North Shore Shuttle to Start Full Operation Nov. 1

NS Shuttle currently running limited service; Full service to start Nov. 1

County officials report that response to the new North Shore Shuttle service that will move residents and visitors between north shore resorts and popular visitor destinations in the area has been great.

“We’ve gotten a number of calls from people expressing their excitement about the shuttle service. Some residents plan to use it to go to and from work, while employees in the hotel industry said that the service will reduce traffic and enhance the visitor experience,” said Kaua‘i County Economic Development Director George Costa.

The soft launch held Tuesday marked the initial phase of the rollout of the shuttle service.

“Currently, the shuttle is operating on a limited basis for the next two weeks. Only concierges and other resort staff are riding the shuttle so they can familiarize themselves with the service and the timing of the stops can be finalized,” said Costa. “We’re going to start offering the full service to the public on Nov. 1”.

The North Shore Shuttle pilot project is a partnership between the County of Kaua‘i, Kaua‘i Economic Development Board, Princeville Development Reignwood Group, Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau, several Princeville-area resorts, Hanalei to Hā‘ena Community Association and Experience Kaua‘i.

Experience Kaua‘i will operate a 14-passenger van and a 15-passenger shuttle, seven days a week.

The vehicles will accommodate coolers, boogie boards, beach chairs and umbrellas for beach goers.

The van will be used primarily between Hanalei and Hā’ena to cross the Wainiha bridges, while the shuttle will be utilized for the Princeville to Hanalei route. The shuttle service is schedule to operate between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Introductory fares of $2 each way for visitors and $1 each way for Kama‘āina will be offered during the first few weeks of operation to create awareness and ridership.

“Since this is a new service, it will be a ‘work in progress’,” said Costa. “We want to utilize the next two weeks to work out some of the major details and fine tune the service over the next six months. We want to try our best to serve North Shore residents, as well as our visitors who love the area.”

The project leaders are seeking sponsorships from north shore businesses in order to sustain the shuttle service following the six-month pilot period.

Anyone interested in supporting the shuttle project may contact the Office of Economic Development at (808) 241-4946.