If you've noticed bus stops disappearing on O'ahu, you're not imagining things.

The city has removed 84 stops in the past year, and that's just a start.

To make bus rides faster and improve safety, the city is evaluating its estimated 4,000 bus stops for possible removal.

After looking at just 294 bus stops in the past year, the city took down 84 and moved 13.

Some bus riders enjoy faster trips with fewer stops, but many residents are upset about losing the convenience of a nearby bus stop.

"I think it stinks," said Palolo resident Barbara Ikeda, 65, when the city took away two bus stops she used on 10th Avenue. "Now you have to go to 9th or to Koko Head or 12th Avenue."

"That's a hike and a half," said Ikeda, adding that the extra walk makes it impractical and inconvenient for her to catch the bus to go grocery shopping or run similar errands where she needs to carry things.

James Burke, chief of the Public Transit Division of city's Department of Transportation Services, said the stops are evaluated case by case with crews eliminating some that are mid-block, some that present hazardous traffic conditions or those that are close to other stops.

In general, the city is planning to place bus stops no more than 1,000 feet apart. "You should walk 500 feet or less," Burke said.

Although about a third of the bus stops already evaluated were eliminated or moved, Burke said that doesn't necessarily mean that a third of all stops will be removed.

The city explains the plan at the City Council and neighborhood board meetings, places ads in newspapers and posts signs at affected bus stops that say: "This bus stop is scheduled for removal."

The city wants to hear from people who have concerns about the decisions. "We're not saying that we're perfect," Burke said.

So far, the city has received 215 calls — about 200 who object and 15 who support the program, Burke said. "Those who are supportive do not usually call," he added.

Ron Lockwood, chairman of the McCully/Mo'ili'ili Neighborhood Board, said his community has complained loudly about two stops that were moved, one that affects senior citizens and another middle-school students.

He said they are "still fighting over" the bus stop that the city moved from Washington Middle School on King Street to the other side of King Street near the Tesoro gas station.

"It has made the whole middle school into jaywalkers," Lockwood said. Even though the students know they shouldn't jaywalk, he said it happens because "now they have to cross Punahou Street."

Lockwood said the city has notified the communities affected but has not given them much chance to react. "We're frustrated. They came to one neighborhood board meeting, then announced it and that was it. There was no follow-up," he said.

So far, the city has eliminated stops in these areas: Kapi'olani Boulevard; King Street/Beretania Street; Makakilo Drive; Wai'alae/Palolo; and Ala Moana /Kalakaua Avenue/Kapahulu Avenue, he said.

And the teams are looking at Kuhio Avenue/Monsarrat Avenue/Diamond Head. Over the next three years, they plan to go across the island, route by route.

City transit chief Burke said the city works to reuse the benches and shelters when it can. He said the only cost to the program is hiring a private contractor to remove or move the stops.

"We started on Kapi'olani Boulevard because that was the area of greatest concern," Burke said. "Generally speaking, we're looking to make sure that bus stops are in the safest location."

He said mid-block stops tend to cause more people to cross the street at the stops, which makes it riskier for pedestrians. "We want people to be crossing at intersections," he said.

Ken Hong, vice president for O'ahu Transit Services, which runs the city bus system, said reaction to the changing of the stops has been mixed.

"There is that initial outcry and then people get used to it," Hong said. Although people complain when they lose their neighborhood stop, other riders say they appreciate the quicker trip with fewer stops.

"You don't have the stop-and-go and the stop-and-go," he said.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.