NAWILIWILI — The first hybrid vehicle joining The Kaua‘i Bus fleet has arrived. County Transportation Agency Executive Janine Rapozo announced the arrival Thursday at a budget-review meeting, surprising Kaua‘i County Council members, at the council chambers here. “We hope to
NAWILIWILI — The first hybrid vehicle joining The Kaua‘i Bus fleet has arrived.
County Transportation Agency Executive Janine Rapozo announced the arrival Thursday at a budget-review meeting, surprising Kaua‘i County Council members, at the council chambers here.
“We hope to put it on the road by next month, after we do all the prep work,” said Rapozo, explaining the agency will monitor how much can be saved, and potentially invest in more hybrid busses.
Rapozo said the agency, despite a reduced budget, was able to implement service enhancements in the current fiscal year, which started July 1, 2009.
Besides the hybrid bus, the agency also purchased 13 other new vehicles last year, said Rapozo.
Last September The Kaua‘i Bus started the park and ride service at five locations around the island. Rapozo said the agency used a partnership with the county Parks and Recreation Department, utilizing some county sites that have increased weekend usage.
“It was a really good win-win,” Rapozo said. “We established sites at Kekaha tennis courts, Waimea ball field, Hanapepe multipurpose building, Kalaheo Neighborhood Center and the Kapa‘a ball park.”
Rapozo said that in conjunction with the park and ride lots, the agency started express routes so users could go straight to Lihu‘e from those locations.
The agency established a few more bus stops in the current fiscal year, said Rapozo, adding that it was a move aimed at increasing ridership. The new stops include Island School, the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa, Haraguchi Farm in Hanalei Valley, and at the Courtyards at Waipouli.
“People can now get a little bit more of a discount if they purchase more passes at one time,” Rapozo said. Passes for six or 12 months are now available for purchase at The Kaua‘i Bus office, at $90 and $180 respectively.
The general public pays $2 per trip. Seniors (60 years and older) and youth (ages 7 to 18) pay $1. Monthly passes are $20. Children under the age of 6 ride free, but must be accompanied by a paying adult.
“We have also been implementing more schedule-holders at bus stops to try to be a little more user-friendly with our riders,” Rapozo said.
The county general fund provides 75 percent of the agency’s total budget for fiscal year 2011 (beginning July 1, 2010), and the remaining 25 percent comes from federal grants.
The total proposed budget for the agency for FY11 is $4.3 million, down $426,411 from FY10. The savings will come from furloughs and reduced operating costs, she said.
The agency is expecting to end FY10 with $550,000 in revenue, and projected revenue for FY11 is $600,000.
Ridership went up 30 percent in 2009 compared to 2008. Rapozo said that as gas prices increase, ridership increases.
Rapozo said the agency is currently looking at expanding hours of operation for the bus.
Riders with surfboards may also be allowed, and the agency is looking at cost, liability and risks. Rapozo said she wasn’t able to remember if a final decision on that matter has been made, but the agency continues to look at it as a possible enhancement.
Visit www.thegardenisland.com for live and archived streaming video of the budget-review meetings.
Visit www.kauai.gov/transportation for more information on The Kaua‘i Bus.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@kauaipubco.com.
