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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, October 9, 2001

Army to use buses to reduce traffic

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

Shuttle buses will be used at Tripler Army Medical Center and Fort Shafter to cut down on traffic and parking congestion, officials said yesterday.

 •  The shuttle buses will run from 4:05 a.m. until approximately 7:30 a.m., and again from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m.

The schedule and pick-up points are listed at Tripler's Web site at www.tamc.amedd.army.mil

Maj. Nancy Makowski, a spokeswoman for the 25th Infantry Division (Light) and U.S. Army Hawai'i, said the steps are not part of heightened security put in place following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"It's something we've been looking at for several weeks," she said. "What we're trying to do is decrease the amount of traffic in the Fort Shafter area. It's just an effort to be a little more efficient in the way we move people around."

She added there always has been a lot of congestion in the area during peak hours.

Both programs begin today. "Park and ride" buses will shuttle Fort Shafter personnel to and from parking at Fort Shafter Flats between 4 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Buses will depart every 30 minutes and stop at three locations: the Corps of Engineering parking lot; Richardson Theater; and the gas station parking lot.

With limited exceptions, all non-residents of Fort Shafter must use the shuttle buses, the Army said. Identification cards will be checked prior to boarding.

Exceptions to the park and ride program are being made for residents of Fort Shafter; contracted delivery vehicles; handicapped individuals; government and emergency vehicles; individuals dropping off and picking up children at the Child Development Center or at school; and patrons of the commissary, Hale Ikena and Nagorski Golf Course.

At Tripler, staff living at Fort Shafter and Aliamanu Military Reservation are "strongly encouraged" to take shuttles to the hospital, officials said. Work schedules also are being adjusted to decrease traffic and parking congestion.

"We need to get into a new routine and continue to provide healthcare to our patients at Tripler," said Maj. Gen. Nancy R. Adams, commander of the medical center and Pacific Regional Medical Command. "Early reporting of staff identified will decrease traffic and parking congestion at peak times during the day."