Save Money and Time With Busways, Toll Lanes

GRASS IN REVIEW

GRASSROOT INSTITUTE OF HAWAII

Nurturing the rights and responsibilities of the individual in a civil society.

WEEKLY GRASS IN REVIEW - April 16, 2008

Save Money and Time With Busways, Toll Lanes
By Gabriel Roth

Gabriel Roth The City Council should ensure that bus-based transit systems are considered for Honolulu's proposed elevated transit system. Rail trains are large and heavy, so an elevated track strong enough to carry road traffic need be no larger or stronger than one built for rail trains.

The big advantage of rail transit is its dedicated right-of-way, which enables rail service to avoid traffic congestion on the roads. But bus systems, too, can be provided with dedicated rights-of-way, which some call "busways." They have the following advantages over trains:

Buses don't need stations on the busway, as they can collect and deposit passengers close to the origins and destinations of their trips, without passengers having to change modes. Such bus lanes have been operating since 1969 on the Shirley Highway express-bus-on-freeway project in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. As there were not enough buses to fill the bus lanes, the lanes were opened to carpools in 1973.
Space between rail trains is always wasted, but space between buses can be used by other vehicles, which need not necessarily be carpools. The HOT (high occupancy or toll) lanes opened in 1995 on a 10-mile stretch of California's State Route 91, east of Los Angeles, demonstrated that toll-paying vehicles can be identified in motion and charged electronically, without having to stop. Furthermore, the tolls are varied by time of day to ensure that the lanes are never congested.
Busways can carry buses of different companies and thus provide competitive service. But rail service has to be provided by a monopoly, generally unionized. That unionized rail staff can cause problems is evident from the current rail strike in Paris.
Bus systems have superior carrying capacity. Five hundred buses, carrying about 25,000 seated passengers, often enter New York City's main bus station in one hour on one dedicated bus lane. And an unobstructed traffic lane can accommodate more than 1,000 buses an hour, carrying 50,000 seated passengers in 50-seat buses. Rail services cannot carry such high traffic volumes without forcing passengers to stand.
Rail services generally stop at each station along the line. Buses utilizing a busway can travel nonstop from passenger origin to destination.
Because of their smaller size, individual buses run more frequently than trains, thus reducing the waiting time of passengers.
Finally, despite the numbers of drivers employed, bus systems cost much less than rail systems.

It is thus apparent that there are at least two alternatives to the rail mode that can be considered by the Council for Honolulu's proposed elevated transit system:

a dedicated busway on which only buses can run; and
express toll lanes available to buses at no charge but open to other vehicles on payment of a fee. The revenues generated could pay for part -- possibly even for all -- the busway costs.

High-capacity busways on dedicated lanes operate in Curitiba,Brazil; Bogota, Colombia; Brisbane, Australia; Ottawa, Canada; and Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. Express toll lanes with variable toll lanes operate in the vicinity of Los Angeles, San Diego, Minneapolis and Denver, and are being planned for the Washington, D.C., area. Should not such modern facilities be at least considered for Honolulu?

Gabriel Roth, a former transportation economist at the World Bank, is a research fellow at the Independent Institute in Oakland, California and editor of Street Smart: Competition, Entrepreneurship and the Future of Roads.

IN THE NEWS - HIGHLIGHTED COMMENTARIES
Grassroot Institute is regularly featured in news articles and broadcasts around the state. Here is a sample of some of our recent articles, research stories, and other articles of interest.

Does Rail Transit Save Energy or Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?
By Randal O’Toole

Far from protecting the environment, most rail transit lines use more energy per passenger mile, and many generate more greenhouse gases, than the average passenger automobile. Rail transit provides no guarantee that a city will save energy or meet greenhouse gas targets.

(To read more, click here.)

Has McCain Got a (Good) Deal for You!
From the Institute for Policy Innovation

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain has proposed a radical reform for the tax treatment of health insurance. He would eliminate the current employer tax exclusion (i.e., employees do not count as income the money employers spend on employee health insurance; it is “excluded” from income) and replace it with a refundable tax credit: $2,500 for an individual and $5,000 for a family.

Critics of the McCain proposal—and they are legion—say that a $5,000 tax credit for a family doesn’t come near covering the cost of the average family policy, about $12,000 a year. But to make that claim is to display a woeful ignorance of how the current tax exclusion affects a family’s income tax bill.

