Delays during the afternoon throw buses off at night, too

Question: On a Monday night in late August, we were waiting for the Route 57 bus at Ala Moana Center to go to Kailua/Waimanalo. Instead of its scheduled 9:40 p.m. arrival, it didn’t come until 10:15 p.m. When we called Oahu Transit Services to find out why, the answer was, "Because of construction." There was no construction at that time. When someone asked the driver, with a nasty, bad attitude, he answered, "The bus going be late every time!" The next night, the same driver picked us up at the same location at 10 p.m., 20 minutes late. When asked why he was late this time, he said it was because he had to pick up "plenty kids." Then he changed his story and blamed the previous driver for being late. Then the next night, he came at 10:20 p.m. Why is this happening? There is no excuse for being this late so often.

Answer: The conditions the driver blamed for the very late arrivals did exist, according to Oahu Transit Services.

The incidents you describe apparently occurred during the back-to-school jam, when traffic increased because the University of Hawaii and many private schools began their fall sessions, said OTS spokeswoman Michelle Kennedy.

"We apologize for the late arrival of the Route 57 bus," she said, noting the bus ran late because of road conditions and increased traffic that week.

Route 57 (Kailua/Waimanalo, Sea Life Park) is interlined with Route 23 (Hawaii Kai/Sea Life Park), which means that on many trips the bus is covering the entire eastern region of Oahu as well as downtown Honolulu and Waikiki, she said.

The bus you catch begins service at 2 p.m., with several schools along its route and operating during the times of active roadwork and construction, she said. Asked whether delays during the afternoon would still be in effect late at night, Kennedy said yes, because the bus has "very little recovery time" and might not be able to make up the lost time as the day goes on.

Since then, however, she said OTS had been monitoring the bus in question and worked to bring it back on schedule.

"We will continue to monitor the situation," Kennedy said. "We are also working on a more permanent solution and will be evaluating the entire route for future scheduling modifications."

She thanked riders for their "patience and understanding as we do our best to adjust to the changes in road conditions and improve our system."

Question: I’m concerned about the dead naupaka in the middle of Ala Moana Boulevard. It’s a shame that we spent taxpayers’ money to plant all of it and now it’s not being watered or fertilized. Can something be done?

Answer: Although Ala Moana Boulevard is a state highway, the median area between Atkinson Drive and Ward Avenue is maintained by the city.

The city Department of Facility Maintenance, working with the city parks department and the state Department of Public Safety, began removing the dead naupaka on Monday. Grass will be planted. Work is expected to be completed by the end of the week, said Westley Chun, director of facility maintenance.

Regarding why the plants died, whether by lack of watering or otherwise, Chun said, "We have no explanation as to why."

The westbound left lane of Ala Moana, between Atkinson and Ward, will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. until the work is completed. Chun thanked the public for its "support and patience during this operation."

MAHALO

To the bus operator on Route 2 who found my father’s wallet and turned it in. He/she has our heartfelt gratitude. Everything was intact, and my father getting all his IDs back means no interruption in getting his medications. — John Johnson

Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.