Jan. 25, 2008
Q: I am currently stationed onboard USS Kitty Hawk. I am writing in regards to the Negishi Home to Work bus. I have been living in Negishi for more than a year now and truly do love living there. My only concern is that in the past year, the population of Negishi has risen quite a lot and the one Home to Work bus that is provided is pretty much at capacity. I have been on the bus when active duty personnel have been turned away because the bus was full. Is there any discussion about a second bus and what is the policy with regards to priority (i.e. active duty, dependents and Govt. service employee personnel)?

A: The number and frequency of the Home to Work (HTW) buses is determined by balancing the number of riders with the availability of funding. The previous four months of passenger data (low-high) for the morning bus are as follows: Jan. (22- 40), Dec. (11-37), Nov. (1-27) and Oct. (17-44). Twice in Oct. the 44 passenger bus was filled. The evening bus riders are roughly half of those in the morning. From these current numbers it appears that an additional bus is not required. We will continue to monitor the numbers for an upward trend as the Negishi population changes. Buses are intended to be utilized by active duty and Department of Defense (DOD) civilians who work at Yokosuka. Students ride on a space available basis since DOD Schools provide buses for their transportation needs. However, students can only get on at the last stop after all adults have boarded. The focal point for community support such as the HTW bus is the Negishi Officer in Charge (OIC) Office at 242-4101.