Honolulu_to_Try_Car_Pool_to_Solve_Traffic

The New York Times
September 11, 1971

Honolulu to Try Car Pool to Solve Traffic Problem

Special to the New York Times

HONOLULU, Sept, 11-Mayor Frank F. Fasi, who has advocated that a limit be-placed on the number of-automobiles on the island of Oahu, is taking steps to establish the nation's first citywide, computerized car pool.

The first phase of the operation will be to determine how many of the city's 7,000 employees can be matched up by computer with car pools. The computer wilt consider such factors as area of residence, destination. and working hours.

The Mayor first got the idea of a computerized car pool in the bus drivers' strike against the Honolulu Rapid-Transit Company last January. Car pools reduced congestion on city streets to such a degree that the Mayor was convinced they would be a good thing if they were established on a permanent basis

The May6r instructed key officials on his staff to study the car pool prospects, along with several other plans to reduce the number of cars on Oahu's streets and highways. There are 293,000 vehicles on the island, which had a population of 629,000 in the 1970 census. There arc only 1,141 miles of highways.

Life of the Land, an environmental organization, heard of the Mayor's efforts to curb the traffic congestion and suggested that he get in touch with North American Rockwell in Los Angeles,

Mr. Goldstone has worked with computerized car pool programs in a number of. mainland businesses with huge numbers of vehicle-owning employees.

Mayor Fasi said Mr. Goldstone had agreed to provide Honolulu with a working computer program.

The Mayor said Mr. Gold stone's services would be provided to the city without-cost, although the municipality ,will pick up his bill for plane fare and accommodations here.

Mayor Fasi, who envisions the project expanding from the original city vehicle phase to an all island program believies as many as 2,000 vehicles can be removed initially from streets during rush hours. Thousands of additional cars will be left at home if the plan is found to be feasible and is accepted by the entire population.

."Nobody wants more and more highways, more and more cars,’’ the, Mayor said. "But until we find a way to control automobile population and until we can produce an efficient; economical rapid transit system, we will have to try other measures

"If the people buy this idea, it could be a major step in the right direction."

The idea is already catching on. Honolulu's most popular radio and television station, acting independently, is now on a month-long campaign on the theme "Car Pools Work."