Cruise ship buses to Pahoa

[frankiestapleton]

Great comments...thanx to you all. Damon, Glen, Greg's comments were especially appreciated, and I had the same funny reaction, Kapohocat, when I saw the topic title in the forum lineup![]

Carey, you used a word that particularly pinpoints my concern...."funnel." I'm well aware of the tourist traffic in Pahoa and the bus services on the Big Island. But cruise ship visitors have high expectations...I listened to their comments around town and yesterday was a PRISTINE day in Hilo!

I think Damon's shuttle bus idea is doable but Glen and Greg are also right on with their comments. And it is the funneling, inundation by literally HUNDREDS of people, that scares me. This has not been thought or talked through.

BTW, many people have been advocating for years to try to get buses to serve the airports on this island, to NO AVAIL! That would serve both residents and visitors. Can we all push to get this through the taxi-blockading powers that be???

[Carey]

Frankie, there was very serious discussions in council on the airport buses last year when the parking lot at the airport was consistantly on overflow & the costs & land contraints on adding on to the parking lot were looked at. Haven't heard anything on this for almost a year now....don't know if the parking improved, fewer people are parking or what....
Do know that it would be easier on those that need to commute for work & such to have the airport shuttle...
Oh, glad I'm not the only one with the images of ships on 130!

[macuu222]

I believe they already have bus service to the Kona Airport.

[frankiestapleton]

Thanks, Macuu222, I just checked with Hele-On and they have one bus a day going to and from the Kona airport Mondays through Saturdays on a route that takes in KMart and Macy's as well as Alii Drive, the Sheraton hotel, and ends at Pahala.

That bus leaves Pahala at 5:40 a.m., arrives at the airport at 8:20 a.m. ONE bus leaves the airport at 4:50 p.m. those same days, arriving in Pahala at 7:30 p.m.

The point is, we have a county bus system that serves the visitor industry workforce (barely). To call it a Mass Transit Agency is laughable at best!

[Carey]

The HeleOn buses were initially brought to the island & run by the Waikaloa Resorts, running from Hilo to Waikaloa in order to get workers.

The county took over the privately run system to increase island-wide availability. And they are. Just VERY caustiously. But that said, they have been adding more routes & times to the routes, they have gone from a pay to a free system, and lower Pahoa has one of the best services (for times throughout the day & number of buses) in the system, if you are near a main road.

The Kona Airport stop an example of how the county is, gradually, responding to the needs... there was no airport stop (Kona or Hilo) a year ago, the Kona airport stop was just added this month...with time, luck & interest Hilo airport may get bus service....