[ OUR OPINION ]
State should push for
federal transit subsidiesGETTING the federal government to help Hawaii foot the bill for intrastate transportation isn't a new idea, but it appears Governor Lingle is pressing authorities to consider subsidies to provide some aid. While previous state leaders have discussed the matter, nothing has yet come of the notion to garner federal funds that are routinely doled out to other states for roads and highways and apply them to Hawaii's needs, mainly a transit system to link our islands.
THE ISSUE
Governor Lingle says she has asked federal authorities to think about subsidies for Hawaii's interisland airlines.
Lingle told a Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii meeting this week that she has asked federal officials to think about subsidies for local airlines, which apparently raised eyebrows. However, when she pointed out that flying is the primary method of traveling in Hawaii at present and that land-based transport isn't an option for a state made up of islands surrounded by an ocean, light bulbs go on.
The governor's pursuit of subsidies for the interisland airlines also should be expanded to seeking funds for a ferry system. For one thing, subsidizing air travel faces numerous hurdles. Among them are how to distribute funds to privately held airline companies and still exercise control of the money, whether the airlines themselves would be willing and able to provide less expensive fares and cargo fees, and who would be entitled to them. Such a set up would involve an overwhelming tangle of federal and state bureaucracies and added regulations. Even so, it is a plan worth exploring.
Applying federal subsidies to a ferry system may be simpler. With none operating currently, services and facilities would have to be assembled from the ground up, allowing potential providers and the state to work out logistics and operations before launching. Moreover, federal officials may be more inclined to fund ferries since the government already provides subsidies for such services to Washington state, Ohio, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, among others.
Passenger ferries would offer residents and tourists an alternative to air travel. Vessels large enough to carry vehicles and cargo would allow businesses on neighbor islands to transport goods faster and more easily, opening up wider markets to local enterprises.
The post-9/11 environment warrants having more than one type of transport system between islands, but the powers in Washington, D.C., will need convincing. That's no easy task. However, with the support of the state's congressional delegation and the initiative of a Republican governor viewed as a rising star in GOP circles, Hawaii should be able to make a winning case for transportation funding.
