Return of buses
may clog trafficState and city officials hope
drivers will still adjust
their schedules
State and city transportation officials are worried that drivers will jump back into old pre-bus strike habits.
That could make traffic worse than it was during the strike, they say.
"Things aren't going to be rosy on Monday," said state transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa. "You know what worked about the bus strike? Everybody made adjustments and that's the reason why we didn't have total gridlock."
The city is offering free bus rides for five days beginning Monday to lure bus riders back, if Local 996 of the Teamsters Union ratifies a five-year tentative agreement with Oahu Transit Services Inc., the private company that runs TheBus system for the city.
The agreement was reached early Thursday after 1,336 bus workers went out on strike Aug. 26 over wage and pension issues.
Ishikawa said it may take a while for OTS to get ridership back up again and so commuters may not see much of a difference in traffic initially.
"Every day has been a crapshoot predicting how traffic was going to be during the bus strike, and it's not going to be any different on Monday," Ishikawa said.
Part of the reason is because the state will also open its new Nimitz Highway contraflow lane on Monday.
"We're still advising folks to leave earlier as they did during the bus strike," he said. "We're still asking people to kind of stretch out the rush hour so we're not at over capacity."
City Transportation Director Cheryl Soon agreed that people might think traffic will be heavy on Monday.
She said commuters were used to light summer traffic before the strike because many schools had not yet started.
"Continue to have courtesy on the road, continue to allow yourself five, 10 extra minutes in leaving the house so that you're not likely to be upset when something goes wrong."
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A guide to navigating
post-strike commutingAnswers to strike-related questions:
Q: When will bus service begin?
A: If striking bus workers ratify their tentative agreement today, buses will run again beginning 4 a.m. Monday at full service.
Q: What will be the requirements for driving in the car-pool lane, ZipLane and new Nimitz Highway contraflow lane?
A: Beginning Monday, two persons per vehicle will be required to travel in all three lanes between 5:30 and 8:30 a.m. The state Department of Transportation says those rules will be in effect for the next four months.
Q: Can I get a refund on bus passes I purchased for August and September?
A: Yes. Bus riders who want a rebate check must complete a form available at the nearest satellite city hall, the Bus Pass Office at 811 Middle St. or online at www.co.honolulu.hi.us/ dts/strike.
The forms must be submitted to the city Department of Transportation Services, Public Transit Division, at 650 S. King St., 3rd Floor, Honolulu, 96813. Deadline to submit the forms is Nov. 30. Checks will be mailed to riders.
The amount of the rebate is as follows:
>> For August, riders will receive $6 for an adult monthly pass, $5.94 for an adult annual pass, $2.70 for a youth monthly pass, $2.46 for a youth annual pass and 18 cents for a senior/disabled pass.
>> For September, riders will get $30 for an adult monthly pass, $29.70 for an adult annual pass, $13.50 for a youth monthly pass, $12.30 for a youth annual pass and 90 cents for a senior/disabled pass.
Q: When will new bus passes go on sale?
A: Today at satellite city halls and other retail outlets. New bus fares approved by the City Council on Wednesday go into effect Oct. 1 but because the city is offering free bus rides for five days beginning Monday, riders won't have to actually pay the new fares until Oct. 4.
Q: Do senior citizens and the disabled have to turn in their two-year bus passes?
A: "We're still working that out," city Transportation Director Cheryl Soon said. Details should be available early next week.
Q: What about other annual pass holders?
A: Other annual bus pass holders may use their passes until the passes expire. Those who want to buy annual passes under the new fare structure can do so at the Middle Street bus pass office during normal business hours.
Q: How will the new circuit-breaker fare plan for low-income bus riders work?
A: Details are still being worked out, Soon said.
Q: Will bus riders who catch express buses have to pay more?
A: There is no differential for express riders.
Q: Will the University of Hawaii Manoa campus continue to provide temporary emergency on-campus parking and shuttles to off-campus parking sites?
A: If normal bus operations begin Monday, UH will have on-campus parking areas for one additional day and shuttles to off-campus sites for two additional days.
Q: Will the city van, school bus and other city-sponsored alternative transportation programs continue on Monday?
A: No.
Q: Will the city continue providing free parking at eight downtown parking lots?
A: No.
