Bus riders call for
route’s restoration

A couple of months after Mayor Mufi Hannemann eliminated the E bus route, some riders want it back.

"I think it was a major mistake when they got rid of it," said Lynne Matusow, chairwoman of the Downtown Neighborhood Board. "We would love to get the bus back."

A group called "Save the E Bus Coalition" collected at least 500 signatures from bus riders in an effort to reverse the city's decision. The route ran from Aala Park to Waikiki.

Members of the group have sent a letter urging officials to reverse their decision.

So far, the coalition has gained the support of the Waikiki Neighborhood Board and the Downtown Neighborhood Board. Members also are seeking support from the Ala Moana/Kakaako Neighborhood Board, which meets Sept. 27.

The E route, launched by the city in November, was halted on June 12 primarily due to a lack of funding.

Coalition member Julie Molloy said she has continued to collect signatures to support the return of the route.

"I'm not giving up. We need the route. A lot of people really want it," said Molloy, a Waikiki resident who had used the route daily to get to work in downtown Honolulu.

"Nothing compares to it. It ran every 10 to 15 minutes. The stops that we had, they were so well-situated," Molloy said. "It's was a wonderful thing and it's a shame to not give it a chance."

Laura Warfield, another coalition member, said she was surprised the city cut the line since it was doing so well.

"I'm shocked they discontinued the service because it was always crowded," Warfield said. "I was on the second stop in downtown. I was lucky to get a seat."

But city officials said the E route was not faster and averaged the same or worse as other buses on similar routes.

"Route E was basically an added service covering areas that were served by other routes," said James Burke, acting chief of the city's Public Transit Division.

Other factors besides lack of funding contributed to the city's decision to drop the E route.

Burke said it worsened conditions on other routes. Routes 8, 19 and 20 were experiencing overcrowding, and bus drivers were forced to pass up other passengers, he said.

Services on Route 8 were reduced while Route E was in operation. Route 8 has since been fully restored.

Burke said it would have cost the city $3.6 million a year to operate the E route.

But not all is lost. Burke said the city will be looking at a "semi-express bus" running between Ala Moana, Waikiki and downtown Honolulu.