Lahaina is a key tourist destination,
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especially on days when cruise ships are in port in Kahului, and is a major employment
center.
Figure 4-9: Island of Maui Key Activity Center Map
4B. Existing Transportation Service
Background
The County of Maui Department of Transportation (MDOT) is responsible for the vast
majority of transportation services in the county. MDOT administers Maui Bus, which
was created in 2002 to provide an island-wide public transportation system. Maui Bus
operates seven days per week, including holidays. MDOT also operates the curb-to-
curb ADA complementary paratransit service and provides funding for other specialized
services through contracts with Maui Economic Opportunities (MEO). These programs,
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as well as other human service transportation programs, are described in more detail
below.
Transportation for the target populations that are the focus of this coordinated plan
primarily is funded through the use of County monies. In FY 2011, the County will spend
over $14 million on transportation for various programs including:
• fixed route
• commuter
• paratransit
• dialysis and non-emergency medical transportation
• youth transportation
• nutrition/leisure
• employment
• Head Start
• adult day care
County Highway Funds from gas tax are allocated for the operation of public transit.
County General Funds from property tax (hotel) are used to fund trips provided by MEO.
Transportation Funded by the County of Maui
Fixed Route and Commuter Service
Maui Bus fixed route system consists of 12 routes, all of which are operated by Roberts
Hawaii. All vehicles are ADA accessible and are equipped with two bicycle racks. The
routes vary in hours of operation, roughly from 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM, in and between
communities in Central, South, West, Haiku and Upcountry areas:
• Routes 1 and 2 Wailuki Loop; 5 and 6 Kahului Loop: Provide circulator service in
Central Maui, with connections at the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center Hub
• Route 10 Kehei Islander: Central Maui connecting South Maui via Ma’alaea
• Route 15 Kihei Villager: Within South Maui connecting with Route 20 in
Ma’alaea to West Maui
• Route 20 Lahaina Islander: Central Maui connecting West Maui via Ma’alaea
• Route 23 Lahaina Villager: Within West Maui connecting with Routes 20 and 25
• Route 25 Ka’anapali Islander: Service to Ka’anapali from Lahaina
• Route 30 Napili Islander: Service to Kapalua from Ka’anapali
• Routes 35 Haiku Islander and 40 Upcountry Islander: Service to Haiku and
Upcountry Maui
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Roberts Hawaii is also the contract service provider for the four Maui Bus commuter
routes. Service is available seven days a week, including holidays, with morning and
afternoon runs. Reservations are required for the following commuter routes:
• Haiku-Wailea Commuter (5:40 AM – 7:05 AM; 4:15 PM – 6:00 PM)
• Makawao - Kapalua Commuter (5:40 AM – 7:50 AM; 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM)
• Wailuku – Kapalau Commuter (5:30 AM – 8:15 AM; 2:45 PM – 5:45 PM)
• Kihei – Kapalua Commuter (6:15 AM – 7:45 AM; 4:05 PM – 5:35 PM)
Figure 4-10: Maui Fixed Route Bus Service Map
Paratransit
The Maui Bus paratransit service is an advanced reservation, curb to curb service for
persons who are unable to use the regular fixed-route Maui Bus. The days and hours of
paratransit service are the same as for the fixed route service. Eligibility for the ADA
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complementary service is determined by the County using a paper-based application
process requiring medical verification.
MDOT contracts with Roberts Hawaii to provide paratransit services. For FY 2011 the
County has allocated $375,000 for paratransit services. The fleet consists of 15
vehicles, including 10 paratransit buses with four wheelchair positions, three 25-
passenger buses with two wheelchair positions, and two 5-passenger sedans.
Fare Structure
Passenger fare is $1.00 per boarding for all fixed routes and paratransit. No transfers
are given on any of the routes. Infants under the age of 2 travel free when riding on the
lap of an adult.
Monthly passes are available from bus drivers and at the County Business Resource
Center and the Wharf Cinema Center Management Office. General boarding passes for
all routes are $45.00 per month; passes for students and seniors (55 and older) are
$30.00. The passes include commuter and paratransit services.
Restricted passes for the Loop and Villager routes (routes 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 15 and 23) are
$20.00 per month and include paratransit services.
Commuter fares are $2.00 per one-way trip and there is no charge for transfers to other
Maui Bus commuter routes. Commuter passes are also available for $45.00 per month
and include all routes, including commuter.
Additional County-Funded Programs
In addition to fixed route, commuter and paratransit services, MDOT also funds a variety
of specialized transportation. Over $5 million has been allocated to the following
programs in the FY 2011 budget. MEO is the contracted service provider, receiving
approximately 93% of its funding for transportation programs from the County. Service
provided by MEO is free to the rider.
Dialysis Transportation
This program provides both curb to curb or door through door service for clients who
need transportation to dialysis treatment or non-emergency medical appointments.
MEO operates service Monday through Saturday, utilizing wheel chair buses staffed by
specially trained Passenger Assistant Technicians. Over 120 individuals are served,
accounting for 6,000 boardings per month.
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Adult Day Care
Monday through Friday (except holidays), MEO operates services to Maui Adult Day
Care Centers in Central Maui and Lahaina. This is curb to curb service for ambulatory
clients. Four buses are used in Central, West, and South Maui and Upcountry.
Kalima
This program provides transportation to 30 adults with chronic mental disabilities,
developmental disabilities or physical disabilities and who require specialized
assistance during transit. The service runs Monday through Friday and is operated by
MEO. Upcountry and Central Maui use two buses each, while South Maui uses one
bus.
Employment Transportation
Operated by MEO, this service is designed to give adults with disabilities access to jobs
within their community. Curb to curb service is available in Central and South Maui, five
days per week, except holidays, during normal business hours. Consumers include
individuals with chronic mental illness, physical or developmental disabilities. Two buses
are used daily.
Head Start
This curb to curb service transports low income, pre-school aged children from selected
locations on Maui to various MEO Head Start sites. Vehicles comply with national Head
Start regulations by providing special seatbelt outfits. MEO is the contracted service
operator. Service is available five days per week when classes are in session in the
following locations:
• Kahului (1 bus)
• Wailuku (1 bus)
• Kihei (1 bus)
• Lahaina (1 bus)
Nutrition Programs
This curb to curb service transports elderly individuals to nutrition and recreational
programs. MEO operates the service Monday through Friday as shown below:
• Central Maui (4 buses, 5 days per week)
• Makawao (2 buses, 2 days per week)
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• Humiimaile (1 bus, 2 days per week)
• Pukalani (1 bus, 2 days per week)
• Kula (2 buses, 2 days per week)
• Paia-Haiku (1 bus, 2 days per week)
• Kihei (2 buses, 2 days per week)
• Lahaina-Honolua (2 buses, 2 days per week)
Youth Programs
Youth Transportation is designed to serve children between the ages of 9 – 18 by
providing after-school service to public programs and facilities such as Boys and Girls
Clubs, Youth Centers, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, etc. Youth may take advantage of
transportation home that is provided with this program. Youth groups may use this
service up to two times each year for field trips or excursions.
Service is available to all youth year round, including during intersession and summer
when schools are closed. Schedules can vary from those offered on school days. MEO
operates the service in the following areas:
• Central Maui (2 buses, 5 days per week)
• South Maui (2 buses, 5 days per week)
• West Maui (1 bus, 5 days per week)
• Upcountry (2 buses, 5 days per week)
Other Transportation Programs
Additional agencies on Maui provide limited transportation services, usually solely for
their own programs and clientele. Their operating characteristics are summarized in
Appendix A, the provider inventory.
Aloha House, Inc.
Aloha House, Inc., Malama Family Recovery Center, and Maui Youth and Family
Services, Inc. are three separate 501(c) 3 agencies that share board members and a
common management structure. Together the agencies provide some transportation for
their clients, utilizing vans and minivans. The aging fleet consists of one 5310 15-
passenger van purchased approximately eight years ago, and four additional 12 – 15
passenger vans purchased using agency funds.
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The Arc of Maui
This private non-profit organization provides services for persons with disabilities, their
advocates and families. The Arc offers adult
day programs, personal assistance, chore
services, residential services, job placement
and vocational training. The agency serves
approximately 60 clients per day for the day
programs. The agency receives a
percentage of funding per client from the
Medicaid Waiver program for transportation
services to help defray costs. The Arc fleet
on Maui consists of four mini-vans, three lift
equipped cutaways and one passenger car.
Easter Seals of Hawaii
Easter Seals is a nationwide non-profit organization that operates adult day health
services on Maui. The agency serves 60 adults with developmental disabilities from the
ages of 18 and up. Most clients use County-funded services provided by MEO, however
Easter Seals does have five vans to transport day program people in the community. In
addition, staff members use personal vehicles to transport consumers. The agency
provides mileage reimbursement in such cases.
Transportation Services on Molokai and Lanai
Service details and descriptions of needs on the two outer islands of Maui County were
provided by stakeholders who work with or represent the populations of those islands.
