One new vehicle coming, but it’s not enough By DENNIS WILKEN – TGI Staff Writer The Kaua’i County Council has approved the county Office of Community Assistance’s request to apply for and receive a Federal Transit Administration grant of $150,400
One new vehicle coming, but it’s
not enough
By DENNIS WILKEN – TGI Staff Writer
The Kaua’i County Council has approved the county Office of Community Assistance’s request to apply for and receive a Federal Transit Administration grant of $150,400 that will be used for the purchase of a public transit bus.
The grant plan, which also will be applied toward the administrative and operational expenses of Kaua’i’s Transportation Agency, was authorized Thursday by the council.
But then a four-way discussion of the island’s aging bus fleet ensued between Community Assistance director Mattie Yoshioka, Janine Rapozo, the county’s transportation executive, and Councilmen Randal Valenciano and Gary Hooser.
“Are there any plans, with this new bus, to increase service or to have weekend or evening service?” Hooser asked.
Yoshioka said the bus agency has been “very busy” relocating to its new headquarters near Vidinha Stadium, “once we are in, we will look at” increasing service.
Hooser said he has received queries about increased service from citizens who couldn’t go to the recent Kaua’i County Farm Bureau Fair at night or on the weekend.
Hooser also speculated that with the projected economic downturn, more people will need bus service.
But Yoshioka said the new bus won’t be a solution to existing route limitations, or even an additional vehicle for the bus fleet.
“The bus on the agenda is a replacement bus. We have 20 buses” that are 1994 models or older, she said. The price of a new bus is $80,000, she added.
“What is the life expectancy of a bus? I know we purchased a number of buses right after the hurricane,” Valenciano asked.
“The useful life of a bus is 150,000 miles or five years,” Rapozo replied. She also said the county is attempting to update the fleet by three or four other buses by seeking federal grants.
Another possibility, Rapozo said, are some 1996 buses with 150,000 miles that are being retired by an Oahu bus line.
“We are running some buses with more than 200,000 miles,” Rapozo said.
Yoshioka said the county is working on a proposal to seek federal funds for 20 buses and to improve some of the county’s existing bus shelters and bus stops.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
