My concern is with the numerous considerations that may go unseen by those with little or no experience around our waterways.

I will leave the discussion as to the viability or profitability of coastal ferry services to people like Maui Divers' Cliff Slater, who have spent years studying public transportation.

As I understand Slater's assessment, ferry services that parallel highways traditionally loose money and rarely cause more than an insignificant drop in the numbers of vehicles on the road. If true, investments are lost and the traffic remains.

As to the impact of a ferry service to the Ala Wai harbor and a water taxi service along the canal itself, I think those presently using those waterways must be considered.

Historically, the harbor has been off limits for commercial boating operations. And, because of this lack of commercial traffic, the two resident yacht clubs - Hawaii and Waikiki - have been able to use the calm, if questionably clean, waters of the basin as a safe venue for community youth sailing instruction.

This use of protected water holds equally true for the area's canoe and kayak paddlers. In recent years, outrigger paddling teams have dramatically grown in size and numbers, and now hundreds of paddlers use the canal and the harbor every day for instruction and training.

Naturally, all of these activities peak at certain times of the day. So, once the canal is dredged and its full width is usable, perhaps there will be room for compromise.

Small electric boats hugging the Waikiki side of the canal might not be totally unacceptable. Or, with planning, a small passenger ferry schedule could be coordinated with other harbor activities.

But, there would seem to be no question that the Ala Wai's present users must be involved if there is to be meaningful dialog regarding its use as an alternative transportation corridor.