(To read more, click here.)

HONOLULUTRAFFIC.COM
The mission of HonoluluTraffic.com is to seek cost effective ways to reduce traffic congestion on Oahu. Add your name to the list of supporters. Here are the most recent posts/additions to the site:

City's Rail schedule slips
Cato Institute's O'Toole releases new study on gas emissions
Transit "outreach" meeting at Kalani High School this Monday
Wachs: "Ethics and Advocacy in Forecasting for Public Policy"
Full Council to hear Bill 80 to select technology
Wachs: "When Planners Lie with Numbers"
$251 million for rail in Council Budget bill

You can read these and more at HonoluluTraffic.com.

FRESH PERSPECTIVE

Opportunity for Young Adults:
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii created the Fresh Perspective column exclusively to publish the work of high school and college students. In addition to work appearing on GRIH’s website, their work is also submitted to Hawaii Reporter. Submissions are welcome from any interested young adult, and we will publish work that is clearly written and grammatically sound. For earlier Fresh Perspectives please click here.

Contact: wendy@grassrootinstitute.org for more info.

TRY OUR BLOGS
Use these links to access various topics.

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>The Case for Colombia

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>A Glimpse into China’s Closet

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>Tax Insanity

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>The “green” CEO

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>France to push for EU company tax

The Mystery of Hawaiian History>>>Blog Archives>>>International Recognition of Republic of Hawaii Discredits Apology Resolution and Undermines Akaka Bill

The Mystery of Hawaiian History>>>Blog Archives>>>Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii by Guatemala, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden/Norway, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, United States ... (more)

Read what others have written or add your own thoughts by clicking here.

LIBERTY NETWORK

Jamie Story, President of GRIH, and Sean Parnell, President of the Center for Competitive Politics, had an article published in Hawaii Reporter on April 11, 2008: “Welfare for Politicians”.
GRIH Board Member Dale Evans had an article published in Hawaii Reporter on April 8, 2008: "Rider Safety Not Addressed in Honolulu Rail Plans”.
GRIH President Emeritus Dick Rowland had a Letter to the Editor published in the February edition of Hawaii Business Magazine: “Sustainability = Stasis?”
The www.LUV-Hawaii.org website was the subject of the main message of the January 16 Grass in Review. Since then, over 220 people have signed the petition and 160 have posted comments. A few of the comments were published in Hawaii Reporter on 2/8/08, 2/23/08, 3/1/08, 3/11/08, and 3/29/08. Please read them and sign the petition if you have not already done so. The comments are anonymous and cannot be viewed on the LUV-Hawaii website at this time.

If you have not already signed the petition or gone to the website to learn more about it, please do so today.

UPCOMING EVENTS

All of the Institute’s events, research publication dates and speaking engagements are available on our website.

1. The Small Business Hawaii Awards Banquet will be held on Friday, May 9th at the Waialae Country Club. The awardees include:

SBH Business Person of the Year -- John Garibaldi, Hawaii Superferry, Inc.
Civic Leader --Victor Lim, McDonald's of Hawaii
Young Entrepreneur – Bernadette Baraquio, Just a Girl Productions

The banquet will also celebrate the new SBH Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. There will be a silent auction, prizes, entertainment and a special speaker. Tickets are $100 per person and are tax-deductible in part. Call Darlyn Evangelista at (808)396-1724.

2. The 2008 Preserving the American Dream conference: "Preserving Freedom and Mobility"
May 16-18, 2008 in Houston, TX

GRIH will be co-sponsoring the sixth annual Preserving the American Dream Conference in Houston (Omni Hotel near Galleria District) on May 16-18, 2008. Registration is $249 regular or $175 student and low-income. There is an optional lunch and tour of Houston on Friday the 16th (8:30 am – 4:30 pm) for $25. Last year’s attendees really enjoyed the tour of San Jose.

For more information or to register, please visit the American Dream Coalition website.

How fast does the state spend your money?
State spending is out of control. Watch the dollars fly out the window.....

Have an Institute speaker at your next meeting!
From taxation to education, from health care to transportation, the Institute’s staff is ready to address your group regarding the important policy issues facing all citizens of Hawaii. Call (808) 591-9193 to check availability and make arrangements, or e-mail us at wendy@grassrootinstitute.org .

Grassroot Institute is a proud member of the State Policy Network and Townhall.

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