After many months of roiling controversy over funding shortages and investigations delaying the Honolulu rail, it is hard to picture any part of the system up and running in a soft launch of the project.

There are two incremental launches planned, in fact: In December 2020, the first 11 miles and nine stations of the 20-mile system would operate between East Kapolei and Aloha Stadium. Three years later, the next five miles, adding in the airport and three other stops, would be part of the service.

Two thoughts come to mind: First, it would be great for Oahu residents to make use of something so long in coming, and at such great cost.

The second is: 2020 is just around the bend. Even if meeting that deadline is within reach, which is not a foregone conclusion, it won’t do to raise the curtain on rail before its budding ridership has been prepared for it.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation initially proposed a single interim opening in its rail recovery plan submitted last fall to the Federal Transit Administration. That plan was necessary to demonstrate that the city had secured enough additional funding to complete the construction before the FTA would release the balance of its $1.55 billion that it committed to the system.

Last week, however, HART Executive Director Andrew Robbins said the city is now planning for a second interim opening. There is a certain logic to making the project useful in increments, so that riders will be accustomed to it by the time the entire rail line opens in September 2026. And the conversation on this must begin in short order.

HART spokesman Bill Brennan said the awareness program began in December with the unveiling of the HOLO card system to bus riders in a pilot project. It is meant to ease movement between TheBus, HandiVan and rail.

That pilot test has ended, and now the city is planning to begin issuing HOLO cards to all bus users in the summer. Outreach also is needed so everyone understands the fares, which are supposed to mirror what is charged for TheBus.

And, Brennan said, there are plans for multimedia presentations and community meetings, also to start in the summer months. That is encouraging, and it should involve both HART and the city Department of Transportation Services that will oversee operations.

That’s because the public also needs to know what funding source will be tapped to cover rail operations and maintenance from the start. The current tax surcharges for rail cover only construction costs.

Farebox collections will bring in a share of the needed revenue, but significant subsidy is needed for any public transit system. Early in its development there was some discussion of whether the bus system’s own federal subsidy fund could apply to rail, but that got such significant public pushback that the idea was shelved.

Additionally, the public likely needs guidance on ways in which even a partial system could be useful to them. Even if they don’t use it for a full commute, it could ease a travel agenda of several stops, whether for shopping or other chores, by parking in one location and taking a quick hop to another.

The businesses along the way, which could benefit from further patronage, could be promoted. They would welcome this, surely, after all the disruptions to their operations during construction. And of course, HART also should prompt riders toward rail to reach Aloha Stadium for events, with less driving and parking hassle.

Details on financing will be ironed out when the 2021 budget discussions begin in a year. But HART should start preparing riders to enter the onramp for rail, planting the seeds of success. They need time to grow.