The first class traffic solution

I claim this solution as my own, even if it’s been mentioned before. Out of sight, out of mind. If I haven’t heard of it, and I haven’t, then it’s original.

The first class traffic solution is easy. Forget spending billions on a fixed rail system that won’t reduce the number of cars on the road. My solution is easy to understand, easy to implement, and will work.

Step #1 - Higher Taxes: make the use of cars and trucks expensive. Sure, gasoline is already bouncing above $3.50 a gallon, but that only gets the poorer people out of their cars and onto The Bus. It’s simple. The more the car costs to operate, the more taxes car owners will pay. The rich pay more. Lots more. Hawaii has plenty of rich people. Let them pay my share. Making cars and trucks very expensive to drive will provide an incentive for people to use Step #2.

Step #2 – First Class Bus: add First Class seating and luxury amenities on The Bus. One of the obvious deterrents to bus riding is the quality of bus riders already on the bus. Some of those people just don’t mingle well in a crowd, and that’s what’s on a bus. A crowd.

I would pay more for the privilege of riding in the First Class section of an air conditioned, smooth-riding bus, wouldn’t you? After all, The Bus already goes to more places than any fixed rail system will ever be able to go. Add wireless internet access, oshibori, daily newspapers and magazines, and true first class seating, and ridership on The Bus will increase.

In fact, the entire Express Bus fleet could be renamed and commissioned as The Bus: First Class. No more freeloading from senior citizens with discount passes. Computer systems these days are sufficiently sophisticated that riders could be tracked and awarded Frequent Rider Miles. These points would enable bus riders in Coach to upgrade to First Class upon occasion. There’s nothing like the taste of the good life to get people to pay more money.

This is an idea whose time has come. The city would actually make more money by raising certain taxes high enough that using cars and trucks for single-person transportation becomes cost prohibitive. The solution would be to make even more money by charging extra for First Class ridership on The Bus.

Remember, you read it here first.