Mayor Pushes To Keep TheBoat Running

HONOLULU -- Ridership on Oahu's TheBoat service from Kalaeloa to downtown Honolulu is up, according to Honolulu city officials.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann said he is committed to keeping the program afloat.

The city said about 5,600 people rode TheBoat in February. The number is about 3,700 more than in December.

Both ferries have operated without problems for 10 weeks after suffering a number of problems in the beginning.

The city announced on Wednesday that it has adjusted the schedule to better accommodate passengers.

"We're going to be able to ramp up that ridership even more. Once again, this is a great viable alternative to what we have now," Hannemann said.

The project is expensive. If the two boats were full on every trip, KITV has determined that it would cost about $52 per passenger, per day for a round trip. A one-way fare cost passengers $2.

A $5 million federal grant and another $1 million by the city cover the cost of the first year. Hannemann said he hopes the pilot project proves its worth.

"We're hoping the ridership will show that, but at the end of the day, we're still going to pursue federal funds," Hannemann said.

The mayor said he has already put aside city money for next year. Hannemann reminded KITV that TheBus is also subsidized.

"If you want to provide public transportation choices so that working-class people can afford it, and students and seniors, you have to subsidize," he said.