Hawaii Senate Resolution Sr79: Support Hawaii Superferry

THE SENATE TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004 STATE OF HAWAII

S.R. NO.

79

SENATE RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR HAWAII SUPERFERRY, INC. AND REQUESTING EXPEDITIOUS ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING OF NECESSARY PERMITS.

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WHEREAS, Hawaii is the world’s only major island archipelago without an interisland ferry system; and WHEREAS, the Hawaiian market is ideal for fast vehicle and passenger ferries with its 1.3 million residents, 7 million tourists annually and the world’s highest ratio of vehicle-topopulation; and WHEREAS, Hawaii Superferry, Inc. plans to introduce fast, low cost interisland roll-on/roll-off passenger and freight ferry service within the Hawaiian islands in 2006; and WHEREAS, the fast ferry vessels planned to be used by Hawaii Superferry, Inc. have a proven record throughout the world in transportation, medical evacuation, provision of food, water, shelter, and other civil defense support in times of natural disasters and disruptions in transportation systems; and WHEREAS, current technology hybrid catamarans have replaced other technologies throughout the world as the vessel of choice for fast short-distance ocean travel, and have over 15 years of proven ocean-going service; and WHEREAS, the proposed interisland vehicle and passenger ferries will stimulate the Hawaii economy through the creation of approximately 1,000 jobs, increase the annual state gross domestic product by up to $1 billion, lower the cost of living for residents, and reduce the reliance of residents on a single mode of transportation; and WHEREAS, there is currently available in excess of $25 million of federal funds for the development of ferry infrastructure specifically for the State of Hawaii; and

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S.R. NO.

79

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has built a ferry terminal on Oahu using federal funds specifically for the development of ferry infrastructure; and WHEREAS, interisland family travel, such as visiting friends and relatives, has become very costly, and as a result, less frequent; and WHEREAS, a ten year study by the United States Department of Transportation on the impact of Southwest Airlines, the leading low-cost airline in the United States, on 160 domestic city-pairs shows that demand doubles when airfares are reduced by 43 percent; and WHEREAS, the proposed pricing of the interisland fast ferry will make interisland family travel more affordable and more frequent; and WHEREAS, Oahu-based Army and Marine Corps requirements for Big Island training is increasing and the fast ferry service will allow increased training at a lower cost and improve the readiness of our troops; and WHEREAS, the vessels that will be used by Hawaii Superferry, Inc. are environmentally-friendly; and WHEREAS, the Hawaii Superferry, Inc. vessels cleanest and most energy-efficient marine engines and will exceed the strict new 2007 EPA emissions and burn fuel 100 times cleaner than conventional

will use the in the world requirements ships; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Superferry, Inc. vessels will have holding tanks that will contain 100 percent of the wastewater which will be pumped into the sewage system in Honolulu for processing and will have ultra-low-flow vacuum toilets and other water-conserving devices; and WHEREAS, the Hawaii Superferry, Inc. whale avoidance policy is 500 percent stricter than required by the National Humpback Whale Sanctuary with routes concentrated in deep waters where less than 1 percent of whales congregate; its routes are changed during whale seasons; and dedicated whale lookouts and technology are used to avoid the few whales in the deep waters; now, therefore, SR79.doc *SR79.doc* *SR79.doc*

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S.R. NO.

79

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that the Legislature supports the efforts of Hawaii Superferry, Inc. to establish an inter-island fast ferry service; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to assist in the expeditious planning and implementation of the fast ferry service; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Public Utilities Commission is requested to expeditiously process any required certification of Hawaii Superferry, Inc.; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Maritime Administration is respectfully requested to expeditiously process Hawaii Superferry, Inc.'s application for a Title XI guarantee commitment for the construction and permanent financing of the fast ferry vessels; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii’s congressional delegation is urged to request the U.S. Maritime Administration to expeditiously consider Hawaii Superferry, Inc.’s application for a Title XI guarantee commitment for the construction and permanent financing of the fast ferry vessels; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation, the chair of the Public Utilities Commission, the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, and the members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation.

OFFERED BY: _____________________________

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S.R. NO.

79