The Boat - Honolulu's Commuter Ferry

[Frankie's Market]

Re: The Boat - Honolulu's Commuter Ferry

Tsk. But kinda hard to fight stats like: "...ridership on TheBoat remained around 30 percent of capacity..."

The Mufster had better hope that TheRail does a lot better than 30% of capacity. Unlike TheBoat, a rail system isn't so easy to dispose of.

[joshuatree]

Re: The Boat - Honolulu's Commuter Ferry

The Mufster had better hope that TheRail does a lot better than 30% of capacity. Unlike TheBoat, a rail system isn't so easy to dispose of.

Considering the state wants to raise the tax on each barrel of oil coming in plus the city council wanting to raise the tax per gallon of gas, it's more incentive for using public transit.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: The Boat - Honolulu's Commuter Ferry

Considering the state wants to raise the tax on each barrel of oil coming in plus the city council wanting to raise the tax per gallon of gas, it's more incentive for using public transit.

That's the idea that the tax increase proponents have in their minds. That's what they think.

If you ask me, an increase of the fuel tax will instead be an incentive for motorists to vote out any council member who supports the measure. A warning to Nestor Garcia and his tax-hike allies: 2009 may not be an election year, but when you increase the tax on gas, just remember that this is something that folks won't ever forget. They'll have a fresh reminder, every time they have to visit the pump.

Taxpayers are fed up with raised taxes and newly created ones. And they have every right to be when other avenues to cut city operating costs have not been implemented yet. At a time when employees in the private sector are being laid off or having their hours cut, the city needs to do the same with their labor force FIRST before jacking up everybody else's taxes and fees to balance the budget.

[salmoned]

Re: The Boat - Honolulu's Commuter Ferry

The Mufster had better hope that TheRail does a lot better than 30% of capacity. Unlike TheBoat, a rail system isn't so easy to dispose of.

Not to worry, The Bus routes will be modified to ensure high rail usage - that 'captive' clientele will ensure high rail ridership figures, even if actual overall public transit ridership doesn't significantly increase due to rail.

[shaveice]

Re: The Boat - Honolulu's Commuter Ferry

sorry if i'm repeating what someone has already pointed out but this whole boat project was pretty much a freebie; the funds for it came from a federal grant or something so mufi had nothing much to lose; i guess i would have done the same even though it was all a game. sure, in public he had to pretend that this was a serious trial but i doubt anyone thought it'd be a serious option. i vaguely recall reading an article that said that it'd be cheaper to fly each person by helicopter. wasn't the ticket about $4 and the "real" cost about $140 per person?

anyway, no surprise that with the end of the free money, the project's gonna fold...

[joshuatree]

Re: The Boat - Honolulu's Commuter Ferry

sorry if i'm repeating what someone has already pointed out but this whole boat project was pretty much a freebie; the funds for it came from a federal grant or something so mufi had nothing much to lose; i guess i would have done the same even though it was all a game. sure, in public he had to pretend that this was a serious trial but i doubt anyone thought it'd be a serious option. i vaguely recall reading an article that said that it'd be cheaper to fly each person by helicopter. wasn't the ticket about $4 and the "real" cost about $140 per person?

anyway, no surprise that with the end of the free money, the project's gonna fold...

I think the feds threw in $4 million for the pilot project and the city spent $1 million on setting up the bus stops and routes.