Kokua Line: No one can ‘cash out’ stored value of Holo transit card

Question: Where can I get this Holo card (808ne.ws/225kline)? Also, if I buy one for my brother, will he be able to cash it out?

Answer: The Holo card electronic fare system is used on TheBus and will be used on Oahu’s future rail transit system. Passengers tap their chip-enabled Holo card on the monitor to deduct their fare; it works like a debit card that tracks ridership. Passengers can register their Holo cards and add funds as needed either online, by phone or with cash at certain retail outlets. Under a plan being considered by the Honolulu Rate Commission, discounts for frequent riders would be limited to those using a Holo card.

Individuals can obtain youth, adult and senior Holo cards at TheBus Pass Office at the Kalihi Transit Center, 611 Middle St., at the corner of Middle Street and Kamehameha Highway. You can get adult Holo cards (but not youth or senior) at Kapalama Satellite City Hall, 925 Dillingham Blvd., Unit 102.

As for your second question, no, your brother would not be able to convert a Holo card’s stored value to cash, according to the rules outlined on holocard.net.

Holo cards “are not, and do not represent, ‘accounts’ or ‘deposits’ and Holo cards are not ‘money.’ They simply represent a prepaid transportation fare. You may not redeem Holo cards for money or any product or service other than the applicable services,” according to the card’s terms and conditions.

Neither are the cards transferable, so if you decide to pay your brother’s transportation fees and choose to register the Holo card, be sure that it is in his name.

You could add from $2.75 to $200 to his Holo card initially, for use on Oahu’s mass transit system. Sales are final and nonrefundable. After three years of inactivity, any remaining balance would be removed, but could be restored by contacting the program’s administrator, according to the website.

Koko Head offramp

Readers who have commented over the years about the perils of the Koko Head Avenue offramp from the H-1 freeway eastbound may be happy to learn that the state Department of Transportation is trying to improve the situation and seeks public input to choose the best solution.

Currently, two offramp lanes exit onto Koko Head Avenue; one lane allows only left turns, and the other allows either left or right turns. The department has heard community concerns about the dual lane, with cars weaving between lanes to exit in the desired direction and cars having to line up on the highway before the exit because of the traffic there.

Members of the public can say which solution they prefer by answering a survey online at 808ne.ws/khofsur, which includes illustrations, or by calling the department at 587-2160. The survey closes March 20.

Here are the proposed options:

1A: Re-stripe the offramp to change the shared left-turn/right-turn lane to right turn only. This means there would be one left-turn lane and one right-turn lane exiting the freeway. Estimated cost: $40,000.

1B: Re-stripe the offramp and the Koko Head/Harding avenues intersection. This would reconfigure the offramp as in Option 1A and would re-stripe the northbound lanes of Koko Head Avenue at its intersection with Harding Avenue to turn the shared left-turn/through lane into a left-turn-only lane. Estimated cost: $45,000.

2: Widen the offramp and change the configuration to two left-turn lanes and one right-turn lane. Estimated cost: $7 million.

Auwe

Now we have scooters in the King Street bike lane, along with skateboarders, people pushing shopping carts full of cans and people pushing baby strollers full of dogs. Auwe! It was supposed to be for bikes!

— Distracted driver

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.