http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2012/05/bus-route-insanity.html
This morning Star Advertiser's mentions the harm done by the changes proposed to route #14.
The #14 bus route takes the scenic route from St. Louis Heights to Waikiki to Diamond Head to Kahala to Kaimuki to Maunalani Heights. The proposed changes will end to scenic route, and will just go directly from St Louis Heights to Maunalani Heights.
This route change will severely affect the most vulnerable population of all ------- the developmentally disabled, many of who rely on The Arc, a community service center which is located near Diamond Head, and will be cut off the #14 route if the changes take effect.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/20120715__Unpopular_cuts_could_swing_votes.html?id=162502916
The planned Route 14 changes have particularly alarmed officials at The Arc in Hawaii's Honolulu Center Day Program on Diamond Head Road, which relies on those buses to pick up Arc's disabled clients for shopping and other excursions.
The Arc program teaches clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities to become more self-sufficient. Becky Tyksinski, director of development, said teaching clients to navigate the bus system is an important part of the training.
Route 14 covers destinations that the Arc clients need to go without requiring transfers, including Kahala Mall, shopping areas along Kapahulu, the local libraries and Waikiki Beach, she said. The buses normally aren't crowded, which means they can accommodate two wheelchairs and a group of Arc clients.
Yoshioka said the city hopes to resolve the disagreement over the Arc and Route 14 "with a positive discussion." He said city officials are providing replacement service for the route that they believe will be just as effective as the old Route 14.
Tyksinski said those city proposals aren't workable because they would require clients to use stops that are more than a half-mile from the center. Many of the clients are in wheelchairs or walkers, or have vision problems.
"You have to really look at it from the health and safety point of view as well," she said. "We're taking away the access."
What also piss me off is that Mr Yoshioka, a transit official that was quoted above, had also said at a town-hall meeting, that the proposed bus route cuts will NOT be restored in the future, because "the long-term plan is rail". Here is the link
http://honoluluweekly.com/letters/2012/07/railgate-2/
TheBus is taking a back seat to rail. At the May 3 Downtown Neighborhood Board meeting, an audience member asked City Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka when we could expect the bus route cancellations and changes to be reversed. Mr. Yoshioka replied that the long-term plan is rail, there is no plan to restore the service. Buses are overcrowded, seniors are relinquishing seats to seniors, riders are forced to transfer and wait time is extended. By the time rail arrives there won’t be any complaints about lack of seating, as riders will be used to not being able to sit on the buses.
Lynne Matusow
Honolulu, HI
And the rail wasn't going to serve the community around Diamond Head anyways, yet the city officials want to take away the #14 bus service away from The Arc that serves the developmentally disabled!
And the bus services are also hurting the elderly in Kaimuki (which faces cuts in #3 and #14 bus services), as was mentioned in another of today's Star Advertiser's articles!
http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/20120715__Rail_project_is_failing_to_win_approval_from_vital_kupuna.html
"That choo-choo train, that thing cannot come by my house. Cannot go up the street pick up my friends. That's only one track, that thing. Billions they spending on that thing and cannot go where I need it to go, but then they cut the bus service. I can make it to the end of my street catch bus but I cannot go more far than that. They need the money, raise the bus fare! People would pay! I cannot drive. I no need go Kapolei. No make sense, dat."
The general well-being of our disabled and elderly of East Oahu are being sacrificed to fulfill the rail fantasies of Mayor Peter Carlisle and his transit director Wayne Yoshioka!
Yet, the rail project will eat up all our money that we need for buses, sanitation, roads and parks. The rail project isn't even accessible to many West Oahu residents who it was intended to serve! (As mentioned on the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7J7YZUTqNA&feature=share )
Ben Cayetano's ad says that "Ben's blood is boiling". Well, my blood is boiling too! I'm tired of our concerns being ignored! I'm tired of this rail BS! I'm tired of our bus services being cut!
And I'm tired of Peter Carlisle and Wayne Yoshioka!
The primary election is on August 11! If none of the mayoral candidates get 50% (plus 1) of the votes, then the top 2 candidates will be on the ballot on November!
It's time to put an end to this madness! It's time to put a stop to Peter Carlisle and Wayne Yoshioka! It's time to tell them YOU'RE FIRED!
