Hele On Bus $2.00 one way starts next week

[OpenD]

Paul, it's all a matter of perspective... maybe it's not a lot for you or me, but for some...

Let's say you're a 56 year old widow who lives on a very small pension in Hilo, and you take the bus a mile across town to shop for groceries twice a week.

Last week your shopping cost 0 per round trip on Hele-On. Next week it will cost $4 per RT, $32 per 4 weeks.

For some people that's a lot of money.

[PaulW]

Isn't it $3 for a return and wasn't it already $1 for a one-way?
And wouldn't a widow on a pension get a concession fare?

[David M]

quote:

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Originally posted by kalakoa

quote:

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Originally posted by ericlp

So I emailed Greg... gilagan@co.hawaii.hi.us

Called him out on his quote -- “To improve the bus service, we need something called money,” said Puna Councilman Greggor Ilagan.

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Didn't each Councilor get $100K "slush fund" to sway the votes in their district?

Seems easy enough to use this money to fund a "Puna special" bus fare...

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I think this was more a slush fund to sway Councilors to support any taxpayer increase.

David


Ninole Resident
Please visit vacation.ninolehawaii.com

[OpenD]

quote:

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Originally posted by PaulW

Isn't it $3 for a return and wasn't it already $1 for a one-way?

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There is no Return Fare listed on the new rate card.

quote:

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And wouldn't a widow on a pension get a concession fare?

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A 56 year old would have qualified for the Senior fare of $0 last week, but must pay full fare until age 60 under the new fares.

[PaulW]

All good points.
But: it's $15 for 10 tickets, which is $1.50 per ticket or $3 for a Return.
Also: how many widows under 60 would there be? Not many.

[PauHana]

How did Senior get to be age 56 in the first place? Age 65 use to be Senior and now it is 66+ according to Social Security. Maybe the whole idea of a 55 year old being a senior originated from senior coffee at 55, a McDonald's gimmick for selling breakfast sandwiches. Maybe it was just a dyslexic clerk who transposed the numbers to begin with.
The one I feel sorry for is the kid who now has to pay $2.00 to get to a movie for $7.50 or to the mall to buy those $100.00 sneakers.
Well actually I feel sorry for his old man who is paying $4.00 RT to get to work to support everyone else.

[ericlp]

actually it's really not the 2 bucks... It's cheap and reasonable. That is until you look at how bad the service really is. I think the bus should run every half hour to Pahoa. That way if you miss one you won't be stuck waiting for an hour or two for the next one.

If Oahu can manage to have busses come every 15-20 minutes for 2.50 a ride... Hell, if the bus service could do half hour runs than I'd gladly pay 3 bucks. It's just, the service sucks bad for what you get. And what you get should remain free until they prove otherwise.

I know a lot of people here don't take the bus, but I'm thinking if it wasn't such a joke and the service was good, maybe a lot of people would consider taking the bus more often?

[kalakoa]

quote:

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Originally posted by ericlp

If Oahu can manage to have busses come every 15-20 minutes for 2.50 a ride... Hell, if the bus service could do half hour runs than I'd gladly pay 3 bucks. It's just, the service sucks bad for what you get. And what you get should remain free until they prove otherwise.

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There's a simple reason this doesn't work: DENSITY.

I've lived in a few places; public transit just does not work well in low-density sprawl, no matter how often the bus or how cheap the fare.

Actual example: I worked somewhere ten miles from the house; 20 minutes by car, 30 minutes bicycle ride, but the bus took over two hours.

I dare say if we're having sprawl anyway, we should decentralize things so people don't have to spend their lives sitting in cars/the bus/etc.

[rainyjim]

Not dense enough population to support/justify a light rail BUT my goodness what a dream come true...it'd be a miracle for all the low income + making vacations / tourist way more sustainable. A whole circuit/loop around the island would be incredible! And it'd be great for getting kids into safe / drug free activities / out of trouble "Going to kona today to boogie board mom" - "okay just make sure you catch the 4:00 train and be home for dinner !"

I wish.

[OpenD]

quote:

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Originally posted by rainyjim
A whole circuit/loop around the island would be incredible!

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It is possible to do that today, using only three connecting bus routes. Scheduling* is the issue, can't do it in a single day, but it is possible to do because the Hilo to Ka'u route overlaps 4 stops of the Pahala to South Kohala route, which overlaps a number of stops of the Kona to Hilo route.

Here are some selected details

*Ocean View to Hilo leaves once a day M-S at 6:40a, arr 9:20a (3hrs 40 mins)
Hilo to Ocean View lvs 2:40p, arr 5:15p

Pahala to S Kohala 2 trips/day M-S leaving 5:40a, 8:00a (4 hrs)
S Kohala to Pahala lv 7:15a, 2:30p

Kona to Hilo leaving at 6:45a, 4:03 p (3 hrs)
Hilo to Kona lv 3:50 a, 9:15a, 1:30p

No Sunday service
See the Hele-On site for routes and schedules
http://www.heleonbus.org/schedules-and-maps

Also, missing from the fares page is the fact that you can get a transfer coupon by asking the driver before you leave the bus.