Working with representatives of the County and of human service agencies that serve
Lanai and Molokai, the consulting team attained an understanding of the circumstances
of those islands. The detail provided below outlines the current services available. The
County works with its largest provider, MEO, to operate services on Lanai and Molokai
through its contract that also covers services on Maui. The County, MEO, and other
human service agencies represented the interests of Lanai and Molokai very thoroughly
throughout the planning process.
On Lanai, MEO operates services, through its contract with the County of Maui,
primarily for seniors and persons with disabilities. Most trips are of short duration, taking
While all transportation options
available to Maui residents are
well utilized, stakeholders
indicated a need for more funding
for more services.
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riders from their homes to program sites and back home again. The majority of
consumers live in and around Lanai City, accounting for a population of approximately
3,500. During the period July 2009 – June 2010, MEO provided 5,500 trips using one
vehicle. An additional vehicle has recently been placed in service. MEO also operates a
shopping shuttle approximately twice per month to bring Lanai residents to Maui.
Transportation is coordinated on both ends of the trip and a reduced ferry fare is offered
($10.00 each way compared to the regular one-way fare of $25.00).
Because Molokai’s population is spread out across the island, there is a need for
service that begins or ends in Kaunakakai and goes out to both ends of the island.
During Fiscal Year 2009, MEO operates a variety of programs that were funded by the
County of Maui. All services are provided free of charge. The Rural Shuttle and
Expanded Rural Shuttle are available to the general public, while the Nutrition Program,
the Youth Transportation Program and the Ala Hou Program require registration. MEO
provided 24,000 trips on its two public shuttles that operate Monday through Friday.
MEO also operates a youth shuttle that accounted for 23,000 trips. MEO also provides
Medicaid transportation to Medicaid eligible riders as approved by the Department of
Human Services (DHS).
Duplication of Services
With the current mix of transportation programs available on Maui, there appears to be
little duplication of service. The growth in ridership of fixed route, commuter and
paratransit has been substantial since the introduction of the Maui Bus system. Services
funded by the County and operated by MEO are well established and used by human
service agencies and their clients across the island. While all transportation options
available to Maui residents are well utilized, all stakeholders indicated a need for more
funding for more services.
One area in which stakeholders identified a duplication of service is the registration or
eligibility process required for services. Consumers may be required to submit up to
three separate applications in order to access services provided by the County (Maui
Bus paratransit), MEO (multiple programs), and the Kaunoa Senior Center.
4C. Transportation Needs Assessment
The following needs assessment was initially developed from interviews with
stakeholders on Maui, as well as data review, and review of other studies and reports.
These reports include:
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• Hawaii Department of Transportation, Coordinated Public Transit-Human
Services Transportation Plan, July 2008.
• County of Maui Short Range Transit Plan, January 2005.
• Maui Island Plan, May 2010.
During group meetings, in-person interviews and conference calls, stakeholders were
given the opportunity to describe the role their organizations play in providing or
arranging transportation, the budget and level of service provided, and any perceptions
or experiences with unmet transportation needs or gaps in services specific to the
clientele served by the agency. It is important to note that the summary reports reflect
the views, opinions, and perceptions of those interviewed. The resulting information was
not verified or validated for accuracy.
This needs assessment was reviewed and confirmed through additional consultation
with key stakeholders, as well as review with members of the public at two workshops
held at the Maui Beach Hotel on September 16, 2010. The meeting for the general
public was from 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM, while the Mobility Workgroup met from 1:00 PM –
3:00 PM.
Below is a summary of transportation needs and gaps for Maui County. Note that these
needs have not been filtered in terms of feasibility but are presented below as the basis
for developing mobility strategies later in this chapter.
Service Needs
Improve awareness of transportation services
• While all stakeholders were aware of the fixed route and commuter service
provided by Maui Bus, many agencies indicated a lack of understanding on the
part of both their staff and clients of the paratransit services provided by Maui
Bus. Some agency representatives did not realize that ADA paratransit
transportation provided by Maui Bus was an option in addition to trips provided
by MEO.
• It has been noted that veterans and others with disabilities have limited
knowledge of transportation options available for them, and they may not be
likely to ask for the information. This is particularly important for veterans
because the one Disabled American Veterans van on Maui does not have a
wheelchair lift, so other options need to be known.
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Implement guaranteed rides in trips scheduled with MEO
• Stakeholders expressed concerns that trips scheduled with MEO are not
guaranteed and thus clients are not able to attend programs or keep scheduled
appointments. Factors mentioned that affect the provision of trips by MEO
include excess capacity and MEO’s holiday schedule.
Expand service types
• Stakeholders indicated a growing need for transportation that goes beyond curb-
to-curb service provided by MEO, including door through door assistance as well
as aides or personal attendants who travel with consumers. The need for more
wheelchair accessible vehicles was also discussed. Some agencies stated a
need for their clients who do not qualify for services provided by MEO.
Expand service area
• The public transit service provided by the Maui Bus serves much of the island,
however, the need for increased service to outlying areas, especially Upcountry,
was discussed by various agency representatives. Bus stops on Baldwin Avenue
and in Waihee community, shuttle service to bus stops and the Transit Center in
Kahului , and service along the road to Hana where many low-income families
and people with disabilities reside were mentioned as specific unmet needs.
Training Needs
Expand opportunities to coordinate training
• Some stakeholders expressed an interest in coordinating activities with other
human services organizations, especially the sharing of driver training resources,
specifically in the area of securement. In addition, some agencies indicated the
need for expanded opportunities to provide travel training for their clients.
• Agencies that currently utilize or are developing programs to utilize volunteers
described the need for screening and training individuals who volunteer. Some
stakeholders mentioned the need for proper identification of program volunteers
through the use of ID badges, custom shirts or jackets, etc.
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Eligibility System Needs
Streamline eligibility process for all programs
• There was agreement among stakeholders that the process to apply for
transportation services on Maui can be cumbersome and duplicative. Multiple
registration forms are required to be submitted to multiple agencies (Maui Bus
paratransit, MEO, Kaunoa Senior Center). Human service organizations
indicated that efficient coordination of the eligibility process would be very useful,
including a common database of clients across programs and service types.
Overall, human service agencies offered that it was difficult to understand all the
transportation options available to their clients and said that they would like to
have “one hoop to jump through for all services.”
Human Services Coordination Needs
Expand coordination between federally funded programs
• Throughout the discussions on Maui, service providers identified the need for
more coordination between and across federally funded programs in order to
expand transportation delivery to clients. In particular, coordination at the State
and County level between FTA and Agency on Aging funds was mentioned.
Increase assistance with FTA grant process
• Several stakeholders expressed the need for in-house or collective grant-writing
assistance and services to improve their ability to be competitive for state and
federal transportation and infrastructure funds. Agencies indicated that they did
not have the staff, the time or the expertise to prepare grant applications.
Policy/Planning Needs
Some individuals stated that they and their clients needed to know what rights
consumers have for transportation under the ADA and what responsibilities
transportation providers such as MEO have to deliver services.
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All stakeholders indicated that the 5310 process is too slow and is limited to vehicle
purchases only, thus limiting the effective usefulness of the funds. Other funding issues
that were discussed include the use of Agency on Aging funds potentially being
broadened to include services for disabled individuals.
Prioritized Transportation Needs
Public workshop participants were asked to select the three most important categories,
and prioritize the needs within those categories. The top three categories chosen were
Service/Assistance (44%), Training (39%), and Human Services Coordination (39%)
needs. The prioritized list of mobility needs in these categories was reviewed by the
Mobility Workgroup, which concurred with the prioritization of the Workshop
participants. The priority needs were again reviewed via a survey distributed in
November 2010 and at a final public meeting to review the draft plan on June 29, 2011.
Some refinement was made to the various needs as described in more detail above.
Service/Assistance Needs
Affordability and service to outlying areas on Maui were easily the top ranked service
and assistance needs. Figure 4-11 shows the full ranking of the needs in this category.
Figure 4-11: Most Important Service/Assistance Needs
0%
(0)
7%
(1)
14%
(2)
21%
(3)
21%
(3)
29%
(4)
36%
(5)
64%
(9)
71%
(10)
Not all clients can ride MEO bus
Door through door service
Signage on buses/bus stops
Information
Quicker transportation
Personal attendants for disabled riders
Exceeded capacity (MEO)
Service to outlying areas
Affordability
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Training Needs
Of the three needs identified in this category, 100% of the participants ranked driver
training as the top need, as shown in Figure 4-12. In discussion, they emphasized that
an accountability system should be included in this category, saying that drivers should
be held accountable to follow the training.
Figure 4-12: Most Important Training Needs
Human Services Coordination Needs
Coordinating federal funding programs and enhancing multimodal transportation to
connect people living on each of the islands in the County of Maui tied for the top
priority needs. Detailed results are displayed in Figure 4-13. Discussions following this
public meeting found other coordination issues to be more significant than these.
Figure 4-13: Most Important Human Services Coordination Needs
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
100%
(14)
Volunteer driver screening and ID
Travel training
Driver training
0%
(0)
29%
(4)
36%
(5)
57%
(8)
57%
(8)
Between counties
Common database across programs/svc
types
Services in general/mobility management
Coordinate fed funding programs
Multimodal transportation (Lanai/Molokai)
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4D. Strategies for Improved Service and Coordination
This section describes local strategies designed to address the mobility gaps identified
during previous meetings on Maui. These strategies were initially developed by the
consultant team based on interviews, public meetings, local mobility workgroup input,
and past experience. During a local provider workshop held on December 8, 2010, the
local Mobility Workgroup, comprised of transportation and social service providers,
refined and prioritized these strategies. The participants of the Workgroup meeting are
listed below.
