Kalaeloa-Honolulu ferry may begin running in 2006

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

A new commuter ferry linking Kalaeloa and Honolulu harbors could be operating next year, a city official said yesterday.

The daily ferry service, fed by new bus routes, could bring commuters from Leeward O'ahu to downtown Honolulu in less than an hour, at least as fast as most drivers making the same trip, said Toru Hamayasu, chief planner for the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services.

With federal money already available to start the ferry service and Mayor Mufi Hannemann making it a priority, city officials hope to begin the service in 2006, Hamayasu said.

"I'm encouraged to hear that we could soon be using our waterways for a fast and efficient ferry system," said Councilman Romy Cachola.

Details of the ferry plan were among dozens of ideas discussed yesterday at a "transportation summit" organized by Councilman Nestor Garcia.

A new rail system, more and better buses, improved highways, ferries, tollways, a Waikiki people mover, synchronized traffic lights, an elevated Nimitz Highway and even a bridge from 'Ewa to Ford Island all could be needed to solve the island's transportation problems, participants said.

"We have to think of all the alternatives," Garcia said.

Hamayasu provided the first detailed look at what the Hannemann administration is considering as a short-term step while the city considers financing and building a mass-transit rail line.

"The ferry might not beat the bus, but it will be at least comparable in terms of service," he said.

Coordinated bus routes from Ma'ili, Nanakuli, Makakilo and Kapolei would feed morning commuters to the ferry's starting point at Kalaeloa Harbor.

"The ferry wouldn't leave until the last bus arrived," Hamayasu said.

Once the ferry reached Honolulu Harbor, waiting buses would be available to take passengers to downtown Honolulu, Kalihi, Ala Moana, Waikiki, and the University of Hawai'i in Manoa.

Traveling at up to 39 mph, the ferries would be able to make the trip in 44 minutes, Hamayasu said.

At least three previous efforts have been made to start an intra-island ferry service on O'ahu. The latest ended in 2000. Although none of those efforts gained significant ridership, all proved that the operations are physically possible.

Coordinating the bus service with the ferry schedules is considered a key to success of the new operation, Hamayasu said.

Initially, city officials do not plan to provide extensive parking space for those who prefer to drive to the ferry starting point. "That's a big expense that we're not looking at right now," he said.

The city could use up to $5 million a year now available from the federal government to begin the service, he said. Additional money is expected to be available when Congress approves a new transportation authorization bill later this year.

If the first phase is successful, a second ferry could operate between downtown Honolulu and Iroquois Point, making the trip in 23 minutes, Hamayasu said.

Yesterday's meeting was held as state lawmakers prepared to decide the fate of a bill that would allow counties to raise the state general excise tax 1 percentage point and use the money for transportation-related projects.

While much of the discussion on the bill has focused on starting a rail transit project for O'ahu, participants said the money raised could be used for a variety of transportation programs throughout the state, including expanded bus service on Maui, Kaua'i and the Big Island.

"We need to serve all the people, not just those who can afford to drive," said JoAnn Yukimura, chairwoman of the Kaua'i County Council's Planning Committee and a former Kaua'i mayor. "That includes young people, the elderly, the disabled and those who can't afford to own a car."

Cliff Slater, head of the Alliance for Traffic Improvement, which staged a sign-waving demonstration outside yesterday's meeting at the Mission Memorial Auditorium to protest the proposed tax increase, told participants that the best solution would be a reversible tollway that motorists would pay to use.

"The only way to successfully manage something is pricing," he said. "It's going to take pricing to manage our highways."

Despite all the other suggestions, however, Councilman Gary Okino said a rail line remains the only viable long-term solution to Honolulu's traffic problems.

"Roads and highways are not the answer. We have to do something now. We have to come up with the big solution. The only answer for that is a high-speed, grade-separated rail system," he said.

Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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