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Snafu delays
low-income
bus pass plan

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Question: The Aug. 23 "Kokua Line" said the final rules on the city low-income bus pass program had been completed and were on the mayor's desk for signature. It is now September. The program has not been implemented. What is the mayor waiting for?

Answer: It is now October, and it appears the program won't be implemented for an uncertain period of time, despite the optimistic report we got from the former city transportation director.

The mayor is waiting for the Department of Transportation Services to fix a major problem with the rules that apparently was discovered only recently.

We didn't get a response to your query until Thursday, after transportation officials briefed the City Council's Transportation Committee on the snafu.

The problem: The rules, as written, would allow 10,000 university students to qualify for the program even though "they are subsidized by the parents and/or scholarships," said Carol Costa, director of the Department of Customer Services.

The intent of the program was to help low-income families, not college kids, she said.

The Transportation Department was told to come back in a month to the Council committee with "a restructured program" and to provide information on budget effects, logistics and other issues, Costa said. She said yesterday she did not have any details.

The program is being coordinated by Bob Fishman, deputy transportation director. Former Director Cheryl Soon has since left the city administration.

Q: Do you happen to know how often the city is supposed to repave roads? The upper part of Alewa Drive has not been paved for at least 10 years. The road, especially around the 1500 block, is filled with deep cracks from the constant rain as well as a previous pipe repair.

A: It apparently won't happen as soon as you would like, but we're told that Alewa Drive is on the "Rehab of Streets" priority list.

Design could be under way soon, said Carol Costa, director of the city Department of Customer Services. But that's subject to the availability of funds and checks with all the utility companies to make sure they aren't planning a project along Alewa Drive at the same time.

"We just put out $11.2 million in road resurfacing (projects) with 2005 funds," she said. "Hopefully, Alewa Drive will make it onto the list for the next contract if funds and utility clearances work out."

Costa said most major city streets are resurfaced every 10-12 years, so your street "is due."

Corrected air date

In Sunday's "Kokua Line," a reader said a show about a trap/neuter/release program for feral cats would be shown on 'Olelo Channel 52 at 10 p.m. tomorrow and 7 p.m. Oct. 15. Tomorrow's date is correct, but the second showing is at 7 p.m. Oct. 13.

Mahalo

To the male and female prisoners who do an outstanding job of cleaning up our highways -- weed-whacking and trimming the hedges. Mahalo also to volunteers who give up their time to clean up all the trash along the highways. We often see orange bags and other bags filled with trash along the highways. -- Stanley of Kailua

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