Report Title:

Bus ridership; pilot program

 

Description:

Appropriates funds for a pilot program to encourage ridership on buses by offering free ridership for 6 months.

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2055

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

appropriating funds for a pilot project to increase bus ridership.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that ridership on The Bus has trended downward since a high in 1994 of 77,338,147 passengers.  While the decrease in ridership could be attributed to any number of factors, including a strike and incremental fare increases since 1979, a decrease in ridership is unquestioned. 

     The legislature also finds that, as a mass transit option, public buses have served to reduce the amount of traffic on state highways.  The City and County of Honolulu's Public Transit Department estimated that one bus, which can accommodate 50 to 70 passengers at a time, removes 40 to 70 cars from the road because the passengers are not driving cars. 

     As a continuing part of the solution to deal with traffic problems on state highways, increasing bus ridership can only help with that situation.  Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish a pilot project that will provide funding for free bus ridership as a means to increase ridership on existing public bus services.

     SECTION 2.  There shall be established a pilot project that will provide funding to counties for free bus ridership as a means to increase bus ridership on existing public bus services.  In order for a county to qualify for funding under this project, the county must have existing public bus transit services in existence at the time of the implementation of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  As an additional requirement to qualifying for funding under this Act, a county must also, at a minimum, impose a qualification requirement for individuals seeking to participate in the pilot project that calls for presentment of a state identification card or a state driver's license upon application for participation in the pilot project.  A county may impose additional legal criteria for participation in the pilot project.

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $_______ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 for the implementation of a pilot project that will offer free bus ridership for 6 months.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of transportation for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2008.

 

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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