Bus shows surprising recovery
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
Five months after bus riders were hit with the double whammy of a strike and a fare increase, they're returning to TheBus in surprising numbers.
Ridership figures last month showed average passenger levels on many weekdays down less than 10 percent from the previous February, compared with a 22 percent drop right after the strike, said Cheryl Soon, the city's director of transportation services.
"I think we're ahead of schedule," Soon said.
Bus drivers and other workers struck O'ahu Transit Services, which operates the city bus service, on Aug. 26 and stayed off the job for nearly a month. During that time, the City Council approved fare increases for nearly every category of rider, from daily passengers to monthly pass holders, from youths to senior citizens.
National transit officials say ridership almost always declines after a strike or fare increase. But no one was sure what to expect when patrons confronted both at the same time.
"Normally, it takes a system about a full year to recover from a fare increase alone," Soon said. "In our cases, we raised the fares in so many categories that we were off the charts. There was no measure what to expect, with that plus the strike."
Officials believe most people returned to TheBus because they had few alternatives.
"It's been difficult, but I really don't have any other choice," said Wanda Martin of Pauoa, who spends $80 a month on passes for herself and her two children. "To me, the service is worse and the costs have gone up. I made a mistake selling my car right before the strike, and now I'm looking at getting a motorcycle."
Wai Kaahanui, a student at Hawaii Business College, said she had planned to continue riding her bicycle to school, as she did during the strike, but she quickly returned to the bus.
"I had good intentions, but the bike went back into storage pretty quickly," she said.
Even though the $10 increase in her monthly bus pass was "an extra hardship for a college student, it's still a pretty good deal," Kaahanui said.
In the weeks immediately after service resumed in September, daily weekday ridership was down as much as 22 percent. Within a few months, it was hovering around 13 percent to 14 percent below the average for the same month of the previous year.
"In February, there were many days when it was under 10 percent, and some days as low as 4 or 5 percent" below the previous February, Soon said.
Different classes of riders have responded differently to the strike and fare increase. Adult cash-fare rides went up, youth rides (16 and under) have gone down, and senior citizens appear to be at about pre-strike levels. "We're still trying to understand all the variables," Soon said.
One of the biggest drops has been in the number of people using transfers, in part because bus riders are now limited to one per paying fare.
Roosevelt High School student Mike Attel said the new one-transfer policy quickly forced him to buy a monthly youth pass for $20. "It's a little cheaper and more convenient," he said.
Soon said many other riders who used multiple transfers before would benefit from switching to monthly passes under the new system.
While ridership remains down, revenue is up, thanks to the fare increases.
"Even with the decline in ridership, I think we can end the year without a deficit," Soon said.
The additional revenue will allow the bus to maintain existing service levels and have fare revenues account for 27 percent to 33 percent of the bus system's $100 million budget, as required by law.
To bring back more riders, the city plans to launch an advertising campaign later this month, Soon said. "We'll try to emphasize that TheBus is still a good way to get around and a great value," she said.
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
