Posted on: Thursday, April 7, 2005

EDITORIAL
Let's rethink funding for harbor upgrades

The proposed interisland Superferry is a promising prospect for Hawai'i and should be carefully reviewed in a prudent and responsible manner.

Part of that review should include reconsidering a recent Senate Ways & Means Committee decision to delete $40 million that would have been used for state harbor improvements related to the planned Superferry service.

Sen. Shan Tsutsui, D-4th (Wailuku-Kahului), said the money was removed from the proposed state budget because the state did not present enough information about "infrastructure, parking and other logistics."

Of course, such questions are fair, and lawmakers should be raising them. Hawai'i taxpayers deserve to have their tax dollars used wisely.

Reasonable caution is a good thing, particularly to ensure that any new transportation initiatives are well-planned and make economic and environmental sense.

But a lack of information should not derail the Superferry. Stakeholders should work with the Legislature to provide the information needed to keep the project in play.

If there is evidence the Superferry vessels cannot operate well in Hawai'i's choppy crossings or if the economics do not pencil out, let's hear about it.

But, if a ferry system likely would work, it would be wrong not to move forward and begin planning.

Hawai'i Superferry CEO John Garibaldi says the $40 million in improvements is necessary for the ferry system to be operating by 2007.

And the funding needs to be in the budget for the state Department of Transportation to begin planning for improvements, such as ramps to get cars and other vehicles on and off the vessels. The DOT has already said that planned harbor changes for the ferry do not require dredging, permanent facilities or any waterside construction.

Making interisland travel more accessible and affordable would benefit our island residents. Hawai'i Superferry estimates that the cost for a family of five traveling to a Neighbor Island by car ferry would amount to half of what it costs to fly and rent a car.

That's an intriguing prospect, particularly as we have all watched, at one time or another, the cost of interisland travel rise and the frequency of service decline.

Fortunately, there's still time for the Legislature to rethink this.