The strategies presented at the December Workshop were prioritized into four
categories, A-D, with A being the top priority category. In order to prioritize the
strategies, workshop participants reviewed each strategy in terms of:
• The number of critical needs that could be met;
• Its financial feasibility;
• Feasibility of implementation; and
• The involvement of coordination, partnerships and potential community support.
Workshop participants were asked to rate strategies each for categories A-D. These
decisions were made by consensus. The results of this process are described below,
including brief descriptions of each strategy and the needs they are intended to
address. Following is a description of the results of this process.
Category A
Strategy Description Need(s) Addressed
HSTP Goals/
Objectives
Addressed
Lead agency
for human
service
transportation
coordination
County of Maui
should take the
lead in Human
Services
Coordination with
some level of
centralized
action
• Human Services Agencies
need assistance applying
for federal grants
• Development of
standardized eligibility
process across programs
• Coordination of permanent
eligibility across programs
• Development of technology
solutions to share data
• Goal 1,
Objectives 3
and 5
• Goal 4,
Objective 5
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across programs
Better
coordination
between Public
Transit with
Human
Services
Transportation
This strategy
involves the
development of
bus stops and/or
transfer points
between Maui
Bus and Human
Services
agencies
• Lack of bus
stops/accessible bus stops
• Insufficient service to
outlying areas
• Capacity issues
• Goal 1,
Objectives 3
and 5
• Goal 4,
Objective 5
Coordinated
training
This strategy
involves
coordinating
periodic training
for drivers and
other personnel
• Coordination of Travel
Training across agencies
and programs
• Coordination of Driver
Training across programs
• Goal 1,
Objective 5
• Goal 2,
Objective 1
• Goal 4,
Objective 5
Category B
Strategy Description Need(s) Addressed
HSTP Goals/
Objectives
Addressed
Coordinate
planning
efforts
The role of
Human Services
Coordination
needs to fit within
other planning
efforts
• Human Services
Coordination needs to
be considered as a
strategy for all transit
plans
• Goal 1, Objectives
3 and 5
Increased
oversight
County of Maui
should increase
its level of
oversight of all
County-funded
transportation
programs to
ensure contract
compliance.
• Insufficient service
• Capacity issues
• Goal 1, Objective 5
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Category C
Strategy Description Need(s) Addressed HSTP Goals/
Objectives Addressed
Coordinate
funding
This strategy
involves
coordinating
Federally Funded
Programs to allow
for service
expansion, such
as agency on
Aging funds.
• Insufficient service
• Affordability
• Goal 1,
Objectives 1
and 5
Increased
public
information
This strategy
involves
establishing more
types of public
information, such
as increasing
public information
regarding service
options with a
focus on ADA
paratransit
service for
general disabled
public, a single
source for
information on
transportation
options, and a
coordinated
marketing
campaign for all
people in need.
• Development of
information to inform
and educate consumers
and Human Services
Agencies
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2
and 5
• Goal 4,
Objective 5
• Goal 5,
Objective 4
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Category D
Strategy Description Need(s) Addressed
HSTP Goals/
Objectives
Addressed
Inter-Island
coordination
This strategy
involves
increasing the
accessibility of
transportation
between islands
within the county.
• Accessible transportation
to/from and on Molokai
and Lanai
• Goal 1,
Objectives 2, 3
and 5
Public Comment on Strategies
A public meeting was held in Kahului on June 29, 2011, with over 65 stakeholders
attending. While all participants concurred with the presented strategies, some
expressed a desire for “things to move more quickly.” Attendees also commented that
the presentation was very informative about coordinated transportation programs.
As in comment forms received through the Hawaii Rides website, many issues were
discussed, such as the number and location of bus stops and the expansion of service
through the addition of more service hours and greater coverage of outlying areas, and
bus configuration, fall outside the scope of this coordinated transportation plan and
could be addressed in a short range transit plan.
Some additional strategies were identified:
• Establish regular public forums on transit accessibility issues
• A local representative of Maui DOT be a visible, accessible part of the
coordination process
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Chapter 5: Next Steps and Recommendations
State and Local Action
As discussed earlier in this Plan, projects funded through FTA programs Section 5310
(Transportation for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities); Section 5316 (Job
Access and Reverse Commute) and Section 5317 (New Freedom) are required to be
derived from a Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan.
Throughout this planning process, transportation needs and gaps for low-income
persons, older adults and persons with disabilities have been documented, and
associated strategies identified at the local (county) level. It is also required, pursuant to
guidance issued by FTA, that these strategies be prioritized; this exercise was
completed in each of the three counties and the results are documented in Chapter 4.
This chapter concludes the Plan, describing the statewide project selection process and
offering consultant recommendations for next steps at the local level.
Statewide Project Selection Process
A Statewide Mobility Workgroup was formed to review the local strategies and identify a
process for reviewing future JARC and New Freedom funding applications. Members of
this workgroup include representatives of the City and County of Honolulu, Disability
Communications and Access Board, Department of Human Services, Division of
Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Executive Office on Aging. Following are the results
of their January 2011 meeting.
Funding Principles
The Statewide Mobility Workgroup recommended the following principles to guide the
selection process:
• Consider geographic diversity. This means that an effort should be made to
distribute projects among all the islands and to ensure there is some geographic
balance when awarding projects.
• Honor local priorities. This means that the strategies identified as the highest
priority at the local level should be honored when projects are evaluated. Some
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weighting system may be developed in order to award projects that are
consistent with the highest priorities.
• Fund variety of projects. This principle recognizes that a variety of projects,
including operating support, capital procurement, planning and mobility
management are needed and should be funded.
Funding Priorities
In addition to the general selection principles identified by the Statewide Mobility
Workgroup, they also defined three statewide priority funding areas:
• Expand/Improve Service Operations. Projects that would use funding to provide
new or expanded services (i.e. expanded service area, hours, or customer base)
would be included in this category.
• Replace or Expand Vehicles/Other Capital Infrastructure. Projects that would
allow for vehicle replacement, purchase of new vehicles, bus stop improvements,
computer equipment or other capital improvements would be included in this
category.
• Mobility Management. Projects that focus on coordination of services are
considered mobility management, and a variety of activities could be funded,
included coordinated training, development of service plans, implementation of
pilot projects to promote vehicle sharing, coordinated information and referral,
etc.
HDOT and the Project Selection Committee will consider whether the project application
is consistent with one or more of the above priorities.
Evaluation Process Guidelines
The Workgroup established the following guidelines for the evaluation process:
• Be transparent. Procedures for ranking and selecting projects will be defined
ahead of time and be made available for potential project sponsors to review.
Additionally, a rationale will be provided to support the ultimate funding decisions.
• Ensure no conflicts of interest exist. A process will be established that ensures
there is no inherent conflict of interest among the committee. No member of the
selection committee will represent an applicant or otherwise financially benefit
from the projects awarded. This has not been a problem in the past, as HDOT
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has used the members of the Statewide Mobility Workgroup as described above,
so no major changes or revisions should be needed.
Applying for JARC and New Freedom Funds
Applications will be made available on the HDOT website at
http://hawaii.gov/dot/administration/stp/fta-grant. HDOT staff will notify providers as they
are made available, and they will provide information and support to applicants as
needed and resources are available.
Recommendations for State and Local Action
Hawaii counties have been coordinating transportation for many years on informal and
formal bases. This has been recognized as a necessary way of doing business in order
to meet the mobility needs of their communities. As the economy struggles and
populations grow older and more dependent on transit and human service
transportation, coordination is even more important.
Even with the existing coordination efforts, gaps in service still exist and additional
strategies can be implemented to improve mobility for older adults, people with
disabilities and low-income individuals. JARC and New Freedom funds, when leveraged
by local funds, are available to meet some of these needs. However, available funds are
limited, so not all needs will be met even with these additional resources. It is important
to be strategic in applying them, as described above in the Statewide Selection Process
section. Local decision-making can be similarly strategic.
Following are recommendations for next steps to be taken by local transportation and
human service providers.
• Reconvene Local Mobility Workgroups. It is recommended that each county
institutionalize their Local Mobility Workgroups in order to make on-going
decisions about proposed projects. Transit agencies can be an excellent
resource in taking the lead in launching this, given their historical leadership in
transportation coordination in each of the counties. However, it is recommended
that a rotating chair be selected for each workgroup.
• Develop Projects. It is recommended that the Local Mobility Workgroup review
the top priority strategies and identify a short list of viable projects that can be
implemented within the top priority strategies and available funds, based on
whether it is a JARC or New Freedom project. A viable project will have an
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identified lead agency, partners, timeline for implementation, and local source for
match funds.
• Apply for Federal Funds. Consider the statewide selection process described
above when applying for funds. This is a competitive process, but it can also be a
coordinated one. It is recommended that counties communicate with each other
about potential projects, selecting projects across the counties that achieve the
state’s goals for dispersion of funds whenever possible. It would be beneficial for
the state to facilitate this process.
