Earlier this week, I got a letter published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser
http://www.staradvertiser.com/editorialspremium/letterspremium/20120502_Letters_to_the_Editor.html?id=149774195&c=n
http://www.staradvertiser.com/editorialspremium/letterspremium/20120502_Letters_to_the_Editor.html?id=149774195&c=n
Keep bus routes that serve riders
Proposed changes to TheBus
routes are said to prevent an increase in fares ("Changes afoot to
TheBus routes ‘not a done deal,'" Star-Advertiser, April 20). But
some of the proposed changes are so wrong, that I'd rather pay slightly
more for my monthly bus pass.
Do not end No. 4 at
McCully/Kalakaua. A lot of University of Hawaii students use No. 4 to go
to Waikiki. Same with Makiki/Moiliili residents.
Do not cut Palolo off from the
No. 9 route. Palolo residents need more access to the outside areas than
just a shuttle. They need buses that can go directly to places
outside their communities.
Ending No. 3 at Kapiolani
Community College is not OK. You are cutting off access to Kaimuki
residents who live between the college and Waialae Avenue, many of
whom are elderly residents who can't walk two blocks.
Hopefully, the bus officials will listen to us and keep those routes.
Pablo Wegesend
Moiliili
Moiliili
There was a word-limit for letters to the editors, so there's another thing I want to mention.
There was an idea of getting rid of the B-express bus, which runs the same route as #2 bus. Those buses run from School Street (in Kalihi) to Waikiki!
I used to live near School Street, and I remember having to take #2 bus to school back when I was a student at McKinley High School! I was living in Lanakila Housing (aka Puahala Homes) at the time.
Even though Lanakila was closer to Farrington High School it was districted to McKinley High School because Farrington was (and still is) over-crowded, so some parts of Kalihi (like Lanakila, Palama, Mayor Wrights) were assigned to McKinley High School instead of the much closer Farrington High School!
Even though Lanakila was closer to Farrington High School it was districted to McKinley High School because Farrington was (and still is) over-crowded, so some parts of Kalihi (like Lanakila, Palama, Mayor Wrights) were assigned to McKinley High School instead of the much closer Farrington High School!
Back when I was in high school (late 1990s), there was no B-express bus!
And we didn't have the long buses that we have now!
And the #2 buses were SUPER-CROWDED back then, WAY MORE CROWDED than recent times!
The #2 bus passes by multiple housing projects like Lanakila, Kuhio Park Terrace and Mayor Wright's Housing, so that means it serves communities in which many residents can't afford a car! That meant crowded buses!
And that meant catching the bus at 6:45 (when school starts at 8:15). If you caught the #2 bus afterwards you'll be seeing mega-crowded buses pass by and even if you board a #2 bus, you'll be standing in the bus for at least 45 minutes! And you'll be late to school!
And that meant catching the bus at 6:45 (when school starts at 8:15). If you caught the #2 bus afterwards you'll be seeing mega-crowded buses pass by and even if you board a #2 bus, you'll be standing in the bus for at least 45 minutes! And you'll be late to school!
That meant in the early 2000's, the folks running TheBus put a B-express bus to give additional service to the residents of School Street. FINALLY!
But now the geniuses running TheBus want to eliminate the B-express buses?! Screw that!
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As for the #4 route (which zig-zags from Nuuanu,downtown, Makiki, UH-Manoa, Mo'ili'ili, and Waikiki) those same geniuses who advocate getting rid of the B-express want to ELIMINATE SERVICE going from UH-Manoa to Waikiki!
EXTREMELY STUPID IDEA!
Don't those "geniuses" at TheBus realize how many UH students either live or visit Waikiki?
The #4 buses going from Waikiki to UH are MEGA-CROWDED in the mornings! Many of them are exchange students who live in student-oriented apartments in Waikiki!
As for the UH students who live on campus, where do those students like to go on Friday and Saturday nights?
In Waikiki, DUH!
“I’m very concerned about if they don’t come to Waikīkī anymore, then I need to maybe … transfer buses to come to UH,” said Sakiko Sugihara, a psychology major who lives in Waikīkī and rides the bus to school.
If the proposed changes go through, route 4 will terminate at the McCully/Kalākaua stop, instead of going into Waikīkī as
it now does. Another proposed change would hopefully make up for this:
Route 13, which currently circles through the Kapahulu area, would
continue on to Kaimukī High School, Kapi‘olani Community College, and then up University Avenue and along Dole Street.
Even with the changes to route 13, some
have reacted negatively. “I have noticed how crowded that bus gets (to
unhealthy levels in my opinion) and have actually requested TheBus add another bus in those peak hours,” said Paul Perretta,
a community member who comes to the UH campus to do research, in an
email. “Now we are told that route 4 will no longer go through Waikīkī, where many UH students have dorms – not forgetting the Makiki, Mānoa folk who work in Waikīkī.”
Notice the part highlighted in green! The #4 bus gets MEGA-CROWDED in certain occassions.
For example - Halloween! Waikiki is where the action is on Halloween! That's where all the college students want to be on Halloween night!
and I know from experience that the #4 bus gets EXTREMELY CROWDED on Halloween, it's so bad that the #4 bus can't even pick up any extra riders after it leaves University/Metcalf bus stop! And those bus stops after University/Metcalf are FILLED with TONS of people who are ANGRY that they waited so long for a bus, and the bus doesn't stop for them because IT'S CROWDED AS HELL!
This also happens whenever there are other night events in Waikiki, like the Pro Bowl block party, Aloha Week Hoolaulea, and much more! The #4 buses are OVER CAPACITY and skipping bus stops that have a lot of people waiting!
And the geniuses at TheBus want to cut off bus services that goes from UH to Waikiki?
THEY SHOULD BE ADDING MORE BUSES ON THAT ROUTE!
I know, money is the issue! But I know from experience that the areas served by B-express and the #4 bus (ESPECIALLY going from UH to Waikiki) has TONS OF CUSTOMERS!
Private business go where there are TONS OF CUSTOMERS! That's not where the routes should be eliminated!
