setup 190202: I’m cheap, so I don’t regularly patronize the papers I pester. Hence, I don’t know whether a lot of what I send out ever sees print. I expect much of it does not, though I can’t imagine why. The Honolulu (Star Bulletin, r.i.p.) Advertiser was flown fresh every morning to the neighbor islands, so I was abreast of events downtown.
The most effective solutions to Oahu’s traffic dilemma have been left out of the debate. Neither light rail nor additional traffic lanes will adequately alleviate congestion.
Socialized transportation, through Federal interference and state regulation, is the author of Oahu’s commuter crunch. More of the same will simply aggravate the problem. Subsidized mass transport is not a bargain and highways are not free, but to consumers they feel that way. Because there are no highway entrance fees, drivers have no incentive to conserve them. If we perceive something to be free we will use it and use it and use it up.
The Libertarian solution is the free market solution. If new traffic lanes are needed, let the private sector build them. Tolls, adjusted for vehicle weight and peak use, remind us that the system isn’t free. This will promote car-pooling, trip consolidation, and mass transit. Second, complete deregulation: If TheBus can support itself on ridership alone, so be it, but let it compete freely with taxis, vans, or Rent-a-Bikes.
Finally, no more Federal funding. Our Democratic delegation is quick to take credit for delivering pork, but they seem to forget that every Federal dollar comes with a multitude of strings attached.
update 190203: Having departed the islands about a decade ago, I’ve lost touch with the ground transportation market. I expect it’s about as bad as I remember, though Uber et al may have brought some relief. My brother and I lived in Catlin Park, across the highway from the Honolulu International Airport. One day we had just missed the bus, and were looking forward to a wait. Soon a cab pulled up and propositioned us. We began to demur but he pointed out, “You can wait one houah and pay da bus one quahtapiece, or I take you Ala Moana fo’ dollah.” Singin’ Truckdriver and I looked at each other, nodded, and climbed in. Even in 1970 a buck for a cab ride from Catlin Park to Ala Moana was a bargain, even if a fourteen and eleven year old getting into a stranger’s car may not be so advisable. But “Larry” was no predator, just a motormouth hack with an empty seat on his way downtown who could afford to give a break to a captive audience. And even if he were up to no good, we outnumbered him, I was big and articulate (and cocky) for my age, and we were both good at identifying weapons within arms’ reach. So no huhu. We go wikiwiki downtown and plenty time for shop and catch bus home.