Council hints at need to expand service
by Nathan Eagle – THE GARDEN ISLAND
Soaring fuel prices. Swelling traffic congestion. Status quo bus budget.
After commending county Transportation Agency Executive Janine Rapozo for her management of The Kaua‘i Bus, County Council members yesterday questioned why her funding requests for next fiscal year do not seek to more aggressively expand service throughout the island.
The morning session, which also featured the Agency on Elderly Affairs and the Housing Agency, concluded the council’s first round of departmental budget reviews. Call-back hearings for some department heads to answer outstanding questions start with the mayor’s overview at 1:30 p.m. today at the Historic County Building.
Bus ridership has climbed from 150,000 annual trips in 2000 to 314,000 annual trips over the past 12 months, Rapozo said.
Some lines have become standing room only and on rare occasions passengers have been asked to catch the next bus, she added.
With at least an hour between buses, this means a long wait at the stop and an uncertain trickle down effect.
Riders need reliability, Councilman Tim Bynum said, noting that the county receives “the biggest bang for the buck” when residents take the bus to work.
If more people ride the bus, more cars are off the road and “everyone’s commute is better,” he said, adding that he realizes more lines will not be cheap.
“I’m concerned about meeting that capacity at a time when oil prices are rising and traffic is a huge concern in the community,” he said.
Rapozo said she could not estimate how much it would cost the county to dramatically boost its heavily subsidized bus service.
It would depend on multiple variables, she said, including whether buses would be added to arrive at stops every half hour or 15 minutes.
The agency’s proposed $4.93 million budget includes state and federal grant money. The county’s share is $3.45 million, or 70 percent.
The increases to the agency’s proposed budget, roughly $440,000 over this fiscal year for the county portion, are predominantly from fixed costs going up.
The price of diesel fuel, for instance, has risen from $2.90 per gallon in January 2007 to $3.78 per gallon in March 2008 — costing the county roughly $8,782 extra per month on average.
The agency used 8,623 gallons in January 2007 at a cost of $24,985. Last month, the agency used 9,881 gallons at a cost of $37,306. The extra fuel is due to added bus routes.
Four new 25-passenger buses were added last month to bring the county’s fleet up to 45. They were placed on the Westside and north mainline routes where ridership is high, a March 21 news release states.
Councilman Jay Furfaro said the agency’s proposed budget would only amount to a net gain of three buses after factoring in the retirement of aging vehicles. There is a 20 percent match for federal funds for such capital expenses.
Fourteen vehicles in the fleet have more than 200,000 miles, Rapozo said.
The federal government’s retirement plan for vehicles is five years or 150,000 miles for smaller buses and seven years or 250,000 miles for bigger buses.
The agency is looking to do six-month and annual bus passes “to try to make things more convenient for our riders,” Rapozo said.
She added that efforts are underway to shorten the hourly interval to every 30 minutes during morning and afternoon commute times.
“It’s a really important alternative for businesses and households,” Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura said, praising the agency’s management.
The county sells $15 monthly bus passes.
For the mainline routes, individual fares are $1.50 for adults. Seniors and youths ages seven to 18 pay 75 cents for one-way travel. Children 6 and under ride free when accompanied by an adult.
Fares for the shuttle routes are 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for seniors and youths ages 7 to 18.
The Kaua‘i Bus operates 5:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. On Saturdays and most holidays, it runs on a reduced schedule. There is no bus service on Sundays and major holidays.
Brochures listing bus routes are available on all county buses and at a number of businesses around the island, including Big Save, Kukui Grove Center and Safeway.
For more information about The Kaua‘i Bus, call 241-6410 or visit www.kauai.gov.
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com
