Harris delays
bus service cuts
for 30 daysTalks will continue
on Monday to avert a walkout
by bus drivers and workers
The Harris administration has delayed planned bus service cuts to address a major sticking point with 1,400 city bus employees who are ready to begin a crippling strike on Tuesday.
The city had planned to reduce 80,000 hours of bus service starting Sunday. Oahu Transit Services, the private company that runs the bus system, said the cuts would mean up to 40 bus drivers would be laid off.
Yesterday, the city administration delayed the implementation of the cuts for 30 days to give the City Council more time to draft a new proposal to raise more than $6 million in additional revenues from bus fares to offset a shortfall in the bus system's $117 million operating budget.
"We're trying to de-escalate it and hopefully with that kind of good-faith effort that others will do likewise ... (for example) the Council, the union," said city Transportation Director Cheryl Soon.
"I'm signaling, the mayor's signaling, we are willing to say that there seems to be enough good-faith discussions going on that hopefully we can avert some of those issues as well as disruptions to riders," she said.
The City Council meets to vote on raising bus fares on Monday, the day before a planned walkout by 1,400 bus drivers and other employees represented by Local 996 of the Teamsters Union.
The Council's transportation chairman, Nestor Garcia, who has been working on a new fare proposal, said in a statement, "We're glad the mayor has allowed for more time for further discussion by the community on this important issue, and we hope to work together with the administration and the public."
The layoffs are at the core of stalled contract talks between OTS and the union. Talks are also scheduled to resume Monday with the federal mediator.
Union officials met last night to prepare a new proposal to give to the federal mediator Monday. Union spokesman Christopher Boucher said details about the proposal would be made public to union members this Friday at an informational bus workers meeting.
"We're trying to streamline the proposal," Boucher said, "but other than that, we don't want to say too much about it just yet."
In the meantime, government and private-sector officials are working on bus contingency plans. Gov. Linda Lingle announced last night during her talk-story session at Mililani High School that the state would be leaving the zipper lane open 45 minutes longer during morning rush hour to encourage ride sharing.
"We're encouraging everyone to ride-share," said Department of Transportation Director Rod Hiraga. "Carpool, vanpool -- to help cut down the number of vehicles on our roads during the strike."
During a bus strike the zipper lane would remain open from 5 until 9:15 a.m. and be open to vehicles with two or more occupants. The zipper lane is usually open until 8:30 a.m. and available to vehicles with a minimum of three occupants.
City officials said they would announce their bus strike plans today. Employers and school officials are also echoing the state's need to carpool to get everybody where they need to go.
"The overall goal is to avoid having all of our employees riding one person to a car, adding to the traffic and the problems like parking on the other end," said Gerry Keir, executive vice president for corporate communications at First Hawaiian Bank.
Keir said the bank subsidizes bus fares for 330 workers, and its human resources department is contacting those employees to help them make arrangements to get to work.
"The biggest concern is for the people who have been relying on the bus, because we don't want to add to the traffic and at a lot of our locations, we can't handle a whole lot of employee cars."
At Bank of Hawaii, about 700 of the 2,300 employees ride the bus, said Stafford Kiguchi, a senior vice president and corporate communications manager. Most have made their own transportation plans, Kiguchi said.
At the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Van Pool Hawaii, a ride-share program, will be at the resort talking to employees about alternative transportation services, said spokeswoman Karen Winpenny.
Winpenny said the hotel is trying to determine how many of its workers will need help getting to and from work.
Kathleen Watanabe, director of the state's Department of Human Resources Development, said her agency is trying to find out how many state employees on Oahu will be affected by the bus strike and encouraging managers to help them with car pools and alternatives like flex time and working from home.
Watanabe said now is a good time for workers to talk with each other about sharing rides, even if they do not take the bus.
"It's not one of those things that you can say, 'I don't ride the bus, this has no effect on me at all,'" she said.
If there are more cars on the road, traffic will be heavier, and parking will be harder to find, she said.
Another alternative is riding a bike to work.
Faye Saiki, owner of the Bike Shop, said a customer recently came in to tune up a bike that had been in storage.
"He said he's getting ready for the bus strike," Saiki said.
The man also bought a new helmet, gloves and double saddle bags, spending about $145.
Saiki said business has been busier than usual in the last week, which she attributes to the potential for a strike and to school starting soon at several universities.
