The City and County of Honolulu could face lawsuits, a reduction in federal funds or even federal intervention if local transit officials don’t improve Oahu’s Handi-Van service, City Auditor staff members told the City Council on Thursday.
Those comments came during a presentation before the Council’s Transportation Committee on the city’s Handi-Van audit, which the Office of the City Auditor released last month. It found that the paratransit fleet’s on-time service declined by 5 percent in the past three years while its number of excessively long trips for its senior and disabled passengers increased.
The Handi-Van, one of the most heavily used paratransit fleets in the nation per capita, provides roughly 3,500 rides each day. It’s operated by Oahu Transit Services, which also runs TheBus.
The City Council in 2014 passed a resolution, introduced by then-Councilman Breene Harimoto, requesting an audit of the Handi-Van after fielding numerous user complaints.
“There should be more accountability for what is going on with paratransit Handi-Van,” Donald Sakamoto, president of the local paratransit advocacy group Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride, told committee members Thursday. He said the OTS board should be held more accountable for the service. He added that OTS and the city’s Department of Transportation Services need better communication with each other.
Other riders who attended Thursday’s meeting said Handi-Van drivers provides great service and that the problem lies with systemic problems beyond those drivers’ control.
Auditors found that from 2012 to 2015 the Handi-Van routinely violated service requirements under the federal Americans With Disabilities Act by prioritizing certain trips and placing undue restrictions on certain types of riders.
DTS Director Mike Formby told Council members that he’s “confident that we’ll resolve all of these” problems.
“That’s my commitment to the community,” Formby said. He further acknowledged that the Handi-Van’s demand is greater than the system’s capacity. The city audit found that the Handi-Van won’t be able to increase its fleet much further without creating new facilities, and it recommended locating a new West Oahu hub for both the Handi-Van and TheBus, estimated to cost $144 million.
The audit further recommended raising the Handi-Van’s $2 fare for a one-way trip, calling that fee unsustainable. Sakamoto and others have said an increase would hit many riders hard because they live on fixed incomes.