With the proper resources, the state can be a great asset in supporting on-going
coordination efforts that meet identified and emerging needs over time. Following are
recommendations for state action to support these local coordination efforts.
• Technical Support and Funding. It is recommended that HDOT provide
leadership and technical assistance for the counties and their Local Mobility
Workgroups. It is also recommended that HDOT lead efforts to coordinate with
state agencies that fund human service transportation in order to attempt to
overcome challenges to coordination that arise from different providers’ funding
requirement. Additional funding is needed in order to enable HDOT to provide
this type of leadership and support for coordination.
• Needs Assessment Updates. Finally, it is recommended that needs assessments
be reviewed and updated every few years. The state should help to identify and
fund a mechanism to track unmet and emerging transportation needs on an on-
going basis.
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Appendix A: Transportation Provider Inventory County of Hawaii Fixed Route Transportation AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description County of Hawaii -- Mass Transit Tom Brown, Administrator 961-8744 630 E. Lanikaula Street, Hilo, HI 96720 Public General public Unrestricted Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided The Hawaii County Mass Transit Agency provides public transportation around the island on the Hele-On bus. !Demand Response Transportation AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description County of Hawaii -- Mass Transit Tom Brown, Administrator 961-8744 630 E. Lanikaula Street, Hilo, HI 96720 Public General public Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided The Hawaii County Mass Transit Agency provides public transportation around the island on the Hele-On bus. In addition, the Transit Agency offers a Shared Ride Taxi program which provides door to door transportation for $2.00 within an 11 mile radius of Hilo. Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council Lester Seto 961-2681 47 Rainbow Drive , Hilo, HI 96720 Non-profit All populations are served via a variety of programs Information not provided County of Hawaii Mass Transit, Office of Aging, and Parks and Recreation; Headstart, Medicaid, and ARRA funds Information not provided Information not provided The Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council (HCEOC) is a private non-profit, and one of the primary special needs transportation providers on the Big Island. They serve every segment of the population through one or more of their programmatic efforts. The bulk of their transportation curb-to-curb services are focused on low income, elderly and disabled persons, with many of these partially funded via fee-for-service.
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!County of Hawaii -- Elderly Activities Division Harold Bugado, Director 961-8708 127 Kamana St. , Hilo, HI 96720 Public Older adults Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided The agency provides services to individuals 60 years and older, with information and referral services about the vital services and benefits available in Hawai`i County. Hospice of Hilo Pearl Lyman Coordinator of Volunteer Services 969-1733 Non-profit Terminally ill Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided Hospice of Hilo offers a range of support services to terminally ill patients and their families. !Volunteer Transportation AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description Hospice of Hilo Pearl Lyman Coordinator of Volunteer Services 969-1733 Non-profit Terminally ill Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided Hospice of Hilo offers a range of support services to terminally ill patients and their families. !Program Transportation AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description Brantley Center Steve Pavao 775-7245 PO Box 1407, Honoka’a, HI 96727 Non-profit Older teens and adults with mental and physical disabilities Program only Grants and service fees 2 vehicles--1 12 psgr van w/lift--1 minivan Information not provided The Brantley Center, Inc. is a private non-profit, devoted to working with people with physical and mental disabilities. The agency provides training programs focused on encouraging independence in the home, workplace, and community. The employment rehabilitation program offers students with disabilities the opportunity to transition from school to the work environment during their senior year.
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!County of Hawaii -- Elderly Activities Division Harold Bugado, Director 961-8708 127 Kamana St. , Hilo, HI 96720 Public Older adults Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided The agency provides services to individuals 60 years and older. Hawaii Island Adult Care, Inc. Paula Uusitalo, Executive Director 961-3747 Non-profit Older adults Program-related Medicaid, tuition, farebox 3 wheelchair equipped passenger vans Information not provided HIAC serves older adults and people with physical disabilities. At present, there are 89 clients, and about 60 people per day come to the center for a meal program or other activities. HIAC's purpose is to provide community based care for the daily life needs of frail elders, Alzheimer's patients, and physically or mentally challenged individuals, thus giving them the opportunity to remain living in their own homes. Hawaii Centers for Independent Living – Hilo Raelene Souza 935-3777 1055 Kinoole Street, Ste. 105 , Hilo, HI 96720 Non-profit Persons with physical and mental disabilities Program-related Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided The independent living program is designed to help those served to live independently in the community by providing services and information to consumers in regards to housing, the hiring of personal assistants, and gaining independent living skills, allowing consumers to exercise personal choice and decision making and become better advocates for themselves. Kona Adult Day Center, Inc. Rowena Tiqui, Executive Director 322-7977 P.O. Box 1360, Kealakekua, HI 96750 Non-profit Older adults with physical and mental disabilities Program-related Information not provided 2 vans, 1 with a wheelchair lift Information not provided The agency provides day service activities for adults with physical and mental disabilities. The Arc of Kona Maggie Lobo, Director of Operations 323-2626 81-1065 Konawaena School Road, Kealakekua, HI 96750 Non-profit Persons with physical and mental disabilities Program-related Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided The Arc of Kona is a private nonprofit organization for persons with disabilities, their advocates and families. The Arc of Kona is committed to helping persons with disabilities achieve the fullest possible independence and participation in our society according to their wishes.
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!The Arc of Hilo Vicki Linter, Community Support Services Manager 935-8534 1099 Wai!nuenue Ave., Hilo, HI 96720 Non-profit Persons with physical and mental disabilities Program-related Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided The Arc of Hilo helps prepare individuals with disabilities for competitive employment in the community. Services include identifying the individual's interests and skill and assessing the areas that need improvement. They offer hands-on training and support for interviews and other job skills for successful transition to employment. Easter Seals of Hawaii Tisha Takazawa 961-3716 Non-profit Adults with developmental disabilities Transportation to and from the program Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided Easter Seals of Hawaii provides adult day health services in the Hilo area, for developmentally disabled clients 18 years and up. !Bus Passes/Mileage Reimbursements AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Annual Budget Description County of Hawaii -- Office of Aging Alan Parker, Executive on Aging 961-8660 1055 Kino’ole Street, Suite 101, Hilo, HI 96720 Public Older adults Information not provided State, County, Federal $380,000 (All transportation-related programs) The Office of Aging serves as a resource for older persons throughout the County of Hawaii. The agency is funded in part by Title III of the Older Americans Act through the State Executive Office on Aging. They have offices located in Hilo and Kona. County of Hawaii -- Elderly Activities Division Harold Bugado, Director 961-8708 127 Kamana St., Hilo, HI 96720 Public Older adults N/A Information not provided Information not provided The agency provides services to individuals 60 years and older. !
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!Information and Referral Services AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Funding Sources Annual Budget Description County of Hawaii -- Office of Aging Alan Parker, Executive on Aging 961-8660 1055 Kino’ole Street Suite 101 , Hilo, HI 96720 Public Older adults State, County, Federal $380,000 (All transportation-related programs) The Office of Aging serves as a resource for older persons throughout the County of Hawaii. The agency is funded in part by Title III of the Older Americans Act through the State Executive Office on Aging. They have offices located in Hilo and Kona. County of Hawaii -- Elderly Activities Division Harold Bugado, Director 961-8708 127 Kamana St. , Hilo, HI 96720 Public Older adults Information not provided Information not provided The agency provides individuals 60 years and older with information and referral services about the vital services and benefits available in Hawai`i County. Brantley Center Steve Pavao 775-7245 PO Box 1407, Honoka’a, HI 96727 Non-profit Older teens and adults with mental and physical disabilities Grants and service fees Information not provided The Brantley Center, Inc. is a private non-profit, devoted to working with people with physical and mental disabilities. The agency provides information and referral services to assist each client to gain access to housing, health care, employment, and education. Hawaii Island Adult Care, Inc. Paula Uusitalo, Executive Director 961-3747 Non-profit Older adults Medicaid, tuition, farebox Information not provided HIAC serves older adults and people with physical disabilities. HIAC's purpose is to provide community based care for the daily life needs of frail elders, Alzheimer's patients, and physically or mentally challenged individuals, thus giving them the opportunity to remain living in their own homes. Hawaii Centers for Independent Living – Hilo Raelene Souza 935-3777 1055 Kinoole Street, Ste. 105 , Hilo, HI 96720 Non-profit Persons with physical and mental disabilities Information not provided Information not provided The independent living program is to help those served to live independently in the community by providing services and information to consumers in regards to housing, the hiring of personal assistants, and gaining independent living skills, allowing consumers to exercise personal choice and decision making and become better advocates for themselves. Hospice of Hilo Pearl Lyman Coordinator of Volunteer Services 969-1733 Non-profit Terminally ill Information not provided Information not provided Hospice of Hilo offers a range of support services to terminally ill patients and their families. Easter Seals of Hawaii Tisha Takazawa 961-3716 Non-profit Adults with developmental disabilities Information not provided Information not provided Easter Seals of Hawaii provides adult day health services in the Hilo area, for developmentally disabled clients 18 years and up.
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!!Travel Training AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Funding Sources Annual Budget Description County of Hawaii -- Office of Aging Alan Parker, Executive on Aging 961-8660 1055 Kino’ole Street Suite 101 , Hilo, HI 96720 Public Older adults State, County, Federal $380,000 (All transportation-related programs) The Office of Aging serves as a resource for older persons by developing training programs on behalf of constituents throughout the County of Hawaii. The agency is funded in part by Title III of the Older Americans Act through the State Executive Office on Aging. They have offices located in Hilo and Kona. Hawaii Centers for Independent Living – Hilo Raelene Souza 935-3777 1055 Kinoole Street, Ste. 105 , Hilo, HI 96720 Non-profit Persons with physical and mental disabilities Information not provided Information not provided The independent living program is to help those served to live independently in the community by providing services and information to consumers in regards to housing, the hiring of personal assistants, and gaining independent living skills, allowing consumers to exercise personal choice and decision making and become better advocates for themselves. !Planning/Advocacy/Transportation Program Funding AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Funding Sources Annual Budget Description County of Hawaii -- Elderly Activities Division Harold Bugado, Director 961-8708 127 Kamana St. , Hilo, HI 96720 Public Older adults Information not provided Information not provided The agency provides individuals 60 years and older, with information and referral services about the vital services and benefits available in Hawai`i County.
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!Hawaii Centers for Independent Living – Hilo Raelene Souza 935-3777 1055 Kinoole Street, Ste. 105 , Hilo, HI 96720 Non-profit Persons with physical and mental disabilities Information not provided Information not provided The independent living program is to help those served to live independently in the community by providing services and information to consumers in regards to housing, the hiring of personal assistants, and gaining independent living skills, allowing consumers to exercise personal choice and decision making and become better advocates for themselves. County of Hawaii -- Office of Aging Alan Parker, Executive on Aging 961-8660 1055 Kino’ole Street Suite 101 , Hilo, HI 96720 Public Older adults State, County, Federal $380,000 (All transportation-related programs) The Office of Aging serves as a resource for older persons by developing a system of services, conducting needs assessments, writing grants and developing training programs on behalf of constituents throughout the County of Hawaii. The agency is funded in part by Title III of the Older Americans Act through the State Executive Office on Aging. They have offices located in Hilo and Kona. !County of Kaua’i !"#$%&'()*$&+,-./0(,*-*"(.!AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description County of Kauai Transportation Agency Celia Mahikoa, Executive on Transportation 241-6410 www.kauai.gov 3220 Hoolako St, Lihue, HI 96766 Public General public Unrestricted General Fund, FTA 5309, 5310, 5311, 5340, fare revenue Approx. 37 vehicles Approx. $2.3 million The Kauai Bus operates a public, fixed route transportation service, providing public transportation from Hanalei to Kekaha with limited service to the Koloa/Poipu area. Buses can accommodate wheelchair users. The system operates Monday through Friday from 5:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m., and Saturday from 7:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Hours vary depending on the route. There is no service on Sundays and County holidays. !
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!Demand Response Transportation AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description County of Kauai Transportation Agency Celia Mahikoa, Executive on Transportation 241-6410 www.kauai.gov 3220 Hoolako St, Lihue, HI 96766 Public People with disabilities, Older adults Unrestricted General Fund, FTA 5309, 5310, 5311, 5340, contract services, donations, fare revenue Approx. 13 vehicles Approx. $1.6 million The Kauai Bus operates a public paratransit transportation service. The paratransit bus service provides public transportation from Hanalei to Kekaa with limited service to the Koloa/Poipu area. Buses accommodate wheelchair users. The system operates Monday through Friday from 5:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m., and Saturday from 7:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Hours vary depending on the route. There is no service on Sundays and County holidays. Akita Enterprises, Limited Wendy Akita, President 245-5344 2960 Aukele St, Lihue, HI 96766 For-profit Older adults, people with physical and developmental disabilities, school-children, non-profit agencies Medical, program activities, education, sightseeing Rider fees 12 wheelchair accessible yellow school vans (12-30 passengers) Information not provided Akita Enterprises serves Department of Education special education students and Wilcox hospital. Private individuals may also use their services. Accessible transportation is available on an individually arranged basis, with 5-days advance notice if possible. Service primarily involves transportation between the Lihue Airport and hotels. Fees vary according to the destination and time of day. Kauai Medical Transportation Heike Fujita 212-5833 kauaimedicaltransport.com PO Box 79, Kalaheo, HI For-profit People with disabilities Medical Rider fees 1 wheelchair and gurney accessible Information not provided Kauai Medical Transportation offers non-emergency transport for ambulatory as well as non-ambulatory clients using specially modified vans to accommodate wheelchairs or stretchers. !
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!Volunteer Transportation AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description County of Kauai Agency on Elderly Affairs Senior Companion Program Kealoha Takahashi, Executive on Aging 241-4470 www.kauai.gov/oca/elderly 4444 Rice St, Lihue, HI 96766 Public Older adults (60+) Unrestricted County general fund Volunteers use own vehicles Information not provided Staff provide eligibility screening for transit agency's Kupuna Care program. The senior companion program (5-6 volunteers) provides companionship and support services including some transportation to doctor. Veteran's Affairs Disabled American Veterans Charlene Burgess, Social Worker 246-0497 3-397 Kuhio Hwy, Lihue, HI 96766 Public Veterans Medical (VA appointments only) US Dept. of Veteran's Affairs Volunteers use own vehicles Information not provided Volunteer drivers transport ambulatory veterans to and from their VA appointments. !
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!Program Transportation AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description Alu Like Bricen Moritsugu, Program Specialist 245-8545 2970 Haleko Road, Suite 205, Lihue, HI 96766 Non-profit Primarily Native Hawaiian community, some programs open to all Trips to Alu Like programs; Service to elder program sites and youth services DHHS, DOL 2 vehicles (one 15 passenger van and one 7 passenger minivan) Information not provided Alu Like offers a comprehensive range of services and activities to fill identified needs in the Native Hawaiian community, including community economic development, business assistance, employment preparation, training, library services, educational and childcare services for families with young children. Easter Seals Hawaii Home and Community Based Services Ellen Ching Program Director 245-4132 3201 Akahi St, Lihue, HI 96766 Non-profit Youth and children under 20 with developmental disabilities Daily excursions in the community State 3 vehicles (two 14 passenger, one minivan) Information not provided The Home and Community Based Services program provides a variety of programs to 75 children and youth with developmental disabilities, primarily 5 and under, and teenagers up to 20. Easter Seals Hawaii Adult Day Health Center Community Based Services Ed Nilson, Senior Program Instructor 821-6944 4800 F Kawaihau Rd, Kapaa, HI 96746 Non-profit Adults over 20 with developmental disabilities Daily excursions from the Center for clients State 3 vehicles (two 14 passenger, one minivan) Information not provided ARC merged with Easter Seals in 2009 - this is the only Adult Day Center serving adults with developmental disabilities on the island. 36 clients use the program daily, and are provided various programs including daily excursions throughout Kaua'i.
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!Kauai Economic Opportunity Inc. (KEO) Lynn Kua 245-4077 2804 Wehe Rd, Lihue, HI 96766 Non-profit Low-income/ homeless individuals Medical (Care-a-Van program), Unrestricted (group home) State Department of Labor and Industries 1 medically-equipped vehicle, One 11-passenger van, One wheelchair accessible 8-passenger van Information not provided KEO has two programs that provide program-related transportation: • The Homeless Care-a-van program provides outreach medical, legal and social services on Kauai for homeless and potentially homeless individuals. Currently uses (1) medically equipped van, Care-A-Van outreach specialists, a contract doctor and participants from LASH (Legal Aid Society of Hawaii) and other social agencies to travel to beaches/parks and other areas on Kauai where homeless people live or congregate. • The group home provides a "family living" environment for physically challenged adults with a live-in manager. Residents participate in skill building activities. Provides limited transportation for residents as needed. Wilcox Adult Day Health Caryn Sakahashi, Director 246-6919 2943 Kress St, Lihue, HI 96766 Non-profit Primarily adults with dementia and Alzheimer’s, in addition to frail adults Excursions and medical appointments Primarily Kupuna Care of Agency on Elderly Affairs 2 vehicles (10 passenger van, 6 passenger minivan) Information not provided Wilcox provides day care services primarily to adults with dementia and Alzheimer’s, in addition to frail adults at the Lihue facility. !Bus Passes/Mileage Reimbursements AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Annual Budget Description Kauai Economic Opportunity Inc. (KEO) Lynn Kua 245-4077 2804 Wehe Rd, Lihue, HI 96766 Non-profit Low-income/ homeless individuals Employment (Homeless Barrier Removal Program), Unrestricted (group home) State Department of Labor and Industries $2400 The Homeless Barrier Removal program provides assistance to eligible homeless families and people to prevent, avoid or remedy homelessness and its associated dangers. Targets all segments of the homeless population, including unsheltered, sheltered and at-risk homeless families and persons in areas where homeless persons congregate or reside. Will assist in paying rent, security deposit and utility bills. !!!!
