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| James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired professional photographer and amongst other things lived in a tent outdoors for 7 years. Rosen currently resides on the tropical island of Kaua'i with his best friend and spiritual adviser Ivanka-Obama Da Dog! |
Blog #1967~Kimo's world's #214
Da Bus-"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
When I started riding the Kauai bus 16 years ago a monthly pass for unlimited travel any where on the island was $15.00, it is now $40.00. It is still one of the best deals anywhere on the island except for maybe for the $1.50 hot-dog and refillable drink at a popular big box store on our cosmic island.
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| The Kauai Bus picking up passengers at Kukui Grove shopping center |
Now into the winter of my life I qualify for para transit. My para transit service has never been more than 10 minutes late, in fact more times than not they are right on time and sometimes even early. The drivers are always friendly and know all the passengers on a first name basis. I have seen para transit drivers help those in wheelchairs get their goods on and off the bus, even helping those with walkers and canes navigate their positions on the bus. Kauai bus drivers are filled with the aloha spirit in so many ways, too numerous to mention them all.
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| Para transit driver, Lucy along with Ivanka await my arrival on the bus... |
I once asked the director of the bus if the drivers had special training on how to treat passengers because they are all so friendly, she replied, "Oh Kimo, they're just being nice because you are so charming." Yea right! I almost believed her for a second, but I knew that I wasn't that delightful all the time.
So why all the talk of changes to the bus? I have been on buses in many cities around the world and I have never been more impressed than with the Kauai bus. There's that old expression that applies to the Kauai bus, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
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| Para transit bus at Costco, Costco and Kauai bus, my two favorite things about Kauai |
To my friends on the Kauai county council;
The Bus needs annual cost of living increases for things like their experienced and aloha spirited staff that all deserve raises, with these minimum budget increases I propose the county budget be used for more roads, affordable housing, and to help the homeless situation. If I had to rate the Kauai bus service on a scale of 1-10, I would give it 11!
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Hana Hou, (Encore)
8 comments:
Does it run from Airport to Po'ipu?
Anywhere island wide!
Glad to hear the bus is working for you, Kimo!
Yes, Kimo if it ain't broke don't fix it. BUT we are subsidizing the Kauai bus to the tune of $8 million a year and it needs a lot of streamlining.
Why not do as the big island does and get a contract with a taxi company and let them pick up passengers and take them to their destination and pick them up. A lady from the big island who drove a taxi there testified about them but no one wanted to listen.
Use Prius autos that get 50 mpg instead of what these diesels get and let them get you to your exact destination instead of possibly blocks away. In Seattle the taxis use Prius and are far ahead of the game milage and pollution wise.
And, again, the same goes for the paratransit which may pick up one person in that big bus instead of using a high milage vehicle to do it.
And, Kimo, we are spending more time on the bus system (according to county figures about 3% of the total commuting public) than we are fixing our main problem, traffic. We need more lanes and alternate roads to move the 90% of those who use a vehicle for transportation, not biking, shuttles and walking.
Use our time, resources and money to fix our major problem and not play around with minuscule issues. Sure, we need buses for those who cannot drive or are ADA so get them but streamline the system and make it work far better.
We continue to put bike lanes along all our roads and they are seldom used but just narrow the roads and exacerbate the traffic. Maybe a few bike riders use the lanes for going to work but why make it that much harder for the thousands who use their vehicles by making traffic worse for them---really a no brainer!!
Just my thoughts,
Your pal,
Glenn
Glenn, try this as an experiment. Apply for a Para transit permit after your approved because you meet age requirement, buy a monthly bus pass. Schedule all your meetings, shopping trips, etc. on the bus. It's amazing at a fraction of the cost of maintaining a vehicle, no worries of getting tickets. You can read the Garden Island news or write letters to editor while traveling on the bus or just enjoy the beauty of our cosmic Garden island. Oh yeah, and you don't need to get stressed with the druggies tailgating you...
Instead of fighting it, join it. Try it my friend , you'll be surprised how much you may like it, but you must give it a full month! ;-)
Your Pal, Kimo ;-)
Our buses here are switching to electric vehicles. I know that the switch is a big chunk of change, but here it is sure worth it.
Aloha Kimo,
Thank you so much for your positive statements about the hard-working Kaua'i Bus team!
We greatly appreciate your support, and look forward to providing even better service for you and the rest of the community in the future!
Take care – Mahalo nui,
The bus may work for you, Kimo but I do not know of anyone who will use that means of travel over their vehicle--I am talking about me, personally.
When my wife or I want to go anywhere---market, costco dentist or Dr, or just to go friends house we have our vehicle at our command and go!
I told you that the bus system needs a lot of streamlining for people like you BUT our biggest problem is finding alternate routes and wider lanes for 90% or more of people who use their vehicles for transportation.
Statistics do not lie nor does looking at the vehicles on the roads each day (cars, trucks visitors and rental cars going to work or using the vehicle for work)
Again, Kimo the county did a pilot program regarding buses giving FREE BUS RIDES TO THEIR 1500 EMPLOYEES FOR 30 DAYS OR MORE AND ONLY 50 PEOPLE USED THE BUS---A COMPLETE FAILURE.
As I said, put a lot more efficiency in the bus system than what is there now but forget trying to get the mass of vehicle users to abandon their cars or trucks. I make my arguments based on facts and not on some dream world scenario where vehicles will ever be abandoned even if they are electric, hydrogen or self driven---like I tell JoAnn we could get off fossil fuel tomorrow if we go back to the horse and buggy days but NO ONE IS GOING TO REGRESS IN LIFE and take away the conveniences we have today.
And Kimo, I find it weird that you did not even mention my suggestion about a taxi contract like on the big island or streamlining our system.
Your pal,
Glenn
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