Council Budget panel eyes waiving Maui Bus fees for county employees, students of any age

Waiving bus fares for Maui County employees would have a “minimal impact” on revenue received from the Maui Bus ridership, Department of Transportation Director Marc Takamori told council members Tuesday.

Now, one-way bus fares cost $2. A daily pass is $4 for fixed routes, and a monthly pass for fixed routes and commuter service is $45. Bus rides are already free, with an appropriate ID card for seniors 55 years and older; disabled riders; students with IDs 24 and younger; and children 5 years old and younger, among others.

During a Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee meeting Tuesday, Council Member Gabe Johnson raised the question of waiving the bus rider fees for Maui County employees and students, regardless of age, which would affect students 25 to 54 years old.

“We believe that the fiscal impact of waiving fixed route fees for county employees is expected to be minimal as employee ridership represents a small fraction of the total Maui Bus volume and would not significantly decrease farebox recovery,” Takamori said. He added that to waive such fees they would need to be included in the department’s annual rates and fees schedule adopted in the annual budget.

The impact of waiving rider fees for older students would also be negligible, he said.

Transportation budget overview for fiscal 2027

For its fiscal 2027 budget overall, the Department of Transportation is seeking more than $14.8 million for fixed-route bus services as part of its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, according to documents submitted to the County Council.

The largest single budget item in the operational budget is a $14,828,625 request for the Maui Bus fixed route.

“The department’s proposal is designed to maintain core transit services while addressing escalating operational costs and advancing critical infrastructure recovery,” Takamori told committee members.

In a March 31 letter to Budget Committee Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura, Takamori outlined the department’s funding priorities and operational shifts for the upcoming year. The budget reflects a 5% to 5.7% increase in contract costs with bus operators Maui Economic Opportunity Inc. and Robert’s Hawaiʻi due to prevailing wage and maintenance cost hikes.

The department is requesting $5,853,348 for Americans with Disabilities Act paratransit services and $2,425,500 for commuter services. For residents, these figures translate to the continued operation of essential transit lifelines that connect workers to jobs and seniors to medical appointments across the island.

Budget details

The proposed budget includes cost increases, such as:

• ADA Paratransit: A $1,433,348 hike to meet growing demand and ADA compliance and cover a 5% increase in hourly service rates stemming from higher operational costs such as labor, fuel and insurance.
• Roberts Hawaiʻi Contracts: A $706,125 increase for fixed routes and $115,500 for commuter services due to rising labor, fuel and maintenance costs.
• MEO Support: An additional $433,960 for MEO to cover prevailing wage increases and utility costs.

Takamori also identified a new microtransit service initiative, proposed as a six-month pilot program.

Recovery from the August 2023 wildfires remains a factor in the department’s planning. Transportation officials said they expect $892,701 in Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursements to replace a heavy-duty diesel transit bus lost in the fires. A replacement bus is expected to join the fleet this summer.

Capital improvements

Capital improvement priorities for the year ahead include the development of a West Maui Transit Center with electric bus charging capability near the former Pioneer Mill smokestack in Lahaina and a new Transportation Baseyard Facility. The department is also moving forward with a request for proposals scheduled to close this Friday for environmental assessment for a proposed interisland ferry program, with a contractor selection expected as early as next Tuesday.

The department also is requesting an $850,000 one-time allocation for vehicle replacements, including one new 14-passenger electric bus and a 14-passenger gas-powered bus, which would replace an existing bus that had to be retired because of structural frame corrosion.

Budget community meetings

Budget committee members went to Hāna on Monday evening to hear public comments on the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget. 

Here’s the schedule for Budget Committee community meetings, all of which begin at 6 p.m.

• April 13, Mitchell Pauʻole Community Center, 90 Ainoa St., Kaunakakai.
• April 14, Kīhei Community Center, Main Hall, 303 E. Līpoa St.
• April 15, Lānaʻi High & Elementary School Cafeteria, 555 Fraser Ave., Lānaʻi City.
• April 16, April 16, Kalana o Maui, Council Chamber, 8th Floor, 200 S. High St., Wailuku.
• April 17, Lahaina Civic Center, Social Hall, 1840 Honoapiʻilani Hwy.