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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 11:56 a.m., Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Day 2 of bus registration picks up speed

By Vicki Viotti
and Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Staff Writers

A shorter, calmer line of bus riders seeking new photo IDs and passes filed through the Blaisdell Center today, after yesterday’s crush of senior citizens endured frustration and taught the city a lesson in crowd control.

Chairs were set out in a hairpin curve around the center’s concourse, with breaks allowing access to restrooms and roving Blaisdell ushers directing traffic.

Arrows were taped to the carpet inside pointing the way to the cashiers and camera area, where an added waiting room and extra chairs helped keep people like William Mason, 77, in a good mood.

"I saw the crowd yesterday, and I went home," the Nu'uanu resident said. "Today is terrific. It moved fast."

It’s Day 2 of the city’s mission to reorder its bus system after a month-long strike forced a hike in individual fares and for bus passes.

The increase appears to be taking a toll on ridership, based on figures for Saturday and Sunday, the first two days of the new fares.

On Saturday the city logged 105,863 riders, a 24 percent decrease over an average Saturday, said Carol Costa, director of the Department of Customer Services. Ridership for Sunday showed a similar decrease, she said: 86,805, or 23 percent below normal counts.

All the same, staffers are preparing for all 55,000 of the current pass holders to re-register before Nov. 1, said Cheryl Soon, city transportation director.

"I will be happy if we reach 80 percent by the end of this month," said Soon, who was patrolling the setup and fielding questions from her office, which was swamped with inquiries.

After Nov. 1, seniors and disabled riders must have an ID card, which allow seniors to pay $1 per ride or $5 per month. They can buy an annual pass for $30 a year.

The city has added an additional week of registration at the Blaisdell to its schedule at locations around the island (see box). And, with five more cameras arriving Thursday, Soon said she’s hopeful that the city may be able to come a little closer to 100 percent enrollment by the end of October.

Thousands of senior citizens mobbed Blaisdell Center yesterday; 1,650 passes were processed by day’s end, Soon said. At 9:30 a.m., the line was cut off and 1,300 more people were sent away with applications for today’s return visit.

Yesterday’s line rivaled anything that the recent "American Idol" tryouts produced at Aloha Stadium and took longer to complete than a trip to Social Security offices at the federal building, seniors said.

Mary Saniel said she and her husband simply drove up to the parking area at 11 a.m. yesterday and were turned away by the parking attendant.

John Aiwohi of Makiki, 30, came for his disability pass about a half hour after the city cut off the line. Many of the seniors were not up for such an ordeal, he said.

"I know the bus company knew that this was going to happen," he said. "It’s ridiculous."

Those who got to Blaisdell Center early waited up to six hours in line to obtain one of the new photo ID cards, which are required for seniors and disabled people to ride at discounted rates.

Those who arrived late, sometimes from as far away as Wai'anae and Hawai'i Kai, were given a form that guaranteed them a place in today’s line. But even without that form, anyone who came to the center today had their applications processed, Soon said.

Processing capacity was limited by the five cameras flown in on Sunday, she added. The staff received its first training at 5:30 a.m. yesterday so weren’t really working efficiently for the first hour, she said; today there were more employees trained so that the crew could take breaks and stay fresh.

Many of those in line yesterday said they wanted to get the new cards and passes right away, rather than wait until more processing centers open around the island starting next week.

"I knew it would be really crowded, but I’d rather wait now than risk being embarrassed by not having the card when I really need it," said 67-year-old Romeo Verquara, who caught a bus from Salt Lake, arrived by 7 a.m. and was still waiting to have his picture taken at 11:30 a.m.

City officials said more than two dozen card-seekers arrived at the Blaisdell before 5:30 a.m. yesterday. By the 7 a.m. opening time, the queue wound up and down the breezeway; workers quickly brought out chairs to people in line and passed out forms that guaranteed a spot in the line.

"The chairs really help," said Madeleine Rodrigues, who left Waipahu at 6 a.m. to snare her place in line. "Standing on hard cement for two hours is really bad for the legs."

Today was lighter, though officials said there were 100 people in line by 5:45 a.m..

The city had discontinued the photo IDs to make it easier to process new passes at satellite city halls, Soon said, but they’re back by popular demand.

"They wanted the picture on," she said with a laugh. "Do you know why? Because when they go to Vegas, they need two IDs. This is their second ID."

Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053. Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5460.