Posted on: Thursday, April 7, 2005

Senators block $40M sought by Superferry

Associated Press

A plan to link Hawai'i's islands by ferry ran into trouble this week at the Legislature.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee blocked a move to provide $40 million in state harbor improvements requested by Hawaii Superferry.

Committee Vice Chairman Shan Tsutsui, D-4th (Kahului), said Monday that he doubted the measure would pass this legislative session. But committee Chairman Brian Taniguchi, D-10th (Manoa, McCully), said he thought the project still had potential.

John Garibaldi, chief executive of Hawaii Superferry Inc., said the $40 million was an "absolute requirement" to begin ferry service in two years.

The company plans to run two passenger and car ferries between O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i and the Big Island.

Tsutsui said the $40 million was taken out of the budget because the state has not given the Senate enough information about "infrastructure, parking and other logistics."

Tsutsui said he also had concerns about competing uses for Maui's Kahului Harbor.

Taniguchi said his concerns were about the specific funding for the $40 million.

The state's $5 million ferry terminal near downtown Honolulu opened nearly two years ago. Garibaldi asked the Legislature to approve the $40 million to pay for harbor improvements on the other islands.