Ferry Talks Continue 

Molokai ferry during its last operational days, 2016. Photo by Catherine Cluett Pactol

Molokai residents had a final chance to voice ideas and feedback on bringing back the Molokai ferry. The Maui County Ferry Feasibility Study began over the summer, with the idea of creating a publicly run ferry system for Maui County like the MEO bus. The Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), which helps plan transportation projects for Maui County, will put forward the proposal to the county council early next year.

Following a community meeting and survey back in July, the Maui MPO was back on Molokai to share results and attain feedback on potential proposals. 

“What we heard is that ferry service is vital,” said Kaunoe Batangan, executive director of Maui MPO. Summarizing some of the 1,700 survey responses, Batangan explained that travel from Molokai is currently “difficult, expensive and unreliable.” 

The survey illustrated that Molokai residents want to be able to access Maui for medical appointments, jobs, schools, sports and more, he explained.   

Following this summer’s community meetings on Maui, Molokai and Lanai, MPO had created several proposals to share with residents. 

The first proposal looked at a short-term plan whereby a ferry would travel from Molokai to Maui’s Ma’alea Harbor for one or two round trips per-day. This proposal would be in place while the Lahaina Harbor is rebuilt, and a specifically designed ferry is being built for the county. 

According to project representatives, the feedback from West Maui has been that they would welcome the Molokai ferry back to Maui. 

Molokai residents at the Oct. 16 meeting at the Mitchell Pauole Center had a chance to voice some of their thoughts on the ferry, with the vast majority speaking in favor of some kind of return to normal ferry service. 

Molokai had regular ferry service between Kaunakakai and Lahaina for over 30 years. Molokai resident Catherine Aki was one of many who used the ferry for daily work in Lahaina, as well as for visiting family. 

“I would like to see a return to similar concepts,” said Aki, advocating for two round trips per day.  

The Molokai ferry closed in 2016 after ridership fell from 50,000 to 15,000 annually as the Public Utilities Commission refused to allow for price changes from the $50 per ticket. 

The current proposal would have the Maui County Council run the ferry, allowing them to set prices and kama’aina rates. For the Lanai ferry, which is privately owned, residents currently pay $40 per ticket, while visitors pay $66.

With continued issues with flight reliability and availability, and flight prices hovering around $200 per round trip, there was a palpable urgency amongst many Molokai residents for bringing some kind of ferry service back. 

The timeline for when a ferry could begin, however, remains vague.

While it would take an estimated five years to build at least two custom ferries to traverse the route, MPO representatives also proposed that Maui County could buy or charter boats in the interim. When such a purchase could happen though remains unclear for project leads.

“I don’t know,” said Batangan. “We’re going to have to see what we can procure in short order, and that will dictate the timeline.”

For now, the timeline sits somewhere up to five years for when a ferry could be back in Molokai waters. 

Five years is too long, explained Aki. “Five years from now, will I even still be around?” she wondered. 

Maui MPO plans on taking their recommendations before the Maui County Council early next year. Molokai residents with more feedback on the project can contact County Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez.