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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-01-12 Transportation Commission Meeting Minutes TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES JANUARY 12, 2026, 1:00 P.M. MASS TRANSIT AGENCY 2299 HO'OLAULIMA ROAD, HILO, HI 96720,AND ZOOM A video recording of this meeting is available which can be viewed on the Hele-On YouTube channel at: https://youtli.be/Lgn5ZhKfJ8 ?sg i=fxt imgjKNOW07Xs CALL TO ORDER Chair Terlep called the meeting to order at 1:11 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Matthew Terlep, Chair John McBride, Commissioner Roselyn Molina, Commissioner Chelsea Ahern, Commissioner Lloyd Matsubara, Commissioner Absent: Kristy Cruz, Commissioner A quorum was present. Also present: Zachary Bergum, Mass Transit Administrator Jennifer Martin, Transit Fleet& Facilities Manager Keyra Wong, Deputy Corporation Counsel Thaysha Genegabuas, Secretary STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC/PUBLIC TESTIMONY Chair Terlep at 1:11 p.m. introduced this item with two public members present at the Mass Transit Agency and two public members present on Zoom. Testifiers were given the option to speak at this time or during the agenda item. There were no statements made from the public. Chair Terlep moved onto the next agenda item. NEW BUSINESS 1. Review taxicab applications for NEW Certificate of Public Convenience& Necessity to operate in the County of Hawai'i. 1. Renante Gedaria on behalf of Seven Chips Transport and Tours LLC (1) 2. Leo Morales Sadoy on behalf of Dustin Taxi (1) Chair Terlep at 1:12 p.m., introduced this item. Renante Gedaria was present on behalf of Seven Chips Transport and Tours LLC and Leo Morales Sadoy was present on behalf of Dustin Taxi. Chair Terlep made a motion to approve the applications presented, as to which Commissioner Matsubara seconded. No discussion and a voice vote was taken. At 1:14 p.m., the motion was carried unanimously. 2. Revocation of the following Certificates of Public Convenience & Necessity due to the discontinuance by the carrier of the business of transporting passengers as a common carrier of passengers operating upon and using the public highways for a period of thirty (30) consecutive days or more or failure to renew his/her taxicab license for the year. (FY 2025-2026) 1. CH427-MD Asaduzzaman dba A-P Taxi (I)-Not present. 2. CH97- Danilo & Evelyn Blanco dba D & E Taxi (I)-Not present. 3. CH389-Antonia Imada dba Donna's Taxi (I)-Not present. 4. CH610-Generoso Garcia dba Gene's Taxi (I)-Not present. Submitted a letter to commissioners for an extension due to vehicle mechanical issue. 5. CH647-Rhoniel Arenas dba Kayden Taxi (I)-Not present. 6. CH420, CH421, CH469-John Breslin dba Kona Taxicab LLC (3)-Not present. 7. CH509, CH511-Roylin Kunishige dba Kwiki Taxi (2)-Not present. 8. CH644-Larry Domingo dba Loren's Taxi (I)-Not present. 9. CH415, CH456-Maria Ancheta dba Mea's Taxi (2)-Not present. 10. CH486, CH545, CH546, CH547, CH607, CH616, CH617, CH618, CH619, CH627, CH628, CH637, CH638, CH639, CH640, CH641-Randy Lucero dba R&L Taxi (I 6)-Not present. 11. CH581-Stan Shigeishi dba Stan's Taxi (I)-Not present. 12. CH74-Wilson Bernisto dba Wil's Taxi (I)-Not present. 13. CH624-Joanne Soriano dba Xyleanne Taxi (I)-Not present. 14. CH573-Jonas Montgomery dba Yagi Hawaii (I)-Not present. Chair Terlep at 1:14 p.m., introduced this item. Chair Terlep made a motion to revoke all of the certificates except for item 44 CH610, as to which Commissioner McBride seconded. No discussion and a voice vote was taken. At 1:16 p.m., the motion was carried unanimously. Chair Terlep at 1:17 p.m. stated Mr. Garcia submitted a letter to the commission on December 2, 2025. Commissioner McBride asked how long Mr. Garcia's car was down and what kind of car it was. Administrator Bergum stated it was a 2016 Mercedes van. Secretary Genegabuas stated that Mr. Garcia did not renew by June 30, 2025, and did not renew up until the day of the meeting. Chair Terlep stated that the decision would be to allow Mr. Garcia to renew or to include him in the revocations. Commissioner McBride suggested that if Mr. Garcia went over the 30 days, then he would need to reapply. Deputy Corporation Counsel Wong asked if Mr. Garcia was requesting a hearing. Secretary Genegabuas stated that Mr. Garcia would not have been able to make it to the meeting, but he was given a 15-day notice of the meeting. Commissioner Matsubara asked why Mr. Garcia was not renewing his license and asked if it was because Mr. Garcia's car was not running yet. Secretary Genegabuas stated that Mr. Garcia's car was down and that he is also a full-time Hele-On bus driver. Commissioner McBride stated that it has been over 6 months. Commissioner Matsubara stated it is now January and Mr. Garcia still has not renewed so you would think that he would need to submit a new application. Secretary Genegabuas stated that what Mr. Garcia wants to do is to keep CH610 and when he is ready to renew he would. Commissioner Matsubara stated that it would be unfair to everyone else. Commissioner McBride stated if the commission makes one exception for him then they will have to make an exception for everyone else. Commissioner Matsubara asked if the commission was going to allow a one-time only or allow a new practice going forward. Administrator Bergum stated that the commission would want to be consistent. Commissioner Matsubara stated that by 6 months you would want to revoke. Deputy Corporation Counsel Wong stated that the commission has the authority to revoke, and it is ultimately up to the commission. Chair Terlep stated that the question posed is to allow and defer to next meeting to give him an opportunity or revoke his license. Commissioner McBride at 1:24 p.m. made a motion to revoke CH610, as to which Commissioner Matsubara seconded. No further discussion and a voice vote was taken. At 1:24 p.m., the motion was carried unanimously. 3. Revocation of the following Certificates of Public Convenience & Necessity due to the failure to obtain a taxicab license for the current year within thirty days after the certificate is granted and failure to obtain a taxicab license after submission of a written request for extension. 1. CH651, CH652, CH653, CH654, CH655-Randy Lucero dba R&L Taxi (5)-Not present. 2. CH659-Tom Diaz dba Sunrise Taxi (I)-Not present. Chair Terlep at 1:24 p.m., introduced this item. Commissioner McBride made a motion to revoke the certificates, as to which Commissioner Matsubara seconded. No discussion and a voice vote was taken. At 1:26 p.m., the motion was carried unanimously. 4. Discussion regarding operators holding dual licenses on one vehicle (Taxi& PUC). Chair Terlep at 1:26 p.m., introduced this item and opened the floor for discussion. Commissioner McBride stated that he requested this item be placed on the agenda and that what is seen is a dual license with one vehicle. He suggested that companies have one vehicle for a taxi and if they would like to operate as a PUC then they would need to get another vehicle. Commissioner McBride stated that PUC is State regulated whereas taxis are regulated by the County. Commissioner McBride stated that the complaint that has come to him from the tour companies is that they feel like there are taxis lining up in taxi lines who are doing tours. Commissioner McBride stated that if you are lining up in a taxi line then you should only operate as a taxi. Mr. Gedaria stated that he has a PUC also. He stated that PUC holders have a lot of out-of-state companies that contact them who don't want the taxi rates. He stated that one advantage of PUC is when an out-of-state customer calls and wants to know a price PUC operators can give a flat rate right away. If at that time they are waiting at the airport for customers and they receive a call, they can give a flat rate and then get off of the line and use their PUC. He stated that being a dual-purpose vehicle helps because taxi operators cannot rely solely on airports because it is not always busy and they compete with Uber also. He stated that most times he will have prearranged customers with a preset price. These PUC holders are also members of the Western Motor Tariff Bureau who have standard pricing guidelines of how much they can charge. Mr. Gedaria stated that yes, some taxis are doing both but if PUC and taxis were more regulated that would be good. Commissioner McBride asked if there was a monitor for taxis. Administrator Bergum asked if the line Commissioner McBride was referring to was the line at the pier. He stated that the County does not have jurisdiction over a pier that is state run but that is something that can be voiced if it is not working the way it should and people are not being held accountable. Commissioner McBride stated the taxis need to be monitored but there is no one who is monitoring them and suggested making a policy which provides clear designation of taxis and PUCs. Commissioner McBride stated that most tour companies will purchase another vehicle if they are doing something else. Deputy Corporation Counsel Wong asked if under the PUC rules does it mandate that only one vehicle be used. Mr. Gedaria stated that with PUC you can have the same number and add more vehicles. Commissioner McBride stated that under PUC you need to have a DOT number. Chair Terlep stated that this discussion was all state level jurisdictions and the framework the commission would need to stay in is how this affects the taxicab licensing. Commissioner McBride stated that what he is trying to do is to keep everyone in their boundaries. Chair Terlep asked Mr. Gedaria what percentage of revenue he would expect to receive from PUC and taxi. Mr. Gedaria stated for PUC it would be about 60 percent and for taxicab about 40-50 percent. No further discussion and Chair Terlep at 1:38 p.m. closed the discussion. MASS TRANSIT ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT Chair Terlep at 1:38 p.m., introduced this item. Administrator Bergum reported on the following: Follow up: • Update on Hele-On's fare-free program. Extended to December 31, 2028. • Update on Kona transit hub progress. Originally looking at an area of land that was in front of the old K-Mart in Kona. Mass Transit is also exploring other options near the West Hawaii Civic Center. • Update on Pahoa transit hub progress. CATEX is currently with the FTA for approval. Once approved Mass Transit can move onto the land acquisition phase. • Update regarding the improvement of bus stops and bus shelters. Mass Transit is currently working with DPW to get 5 bus shelters installed in 5 months. Mass Transit completed one constructed shelter at Mud Lane in Waimea.Mass Transit is currently looking to install a bus shelter in Papaikou northbound and southbound on Hwy 19, at the Ainaloa roundabout northbound and southbound, and at Volcano village. These are currently the next shelters on the improvement list that will be completed. • Update on the Micro transit program. Mass Transit is currently waiting for a notice to proceed to purchase vans. Mass Transit is hoping to purchase 6 vans for the micro transit program. Microtransit will help people who live in more rural areas. The micro transit program will bring passengers to the nearest official bus stop which they can then take the bus to their final destination. • Update on Mass Transit Agency's vehicle fleet. Mass Transit is working on procuring 7 refurbished MCI buses which should be arriving at the end of June 2026. Mass Transit is also looking at procuring 7 hybrid buses and 3 additional diesel buses. Commissioner McBride at 1:41 p.m. asked if Hybrid is diesel as to which Administrator Bergum stated that it is a little bit of both like cars a diesel hybrid. New report: • Bus blessing in October 2025 of 9 paratransit vans and 4 battery electric buses. • Administrative Services Assistant I hired in November 2025. This position has been vacant for a couple of years. • Accountant I hired in January 2026. • Mass Transit Agency's annual ADA training will be held on January 29, 2026-February 5, 2026, for Mass Transit Agency's employees and its contractors. This training will also incorporate Title VI, Anti-Discrimination and Harassment training provided by the County of Hawaii Human Resources Department. During this training Mass Transit will stop services for one day. • Update on Hele-On's bus route modifications &ridership. Mass Transit is currently looking at ridership and routes to modify to better fit community needs. • Update on Mass Transit Agency's Battery Electric Bus charging station. Mass Transit currently uses a mobile charger. Mass Transit has been running the battery electric buses on the Kona side. On a trial run on saddle road the bus arrived in Kona with an 80 percent charge left on the battery. The bus was recharged at Roberts Hawaii in Kona,which took one hour to charge it back to 100 percent. The bus then arrived back in Hilo with a 79 percent charge left on the battery. Mass Transit will be running some of the buses in Kona for daily operations. Commissioner McBride at 1:43 p.m. asked if it was an empty bus, as to which Administrator Bergum answered yes it was an empty bus. • Hele-On vehicle/road audits; driver's hours, and passenger behavior report. After a driver has 8 hours of rest, there is no more than 10 hours behind the wheel driving time. Road audits and bus inspections are completed as well as driver knowledge checks of wheelchair lifts. Chair Terlep at 1:44 p.m. asked the commissioners if there were any questions. Commissioner McBride asked if the drivers were staying within their hours and if the drivers fill out their reports as to which Administrator Bergum stated that Mass Transit must closely monitor that and everything is tracked. Commissioner Molina asked if the bus drivers wait for the designated pick-up times as there have been issues with drivers leaving early causing riders to miss the bus. Administrator Bergum stated that there are associated times with each stop. Commissioner Molina stated that in this incident she called Hele-On who stated there was another bus on its way, so the passengers were able to get onto the next bus going to the same destination. She stated that she just wants to make sure that the new hires are aware of the designated pick-up times. Administrator Bergum thanked Commissioner Molina for providing that information and asked Commissioner Molina if she was able to catch the day or time of the pickups to please share and Mass Transit would be happy to track that down. Commissioner McBride asked what the protocol was for a rider that is rude. Administrator Bergum stated that Mass Transit has Rules of the Road and exercises trespass notices for the safety and security of the drivers and other passengers. He stated that there is security on some of the buses who can intervene and communicate with the driver who then communicates with dispatch and police. He stated that in this kind of situation it can be arranged where there will be police at the next bus stop or location to pull over where police can intervene and issue a trespass notice. Commissioner McBride expressed concern about the female drivers in the early mornings and late evenings and asked if they are trained to handle passengers on the bus. Administrator Bergum responded yes and that Robert's Hawai'i, the contractor for the Hele-On bus is who does the hiring of drivers and conducting of training. Emma Waters a Healthy and Active Living Coordinator with Hawaii Public Health Institute (HEAL Coalition) stated a lot of people bring up safety issues and concerns when transportation is free. Mrs. Waters asked if safety problems increased when Mass Transit went fare free. Administrator Bergum stated that Mass Transit did not see a big difference. He stated that some differences that were seen were that it is beneficial to have more people who want to ride the bus and that Mass Transit encourages people to ride the bus so then in turn it's lighter on the traffic. Mrs. Waters stated that it may be a fear for some people with the thought that people experiencing homelessness are going to be on the bus and kids are going to be on it hanging out and causing trouble. Administrator Bergum stated that sometimes there are problems with homelessness, sometimes with school-aged kids, and sometimes with service animals, it really depends on the situation, but he feels that Mass Transit is moving in the right direction and the previous years of being fare free he believes has been great. No further questions. Chair Terlep at 1:51 p.m., moved onto the next agenda item. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Chair Terlep at 1:51 p.m., introduced this item. Chair Terlep asked the commissioners for any suggestions on agenda items for the next meeting. Chair Terlep announced that the commission will need to elect a new chair and suggested the commission start thinking about nominees for a new chair. NEXT MEETING Chair Terlep at 1:51 p.m. announced that the next meeting is scheduled for March 2026. Chair Terlep asked for suggestions for the next meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for Friday March 27, 2026. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner McBride at 1:53 p.m. made a motion to adjourn, as to which commissioner Matsubara seconded. The motion was carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 1:53 p.m. Minutes prepared by: Thaysha Genegabuas, Secretary