City worried by drop in bus use since fare hike

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

Ridership on city buses dropped more than 20 percent in the first days of the latest fare increase this week, prompting concern about how the city will pay for future service if the trend continues, Mayor Jeremy Harris said yesterday.

Transportation officials had expected the strike and fare increase to lead to a passenger decline, but a prolonged drop in ridership "would have to be made up with additional revenues from somewhere, or cuts in costs," Harris said.

"With the money we've saved as a result of the strike, we can handle about an 8 to 10 percent drop in ridership," he said.

Free rides offered last week after the strike ended helped ridership return to near normal levels, but the figures dropped sharply this week.

For Monday and Tuesday, the first weekdays of the fare increase, there were 172,000 and 174,105 riders, respectively, said city spokeswoman Carol Costa. Average weekday ridership before the strike ranged from 220,000 to 240,000 rides per day.

The city may have to take the initiative to win back those who may be sticking with alternative forms of transportation discovered during the strike, Harris said.

Among the ideas being explored are more advertising and encouraging island businesses to promote bus use and even subsidize bus passes for their employees.

City Council Budget Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi said the city should concentrate on improving service and fixing the problems that arose as the administration raced to implement the new fare structure, approved by the council in late September.

"There's got to be a better way," she said, noting long lines and confusion when senior citizens and disabled riders began seeking new passes Monday.

"We've got to make it more convenient for the seniors. Maybe we should stop the new process and allow them to use their old passes until they expire."

Riders said some buses seemed more crowded and others nearly empty after the strike.

"It was horrible when it was free," said Val Yatomi, who catches an express bus from Central O'ahu each morning. "It was so crowded then. But this week there's been more room for everybody."

Yatomi said many familiar faces she saw on the bus before the strike are missing now.

"I'm wondering what happened to them. Maybe they use the commuter bus, or maybe they're staying with the carpools they started during the strike," she said.

Harris said the city wants those riders back.

"We basically want to be able to reach out to the people who used to ride TheBus to get them back riding TheBus," he said. "But we also want to reach out to the people who in the past have not ridden TheBus, and demonstrate to them what a good deal it is."

He said it was premature to talk about the possibility of increasing fares again or raising property taxes to pay for bus operations. "We basically need to get through the next six months and see where we are," he said.

Kobayashi agreed.

"I don't know how we're going to deal with the loss of revenue, but I've talked to other council members and no one wants to raise fares again right away," she said.

Service cutbacks aren't an option, either, because the new bus contract guarantees no employee layoffs for the life of the five-year deal, Harris said.

Instead, the city needs to concentrate on winning back riders.

"I think it's simply that riders found other ways to get to school and get to work during the strike," he said. A former bus rider who bought a car or bike as a result of the strike might not be inclined to leave that new investment at home and go back to TheBus, he said.

"My hope is those people who rode it before will re-evaluate their situations and come back, because ultimately it's a lot cheaper to ride TheBus," the mayor said. "It's a lot more convenient to ride TheBus."

Advertiser staff writer Gordon Pang contributed to this story. Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com