NEWS RELEASE
                            Public Communications Division
                            Department of Customer Services
                            City & County of Honolulu
                            523-4385

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 29, 2001 

            Mayor Jeremy Harris is inviting the public to a grand opening on Saturday (November 3) of a new full-service maintenance and repair facility for TheBus, plus a new Youth Facility in Pearl City.

            The event, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., will be at 1200 Waimano Home Road.  Access will be via Kuala Street.  The public will be treated to food, games for keiki, entertainment and tours of the featured facilities.

            “Our new bus facility has state-of-the-art capabilities and space to accommodate up to 250 city buses,” the Mayor said. “It is an impressive structure that is environmentally friendly and computerized for efficiency.”

            The facility includes five buildings and is located on 21 acres of land.  Among its features:

• Seal-coated asphalt pavement to prevent petroleum products from damaging the pavement.
• A bus-washing system that includes a separator that prevents the discharge of oil into the city drainage system.
• A system to monitor any leakage from underground petroleum storage tanks.
• A power system that automatically turns building perimeter lights off when sunlight provides adequate illumination.
• A “Personal Fall Arrest System” that protects staff who are required to climb atop buses.
• Computerized sensors that automatically download fare collection and ridership information from electronic fareboxes.

The grand opening also celebrates the opening of the Pearl City Youth Facility, a

 nonprofit youth organization that has leased a portion of a new city multi-purpose

park building.  The youth program, called the Pearl City Community Youth Organization United to Help (PCCYOUTH), provides counseling, health services and performing arts activities for juveniles in the community.

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