LIHU’E — Kanani Kuamo’o, 44, could drive his vehicle to the beach to socialize with friends, or drive to work in Wailua, where he is employed as a kayak-tour guide. But, as an “alternative,” he favors taking The Kaua’i Bus.
LIHU’E — Kanani Kuamo’o, 44, could drive his vehicle to the beach to socialize with friends, or drive to work in Wailua, where he is employed as a kayak-tour guide.
But, as an “alternative,” he favors taking The Kaua’i Bus.
Rose Chancy, 21, of Kapa’a, takes the bus, and car-pools, to get around the island.
For $1.50, the price of a one-way bus ticket, both can get to just about any place on the island. For another $1.50, they can get home. That is less than the cost of a gallon of gas.
County officials said Kuamo’o and Clancy may become part of a new wave of riders of public transportation on Kaua’i, the result of soaring gas prices.
Janine Rapozo, the executive on transportation for the County of Kaua’i Offices of Community Assistance, said those in her office have been fielding calls from residents who are looking at ways they might incorporate the bus service into their daily schedules.
“We’ve been getting more calls from the community since fuel costs started to rise,” Rapozo said. “Ridership has risen marginally over the last two weeks.”
To address the increased interest in The Kaua’i Bus, county transportation officials are now examining their routes and times, and will be announcing changes in the near future, Rapozo said.
“It’s been a while since any changes were made,” said Celia Mahikoa, an accountant with the transportation agency, “so it’s good that we’re doing this.”
The timing of the changes seems perfect, as five new buses were added to the county fleet this week, officials said.
Two of the buses are larger. One can accommodate 31 passengers, and the other 20, while the other buses have a smaller capacity, 14 riders, and will be used for para-transit services for seniors and disabled persons, officials said.
“The new buses have replaced aging buses, and are being used on our busiest routes,” Rapozo said.
Like the previous shipment of buses received in June of this year, the recent additions were paid for largely by funds from leaders of the Federal Transit Administration, with the $338,211 in FTA funds matched with $84,553 in county funds through an 80/20 matching-grant program.
Rapozo said eight more replacement buses are on order for next year, as a result of an increase in federal funding to $1.4 million. The county’s share will be $280,000.
U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawai’i, last week announced federal grants for all the counties in Hawai’i, with Kaua’i officials to get several, 33-passenger buses, and one transit-support vehicle, dispatching computer hardware and software, and funds for bus-stop improvements.
Currently, county officials have 15 vehicles, with passengers making around 231,300 one-way trips a year.
John Winczewski, who’s been a full-time driver with the transportation agency for two years, encourages residents and residents to check out The Kaua’i Bus.
“It’s the best deal on the island, and there are a lot of nice people who ride the bus,” he said.
A 24-year-old Kalaheo man, who asked not to be identified, was among a handful of residents, including Kuamo’o and Clancy, who waited for bus service at Kukui Grove Center yesterday morning.
“I take the bus because sometimes it is easier,” said the Kalaheo man. “I don’t have to drive.”
He said the cost of the one-way ticket is “cheap,” when one considers how expensive gas has gotten, along with insurance rates.
Monthly bus passes are available for sale at the Kaua’i County Department of Finance offices in the Lihu’e Civic Center”s Mo’ikeha Building. The cost of a monthly pass is $15 per rider.
Individual fares are $1.50 for adults, one-way. Seniors and youths ages 7 to 18 pay 75 cents one-way, and children 6 and under ride free when accompanied by an adult.
The Kaua’i Bus operates Monday through Friday, 5:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. On Saturdays, it runs on a reduced schedule, while no service is offered on Sundays and holidays observed by county leaders.
Brochures listing all bus routes are available on county buses, and at a number of businesses around the island, including the Big Save and Safeway stores, and shops at Kukui Grove Center.
For more information, please call the Kaua’i County Transportation Agency, 241-6410.