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Information and Referral Services AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Funding Sources Annual Budget Description Alu Like Bricen Moritsugu, Program Specialist 245-8545 2970 Haleko Road, Suite 205, Lihue, HI 96766 Non-profit Primarily Native Hawaiian community, some programs open to all. DHHS, DOL Information not provided Comprehensive range of services and activities to fill identified needs in the Native Hawaiian community, including community economic development, business assistance, employment preparation, training, library services, educational and childcare services for families with young children. County of Kauai Agency on Elderly Affairs Aging and Disability Resource Center/ Kupuna CareKealoha Takahashi, Executive on Aging 241-4470 www.kauai.gov/oca/elderly 4444 Rice St, Lihue, HI 96766 Public Older adults (60+) County general fund Information not provided Staff provide eligibility screening for transit agency's Kupuna Care program as well as comprehensive information and referral services. Kauai Center for Independent Living Terri Yamashiro 245-4034 www.myhcil.com/ 4340 Nawiliwili Rd, Lihue, HI 96766 Non-profit People with disabilities Information not provided Information not provided The Kauai Centers for Independent Living (KCIL) provides four core services: information and referral, systems and individual advocacy, skills training and peer counseling. Consumers request services based on their personal goals. The organization has one vehicle that is not in service. The vehicle was used for prior transportation services. !!Planning/Advocacy/Transportation Program Funding AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Funding Sources Annual Budget Description Alu Like Bricen Moritsugu, Program Specialist 245-8545 2970 Haleko Road, Suite 205, Lihue, HI 96766 Non-profit Primarily Native Hawaiian community, some programs open to all. DHHS, DOL Information not provided Comprehensive range of services and activities to fill identified needs in the Native Hawaiian community, including community economic development, business assistance, employment preparation, training, library services, educational and childcare services for families with young children. County of Kauai Agency on Elderly Affairs Kealoha Takahashi, Executive on Aging 241-4470 www.kauai.gov/oca/elderly 4444 Rice St, Lihue, HI 96766 Public Older adults (60+) County general fund $125,934 (funds to transit agency for Kupuna Care) The agency provides planning services for senior needs as well as funding for the transit agency’s Kupuna Care program.
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!County of Maui Fixed Route Transportation AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description County of Maui Dept. of Transportation Maui Bus - Fixed Route and Commuter Service JoAnne Johnson-Winer 270-7511 200 S. High St., Wailuku, HI 96793 Public General public Unrestricted County General Funds and Highway Funds Information not provided $7 million The Maui Department of Transportation provides fixed route service through a contract with Roberts Hawaii. Roberts Hawaii 871-6226 robertshawaii.com 711 Kaonawai Pl, Kahului, HI 96732 For-profit General public Unrestricted Maui County Dept. of Transportation Information not provided Information not provided Roberts Hawaii, as the contract service provider to MDOT, operates Maui Bus fixed route and commuter services. !!!!!!!!!!
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!Demand Response Transportation AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description County of Maui Dept of Transportation Maui Bus - Paratransit Service JoAnne Johnson-Winer 270-7511 200 S. High St., Wailuku, HI 96793 Public ADA paratransit eligible riders Unrestricted Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided The Maui Department of Transportation provides paratransit service through a contract with Roberts Hawaii. County of Maui Dept of Transportation Maui Bus - Specialized Transportation Services JoAnne Johnson-Winer 270-7511 200 S. High St., Wailuku, HI 96793 Public Youth, seniors, persons with disabilities, dialysis patients Nutrition programs, dialysis, after school programs Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided The Maui Department of Transportation provides a variety of specialized transportation for youth, seniors, individuals with disabilities through contracts with MEO. Maui Economic Opportunities, Inc, (MEO) George Reioux 249-2990 meoinc.org 99 Mahalani St., Wailuku, HI 96793 Non-profit Youth, senior and persons with disabilities Nutrition programs, dialysis, after school programs Maui County Department of Transportation Information not provided Information not provided MEO provides a variety of transportation services for youth, senior and persons with disabilities through programs funded through Maui County Department of Transportation. Roberts Hawaii 871-6226 robertshawaii.com 711 Kaonawai Pl, Kahului, HI 96732 For-profit General public General public Maui County Dept. of Transportation Information not provided Information not provided As the contract service provider to MDOT, Roberts Hawaii operates Maui Bus paratransit services. !!!!
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!Volunteer Transportation AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description Ka Lima O Maui Esther Yap, Bookkeeper 244-5502 kalimanomaui.org 95 Mahalani St., Wailuku, HI 96793 Public Persons with disabilities Employment related trips Information not provided 10 vehicles Information not provided Ka Lima O Maui provides job placement, evaluation and training for adults and persons with disabilities. !!Program Transportation AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Fleet Size Annual Budget Description The Arc of Maui Audrey McGauley, CEO 245-5781 arcofmaui.org 95 Mahalani St., Suite 17, Wailuku, HI 96793 Non-profit Information not provided Program-related trips Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided The Arc of Maui helps prepare individuals with disabilities for competitive employment in the community. Services include identifying the individual's interests and skill and assessing the areas that need improvement. They offer hands-on training and support for interviews and other job skills for successful transition to employment. Easter Seals of Hawaii Melissa King-Hubert 249-2065 eastersealshawaii.org 95 Mahalani St., Wailuku, HI 96793 Non-profit Adults with developmental disabilities Transportation to and from the program Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided Easter Seals Hawai’i provides exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities. Maui Adult Day Care Center Sandy Freeman, Exec. Dir. 871-5804 madcc.org 11 Mahaolu St. Ste B , Kahului, HI 96732 Non-profit Older adults Social Information not provided Information not provided Information not provided Day care is provided for frail, elderly, and disabled. They also operate Hanna Senior Center and use transportation funded by MDOT and provided by MEO. !
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!!Bus Passes/Mileage Reimbursements AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Allowable Trip Types Funding Sources Annual Budget Description Ka Lima O Maui Esther Yap, Bookkeeper 244-5502 kalimanomaui.org 95 Mahalani St., Wailuku, HI 96793 Public Persons with disabilities Employment related trips Information not provided Information not provided Ka Lima O Maui provides job placement, evaluation and training for adults and persons with disabilities !Information and Referral Services AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Funding Sources Annual Budget Description Ka Lima O Maui Esther Yap, Bookkeeper 244-5502 kalimanomaui.org 95 Mahalani St., Wailuku, HI 96793 Public Persons with disabilities Information not provided Information not provided Ka Lima O Maui provides job placement, evaluation and training for adults and persons with disabilities !Planning/Advocacy/Transportation Program Funding AGENCY Contact Phone URL Address Agency Type Population Served Funding Sources Annual Budget Description County of Maui Office on Aging Deborah Arendale Public Older adults Information not provided Information not provided Funds transportation for seniors through the Kaunoa Senior Center. Is in the process of establishing a volunteer program that will include a transportation component. Ka Lima O Maui Esther Yap, Bookkeeper 244-5502 kalimanomaui.org 95 Mahalani St., Wailuku, HI 96793 Public Persons with disabilities Information not provided Information not provided Ka Lima O Maui provides job placement, evaluation and training for adults and persons with disabilities !
