Mayor Carlisle should restore cuts to bus service

In response to public protest over cuts in City bus service, I’ve co-authored Resolution 12-173 to request Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle to reverse the course that cut bus routes, and to refrain from further cuts being implemented.

If we want to reduce traffic, enhanced bus service accomplishes that. Cutting routes, packing bus patrons in like sardines, making them wait longer at bus stops and forcing them to transfer, is not the answer. We need to restore bus service immediately.

The Honolulu CIty Council cannot reopen Bill 14, the bill which cut bus fuel costs by $3 million. The mayor, however, can – and this resolution urges him to revisit his bus cuts.

We are talking about finding $3 million to pay for an increase in fuel cost to operate the bus fleet. This can be accomplished and the resolution will steer the powers that be that our buses are indeed a core function of government and cannot be compromised.