Funding has been secured to provide fare-free Hele-On bus service on Hawaii Island through the end of 2025.
Some $1.87 million in American Rescue Plan funding has been allocated to the Hawaii County Mass Transit Agency for operations and lost passenger fares through Dec. 31, 2025, agency administrator John Andoh told the county Finance Committee Tuesday at the West Hawaii Civic Center in Kailua-Kona. About $560,000 of the funds will go toward passenger fares while the remainder will be used for expansion and implementation of the agency’s master plan. There is no local match requirement.
The fresh influx of federal funding means the free islandwide Hele-On service, which began in June, will continue another two years beyond the Dec. 31, 2023, date previously approved by the council. Andoh had indicated the agency was pursuing a grant to extend fare-free service beyond 2023 when the bill suspending fares for 19 months was approved earlier this year with the acceptance of $4.5 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding.
“You may recall, when I came before the council we asked for the through 2023 — this is the second grant that I’m just requesting to extend that through 2025,” said Andoh of Bill 190.
The intent of staying fare-free, Andoh said, is to increase ridership on the Hele-On, which has dropped to under 290,000 passenger trips per year. When the county operated the Hele-On free of charge, ridership increased from 800,000 passenger trips in fiscal year 2009 to 1.2 million passenger trips in 2013, when fares were restored.
It’s estimated that by going fare-free as part of the Transit and Multi-Modal Transportation Master Plan implemented on Sept. 5, 2021, ridership growth will increase initially by 5% to 30%, according to information submitted by Andoh with the bill.
“The long-term goal is to restore credibility with the riding public on the transit system, return people back transit, build our ridership back so that we can generate more passenger miles which would allow us to get more federal funds allocated to the state which would then come through the formula to us to support overall operations,” he told the committee Tuesday.
Kohala Councilman Tim Richards noted it appeared Andoh had things figured out when it comes to questions the lawmaker has heard from constituents, such as whether not charging for the bus service will cost the county more in the long run.
“Actually the way you’ve got it worked out, it’s not going to cost us anymore — we’re actually going to do better as we build our ridership,” he said.
Puna Councilman Matt Kanealii-Kleinfelder, who introduced the bill at Andoh’s request, added before the panel’s vote: “I hope the newspaper runs a story that says ‘no fares til 2025’, because I think it’s great.”
The committee subsequently voted 8-0, with Hamakua Councilwoman Heather Kimball excused, to forward Bill 190 to the full Council for two readings.
Cory Harden, in a communication submitted to the committee, urged councilmembers to forward the measure with a favorable recommendation.
“This will enable residents who cannot afford cars, or do not want cars, to access jobs and services. It will also help reduce pollution and climate change impacts,” she said via written correspondence.
The fare-free service does not apply to county-operated curb-to-curb van services provided by Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation, not does it cover taxi coupons.
“We still have passengers pay for shared ride coupons,” said Andoh.