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Appendix B: Public Meeting Participants
Hawaii, Kaua’i and Maui Counties
Hawaii County Public Meeting Participants – August 30-31, 2010
Name Affiliation
Tom Brown Hawaii County Department of Mass Transit
Lester Seto Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Center
Paula Uusitalo Hawaii Island Adult Care
Coran Kitaoka Coordinated Services for the Elderly
Brandi Konrady National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii
Sylvia Abernathy National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii
Pat Wilkinson Resident
Bernice Elam Resident
Florence Fukui Resident
Leoni K. Poy Resident
Tom Poy Resident
Alvin Chun Resident
Junie-Ann Kamoku Coordinated Services for the Elderly
Mary T. Chun Coordinated Services for the Elderly
Fran Takamiyashiro Resident
Patrick Callahan Resident
Nancy Callahan Resident
Lydia Mahia HCEOC
Daniel Goldman Resident
Darlette Miguel Resident
Iwalani S. Enriques Resident
Andrew Liwai HCEOC
L. Bungula HCEOC
B. Sextimo HCEOC
Bill Brichante Resident
Mailo Young Resident
Steve Godzsak Resident
Lori Rogers Hilo Medical Center Foundation
Julie Talang Hilo Medical Center Foundation
Bert Nishimoto Resident
Toby Hazel Resident
Jon Olson Resident
Shelly Ogata Resident
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Maggie Lobo ARC of Kona
Harold Bugado County of Hawaii
Cheryle Kihara ARC of Kona
Tim Hansen Coordinated Services for the Elderly
Alan Parker Hawaii County Office of Aging
Terry Saito Coordinated Services for the Elderly
Vicki Lintner ARC of Hilo
Kaua’i County Public Meeting Participants – August 25, 2010
Name Affiliation
Haunani Kaimi Naauau Resident
Ken Posney Resident
Randy Blake Resident
Debra Deluis Catholic Charities
Mary Isabella Stone Resident
James Fujita Kaua’i Medical Transport
Lucky Ventar Kaua’i Medical Transport
Ken Taylor Resident
JoAnn Yukimura Resident
Anthony Domine Resident
Claire Domine Resident
Greg DiSilvestri 635-TAXI
Christina Pilkington County of Kaua’i ADA Coordinator
Teri Yamashiro HCIL - Kaua’i
Rhodora Rojas HCIL - Kaua’i
Janine Rapozo Kaua’i County Transportation
John Spencer Resident
Lynn Kua Kaua’i Economic Opportunity
Maui County Public Meeting Participants – September 16, 2010
Name Affiliation
Michelle Jones Maui County Office on Aging
Mary Matsukawa Resident
Erllie Cabacangan Hale Makua
Mark Soule Hale Makua
George Reioux MEO
Ron Hovious ARC of Maui County
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Keri Pasion-Salas ARC of Maui County
Darren Konno Maui County DOT
Harry Johnson Roberts Hawaii
Deborah Arendale Maui County Office on Aging
Jo Reyes Maui County Office on Aging
Leda Muromoto Resident
Nalani Perreira Hui No Ke Ola Pono
Ryane Sagisi Hale O Lanakila
Heather Willmann Hale O Lanakila
Nani Watanabe HCIL
Rita Barrera Aging with Aloha Coalition
Joyce Garcia Resident
Misao Nakagawa Resident
Joanne Nakagawa Resident
Sandy Baz Resident
Jillayne Ching Hui No Ke Ola Pono
Illegible Maui Wheelers
Cathy Kekiwi Assisted Transportation
James Mariano County Office on Aging
Illegible AWAC
Jlorra Basbas-Aguilar Resident
Hawaii County Public Meeting Participants – June 27-28, 2011
Name Affiliation
Tom Brown Hawaii County Department of Mass Transit
Dexter Banaay Resident
Gardner PHN
Christine Namahoe- Lin Coordinated Services for the Elderly
Alex Grantz CSE
Howard and Gwen Perreira Resident
Asae Keymiji Resident
Kuniko Asakura Resident
Robert S. DeMotta Sr. Resident
Mary M. Brewer Volcano Community Association
Ellen M. Iida Resident
Timothy Lin Resident
Steve Godzsak AARP
Jimmy Gillespie Kupuna Ride
Mark Kanno Logisticare
Raelene Souza HCIL
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Margaret Levy-Dohanos CAN, bus rider, home health aide, SILC, mayor’s
advisory committee on paratransit
June Conant Hilo Pier Aloha Room
Bettie Wagstaff HCEOC
Bernice Tomiyama Resident
Mieko Soken Resident
Hanako Yiegawa Pepeekeo senior
Sueno Saruwataie Pepeekeo Hakalou Senior
Carlina Ragual Honomu Senior
Philomina Rabago Hak Senior, HCEOC Board Member
Kathy Kosaka County Councilman Dennis Onishi
Rayce Bento Alu Like, Inc.
Wesley Tanigawa, ARC of Hilo
Paula Uusitalo Hawaii Island Adult Care, Inc.
Stephanie Bath Community advocate
Beatrice Sexeneo HCEOC
Sada Anand Kauer DAR
Wattie Mae Hedemann Unidentified
Marilyn A. Debus Unidentified
Bernice Elam Unidentified
Carmel Cilia Unidentified
Roland Dupree Unidentified
Roberta Suppes Unidentified
Janice Onaka Unidentified
Faith May Unidentified
Silvia Abernathy Unidentified
Eleanor Sterling Unidentified
Cari Watt Lysseus Unidentified
Mary Recker Unidentified
Robert E, Anderson Unidentified
Esther Anderson Unidentified
JoDee Humme Unidentified
Bev Aikele Unidentified
Andy Archibald Unidentified
Barbara Johanson Unidentified
Patrick and Nancy Callahan Unidentified
Suzanne Kurasaki Unidentified
Evangelina Laurel Unidentified
Ken Obenski Kona Traffic Safety
Dave Byers Unidentified
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Melissa Benfalk Unidentified
Tammy Simpson Unidentified
Alvin Chun Unidentified
Luella P. Puahala Unidentified
Jolly Simmons Unidentified
Stephanie Amick Unidentified
Cheryl Pennell Unidentified
Margaret illegible Unidentified
Carolyn Lucas-Zenk West Hawaii Today
Sally Fukunaga Kona Adult Day Center
Rowena Tiqui Kona Adult Day Center
Illegible Kona Coordinated Services
Stuart R. Carlyle Unidentified
Janice Klingenberg Coordinated Services
Curtis Tyler HI DD Council
Illegible Unidentified
Antonio Ewik Unidentified
Illegible Unidentified
Frances Pikcunas Unidentified
Angie Haena Unidentified
Charlotte D. Lyman Unidentified
Ka’ohi Gomera Mayor’s office summer helper
Barbara Kossow Mayor’s office
Edgar Frame Mayor’s office, use mass transit
Mark Kanno Logisticare
Tom Poy Illegible
Ed Johnson AARP, Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Bicycling,
PATH
Terry DeViera Honakaa Sr. Club
Lester Seto HCEOC
Maggie Lobo ARC of ona
Josephina Ibarra Hope Services Hawaii
Mary T. Chan CSE Hawaii
Darlette Miguel Coordinated Service
Coran Kitaoka Elderly Activities Dive.
Debbie Wills HCOA
Claire Inman St. Michaels Seniors, Kailua Kona Seniors
Bris Halvorson Kona Seniors
Maggie Adarme-illegible Unidentified
Illegible Unidentified
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Wilda James Kailua-Kona Senior Center
Mary Carney Kailua-Kona Senior Center
Fran Takamiyashi Coordinated Services for the Elderly
Maui County Public Meeting Participants – June 29, 2011
Name Affiliation
Keith Kessler
Ronald Kwon
Shirley Mapson
Elinor Takahashi
Daphne Finau
Josephine C. Reyes
Ron Hovious
Darlene Ane
George Reioux
Caren Pantezzi
JoAnne Johnson Winer
John Snider
Carmelita Cravalho
Rev. Andrew Valentine, Jr.
Bryan Zoellner
Elaine Ota
Steve Hansen
Patricia Presbitero
June Davis
Penny Davis
Aurpra Gundran
Mele Tuikolovatu
Norma Circle
Robert Zahl
Amanda Martin
Debbie Cabebe
Harry Johnson
Karen Alohelaus Hue Sing
Sue Haylor
Bernard Koko
Mana Jo Mitchell
Sinehi Honda
Mikey Tomita
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Deaton K. Young
Nani Watanabe
Michael Ponciet
Gosha Sarna
Michelle Leonard
Laune Flores
Alysse Hetzel
Verna K. Nahulu
Tara Sabado
Debbie Okada
Clarence Fune
Roseline K. Frye
Joseph A. Frye Jr.
Charlee Stromberg
Debbie Hill
Sarah Shim
Mary Matsuhawa
Mark Kanno
Lyn McNeff
Marina Fernadez
Sandra Gorhi
Colleen Gorhi
Wanda McMaster
Nafetalai Finau
Karen Frias
Lawrence W. Booth
Na Hoaloha
Myles Inokuma
Marc Takamuri
Kaua’i County Public Meeting Participants – June 30, 2011
Name Affiliation
Greg DiSilvestri 635-TAXI
Christina Pilkington County of Kaua’i ADA Coordinator
Teri Yamashiro HCIL - Kaua’i
Debra Deluis Catholic Charities
James Fujita Kaua’i Medical Transport
Rhodora Rojas HCIL - Kaua’i
Celia Mahikoa Kaua’i County Transportation
Unidentified participant with hearing Resident
Page | 147
impairment
Mark Kanno Logisticare
Unidentified participant Resident
Kealoha Takahashi Kaua’i County Agency on Elderly Affairs
Additional participants did not sign in
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Appendix C: Provider Workshop Participants
Hawaii, Kaua’i and Maui Counties
Hawaii County Provider Workshop Participants
Name Affiliation
Tom Brown Hawaii County Department of Mass Transit
Lester Seto Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Center
Paula Uusitalo Hawaii Island Adult Care
Coran Kitaoka Coordinated Services for the Elderly
Roann Okamura Coordinated Services for the Elderly
Gretchen Lawson ARC of Kona
Karen Teshima Mayor’s Office
Wesley Tanigawa ARC of Hilo
Kaua’i County Provider Workshop Participants
Name Affiliation
Janine Rapozo Kaua’i County Transportation Agency
Kealoha Takahashi Kaua’i County Agency on Elderly Affairs
Terri Yamashiro Kaua’i Center for Independent Living
Rhodora Rojas Kaua’i Center for Independent Living
Christina Pilkington County ADA Coordinator
Lynn Kua Kaua’i Economic Opportunity
Greg DiSilvestri 635-Taxi
Wendy Akita Akita Enterprises
Maui County Provider Workshop Participants
Name Affiliation
Harry Johnson Roberts Hawaii
George Reioux Maui Economic Opportunities, Inc.
Sandy Baz Maui Economic Opportunities, Inc.
