Ridership boom good sign for Oahu's rail system
Psst. Come a bit closer. There's something happening out there that transit opponents don't want you to hear about.
Amid all the quarterly reports circulating this time of year on various issues, an interesting trend is emerging. Across the nation — from New York to Dallas to Seattle and beyond — higher gas prices have pushed rail transit ridership to record levels.
And while some in Honolulu prefer to spin their wheels on the transit issue, packed rail systems across the country are prompting city officials elsewhere to add more routes, additional transit cars and more, just to meet the growing demand, which is expected to increase as gas prices climb even higher.
Does anyone expect gas prices to drop anytime soon?
Didn't think so. So the sooner Honolulu gets moving on transit the better.
Consider these facts:
Sacramento Regional Transit District General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Mike Wiley says: "RT riders are putting their money in their pockets, not the gas pump."
Now, that would be a nice perk for O'ahu residents.
Of course, even with all these indicators, some will argue that Mainland ridership stats don't necessarily show how folks here will react to transit. That's true, there's no sure-fire way to tell.
But here at home, transit indicators are strong, too. Bus ridership is solid, and rising. Ridership is up 3 percent to 5 percent on buses that are already packed tight, says Wayne Yoshioka, director of the city's Department of Transportation Services.
And Honolulu now has the fourth-highest bus ridership per capita in the nation, Yoshioka says. Adding more buses onto an already packed highway won't cut it.
Says Yoshioka: "Rail transit will really increase mobility, people won't be trapped in congestion, and it's reliable and does not have to mix with the traffic." That, Yoshioka says, will free up more buses to connect with neighborhoods.
In addition to higher gas prices, the push to go green is also driving ridership increases. And with HECO increasingly turning to renewable energy sources to fuel its grid, the reduction in greenhouse gases won't be the only benefit rail transit would have on our environment.
So the next time you get a pitch to block rail transit in Honolulu, take a look at the bigger picture. Because indicators out there say O'ahu is indeed on the right track in providing commuters with a viable alternative to their cars.
