Sunday, March 09, 2008
Superferry info shortage distorts measurements
Last year Maui Judge Joel August required that traffic impacts from the Hawaii Superferry be assessed. This Maui News story, Assessment finds little traffic — or ferry service, illustrates a larger problem: With service so sporadic, how can the public (or the court) know the true impact that the operation of the Superferry is having?
It's not ok to say that the impact is minimal when there has been little opportunity to measure the true impact.
We don't know if passenger loads would be higher if prospective users could be sure that they could return their vehicles from their planned trip. Would more businesses take their trucks and tools to the other side if they weren't so afraid of being stranded?
The ferry has been out of service so much that it isn't possible to properly assess either how well it is doing or what the effects of its operation might be.
Yet the clock is ticking on various reports.
The article above notes that there is the opportunity for public comment.
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