Roxann Kehus Easter Seals Hawaii, Maui Support Services
Darren Konno County of Maui, Department of Transportation
Jo Reyes County of Maui, Office on Aging
James Mariano County of Maui, Office on Aging
Mary Matsukawa Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities
Nani Watanabe Hawaii Centers for Independent Living
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Appendix D: Hawaii Statewide Transportation Plan
Goals and Objectives
Coordination Strategies Address HSTP Goals and Objectives
Goal 1:
Create and manage an
integrated multi-modal
transportation system that
provides mobility and
accessibility for people and
goods.
Objective 1:
Preserve and maintain the existing air, water, and land
transportation systems, including motorized and non-motorized
modes and measures in good condition or better, and give
comparable consideration to funding preservation capital projects
as is given to expansion projects.
Objective 2:
Ensure the provision of essential and critical air, land, and water
transportation operations and services for all communities
throughout the islands.
Objective 3:
Ensure multi-modal and intermodal connections for passengers
and commodities on the air, land, and water systems; and
formulate a program of multi-modal and intermodal projects,
including bicycle and walking options.
Objective 4:
Expand air, water, and land transportation systems where directed
growth and economic policies dictate.
Option 5:
Address the special needs of Hawaii’s underserved populations,
including the elderly, disabled, and
Title VI/Environmental Justice (T6/EJ) populations.
Objective 6:
Reduce congestion in the air, water, and land transportation
systems.
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Goal II:
Enhance the safety of the
air, land, and water
transportation systems.
Objective 1:
Enhance system and user safety at transportation facilities both
motorized and non-motorized, with the use of proper equipment,
technology, and physical hazard reduction; and implement priority
safety projects for each mode.
Objective 2:
Support and collaborate with all levels of government to identify
transportation routes and protocols for the safe movement of
hazardous materials.
Objective 3:
Continuously conduct assessment, preparedness, and emergency
response for natural disasters as part of all planning efforts.
Objective 4:
Use and consider a full range of transportation design techniques
to improve personal safety for all travelers.
Goal III:
Ensure the secure operation
and use of the air, land, and
water transportation
systems.
Objective 1:
Minimize risks of disruption of transportation to, from, and within
Hawaii due to terrorism and other human security threats and
events, as well as threats and events from natural causes.
Objective 2:
Work with Federal, State, and County agencies as well as tenants
to conduct vulnerability and risk assessments.
Objective 3:
Implement security policies and strategies to minimize risks and
threats of disruption of or damage to the transportation systems
while maintaining the intended function of the system.
Objective 4:
Provide continuous monitoring of critical infrastructure and
communications systems to provide for appropriate emergency
response capability.
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Goal IV:
Protect and enhance
Hawaii’s unique
environment and quality of
life.
Objective 1:
Ensure that the air, land and water transportation systems respect
environmental, natural, cultural and historic resources; and adopt
guidelines to alleviate environmental degradation caused by motor
vehicles.
Objective 2:
Implement sustainability and livability practices in existing and
new facilities, with “sustainability” defined as: “Respect the culture,
character, beauty, and history of our State’s island communities;
strikes a balance among economic social and community, and
environmental priorities; and meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.”
Objective 3:
Assess sustainability and livability for air, land and water
transportation facilities and operation practices.
Objective 4:
Support the programs of State and Federal natural resource
agencies; as well as support ongoing lines of communication and
coordination with these agencies.
Objective 5:
Encourage transportations systems that improve the quality of life,
public health, and welfare of Hawaii’s people, and that are
consistent with land use plans.
Objective 6:
Assist with streamlining environmental process by identifying
categories of environmental mitigation that include but are not
limited to critical habitat, environmentally sensitive areas, noise,
and pollution avoidance.
Objective 7:
Adapt to the effects of global climate change and build resilience
in the transportation system. Address the effects of a sea level
rise and extreme weather events anticipated to occur during and
by the end of the 21st Century on Hawaii’s air, land, and water
transportation facilities and provide responses to this threat in
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modal facility plans.
Goal V:
Ensure that the air, land,
and water transportation
facility systems support
Hawaii’s economy and
future growth objectives.
Objective 1:
Support the multi-modal transportation needs in the military,
tourism, agriculture, health, education, energy, and technology
sectors of Hawaii’s economy; and identify sector needs, current
and projected, as they relate to movement of people and goods.
Objective 2:
Create a commodity flow and freight handling system that is
dependable, efficient, economical, secure, and rapid for
connecting the ports, land transportation facilities, and
industrial/commercial land use and storage areas.
Objective 3:
Create a commodity flow and freight handling system that is
dependable, efficient, economical, secure, and rapid for
connecting the ports, land transportation facilities, and
industrial/commercial land use an storage areas.
Objective 4:
Create modern air, land, and water transportation systems that
are part of a positive visitor experience.
Goal VI:
Support the state’s energy
goal of 70% clean energy,
which includes 40T
produced by renewable
energy and a 30% increase
in energy-efficiency,
ensuring the reliability and
security of energy sources.
Objective 1:
Support the national goal to reduce transportation-related
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reliance on freight oil.
Objective 2:
Actively pursue actions in transportation which help to achieve the
State Clean Energy Goal of 40% renewable energy by 2030; and
use integrated action plans from DBEDT’s Lead by Example
Energy Initiatives with priority transportation actions that would
support the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI).
Objective 3:
Identify ways to increase energy efficiency by 30% at
transportation facilities; and identify projects and programs for
increased efficiency of energy in support of the Hawaii Clean
Energy Initiative (HCEI), Leadership in Energy & Environmental
Design (LEED), and other green initiatives for more efficient use of
energy.
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Objective 4:
Expand the use of alternative fuel and electric vehicles; provide
electric recharging at transportation facilities.
Objective 5:
Use opportunities where and when practicable and available, to
use solar (heating and photovoltaic), wind, geothermal, and ocean
resources to supply power to create electricity for transportation
facilities.
Goal VII:
Create secure, flexible, and
sustainable revenues and
funding sources for
transportation needs.
Objective 1:
Develop a statewide framework for long-range financial
forecasting; and within this framework, distinguish between
system preservation, capacity enhancement, and modernization
needs that are funded from user-financing (Harbors and Airports)
and user tax financing (Highways and Transit).
Objective 2:
Identify sources and develop and secure funding for the
sustainable deliver, maintenance, operation, rehabilitation and
replacement, and expansion of the state transportation systems.
Objective 3:
Ensure funding for the safety and security of the state
transportation systems.
Objective 4:
Maximize the use of Federal programs and funding for needed
transportation infrastructure; use Federal non-recurring initiatives
and funding sources such as American Recover and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and report on project and program
achievements.
Objective 5:
Study the reliability and viability of future transportation financing
streams and funding and consider scenarios for innovative and
non-traditional financing.
Objective 6:
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Achieve project readiness in support of new funding sources as
they come available; and report on achievements of project
completion.
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Appendix E: Needs Review Survey
Transportation Needs Review
This transportation needs review survey is part of the State of Hawaii Coordinated Public Transit-
Human Services Transportation Plan, a plan for improving services for older adults, people with
disabilities and individuals with low incomes. More information about the project will soon be
available at hawaiirides.org. For immediate answers to your questions, contact Meagan Eliot at
meagane@fltconsulting.com or (877) 532-2863.
Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. Your response will be used to evaluate the
information gathered through meetings with local service providers and public meeting(s) held in
your county. All of this information will be incorporated in the State of Hawaii Coordinated Public
Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan. No responses will be attributed to any individuals.
PLEASE EMAIL/MAIL YOUR RESPONSE TO MEAGAN ELIOT NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 22,
2010: Email: meagane@fltconsulting.com Mailing address: 7101 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA
98103
Transportation Needs
Please review the attached public meeting results summary and respond to the following questions.
1. Are
there
any
additional
needs
that
were
not
included
in
the
list
of
needs
in
each
stated
category?
Yes
No
Unsure
2. If
yes
or
unsure,
please
describe
the
need(s)
that
appear(s)
to
be
missed.
3. Do
you
agree
with
the
priorities
identified
in
the
public
meeting(s)?
Yes
No
Unsure
4.
If
no,
which
priorities
would
you
say
are
most
important
to
be
addressed
by
public
transit
and/or
human
service
transportation
providers?
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5. Is there anything else we should consider when we are developing strategies to address the
needs identified in this process?
About You
The following questions will help us understand your thoughts about transportation needs for older
adults, people with disabilities and low-income individuals. Please respond as much as you feel
comfortable.
6. What county do you live in?
Maui
Hawaii
Kauai
7. How old are you?
Under 60 years old
60 years of age or older
8. Do you consider yourself to have a low income or
fixed income? (If you are receiving any kind of public
financial assistance, please answer yes.)
Yes
No
9. Do you consider yourself to have some kind of a
disability?
Yes
No
10. Does your age, income level or physical ability
affect your ability to get where you need to go?
Yes, all the time
Yes, sometimes
No, not yet
11. If you work for a transportation or social service
provider, which population(s) do you provide services
to? Please check all that apply.
Older adults
People with disabilities
Individuals with low incomes
Not a service provider
12. How do you get where you need to go now?
Please check all that apply.
Drive alone
Carpool
Bus
Friend/family member drives
Bike
Walk
Other
Thank you for participating in this survey!
Results will be available on hawaiirides.org after October 22, 2010.
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