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Ask The Mayor

Mayor Michael Victorino answers some of the most-asked questions submitted to his office staff.

Q: Could the county please consider new bus stop structures on the lower blocks of West Papa Avenue?

A: Mahalo for your question and thank you for using our Maui Bus system. Unfortunately, the bus stops on the lower blocks of West Papa Avenue in Kahului do not meet or exceed 25 boardings per day, which would declare them as priority candidates for new shelters, according to our Maui Bus Stop Planning and Design Services study. This study prepared by KFH Group helps our county Department of Transportation determine if a bus stop meets the minimum qualifications for improvements, including a bus stop shelter with transit amenities or compliance measures with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

While the West Papa Avenue bus stops do not meet the minimum ridership requirement for shelters, they may be considered for ADA site improvements, which would include bench seating. I’d also like to strongly remind the public to not litter or dump furniture at any of our county bus stops. Our county Transportation Department staff recently removed 40 chairs, four sofas, four shopping carts and three full bags of garbage from stops along Kahului bus routes.

We are very proud of our Maui Bus system, especially with our two new 40-foot-long Eldorado transit buses that were blessed last month. These new buses are more quiet, have improved lighting and are fit with the state-of-the-art Quantum system that allows riders in wheelchairs to secure themselves independently. For more information on the Maui Bus and to download the app, visit www.mauibus.org.

Q: I go to the beach every day on a little 3-mile drive down the mountain on 20-25 mph roads (no highway). When we were in Florida, I knew lots of people who used those low-speed electric golf carts (21-25 mph) that were outfitted to be street legal. If I can get it here, I want to get one to be greener and cheaper to operate. Are these things legal on Maui streets?

A: Mahalo for the question, and while it may appear that golf carts are street legal with the number of courses on the island, they are in fact not legal in Maui County and the rest of the state. My staff contacted our Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing, and officials there notified us that golf carts cannot be legally registered and issued a license plate under current state law, nor can they receive a 17-character vehicle identification number.

Hawaii Revised Statues 286-42 states:

“Except for motorcycles that are built on an aftermarket motorcycle frame, special interest vehicles, and reconstructed vehicles, any motor vehicle or device that is not certified by the manufacturer to be in compliance with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards as of the date of (manufacture) shall not be registered.”

Thank you for your interesting question, and please remember to always drive safely on our roadways.

* Want to Ask the Mayor? Submit your Maui County related questions to Mayor Michael Victorino by email at askthemayor@mauicounty.gov, by phone at 270-7855 or by mail at 200 S. High St., ninth floor, Wailuku 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column; to request a personal response to a concern, email mayors.office@mauicounty.gov.

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