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Question: I already have a HOLO card that I use on TheBus. Will I be able to use the same HOLO card on the train?
Answer: “Yes, it is recommended that riders use the same HOLO card that is used on TheBus. Transfers and passes (daily and monthly) will work concurrently on both bus and rail. For example, if you use your HOLO card to get on TheBus to get to one of the rail stations, you can still use your 2.5 hour transfer onto rail or vice versa. Daily and monthly fare capping will also work between both systems to get the best value out of your HOLO card,” Travis Ota, spokesperson for the city’s Department of Transportation Services, said in an email.
Ota also answered other questions Kokua Line has received since the city announced that Honolulu’s rail transit system would open the afternoon of June 30, and initially allow passengers to ride for free. Starting July 1, the first full day of operations, passengers will need a valid HOLO card to do so; they’ll tap the card on a fare gate to enter a station, but no fare will be deducted, through July 4, the city said.
Q: How much will the train cost after the free period?
A: “A ride on the train will follow the same fare structure as TheBus. For example, a one-way ride on the train will be $3 for an Adult ride, the same as TheBus. Reduced fares on TheBus (Youth, Senior, Disability, etc.) will work on rail as well,” Ota said.
Q: What level of security will be available in each rail car? I am asking about each car, not the connected four-car train. Will a security officer be in each rail car? On the bus, I have often seen the bus driver eject drunk or ranting, or otherwise bothersome passengers, much to the relief of everyone on the bus.
A: No, there won’t be a security officer in each rail car. A train operator will be positioned in every other four-car train. Here is Ota’s full response:
“The rail system has over 1,000 closed-circuit television (CCTV) security cameras, emergency and information call points at every station and onboard every train that are connected to the Operations Control Center. … The OCC actively monitors each station and train for any security issues that may occur. The emergency call boxes allow riders to call in to the OCC to report any issues. System security for the rail system is implemented through a three-level security approach:
“Level 1: Station operators are positioned at each station and train operators are positioned on every other train (4-car train). Responsibilities of Level 1 include activities such as the prevention of access to non-public areas, prevention of damage to security support systems (CCTV), customer assistance, and crowd control.”
“Level 2: Customer Safety Officers will be positioned at the OCC, terminus stations (Kualaka‘i East Kapolei and Halawa Aloha Stadium stations), and select stations and trains. Responsibilities include security monitoring via the security console at the OCC, roving patrols on board trains, fixed posts at terminus stations, fixed posts at select stations, and roving patrols of parking facilities. The staff also provide support for Level 1 Security.”
“Level 3: The Honolulu Police Department is responsible for addressing suspected or actual criminal activity.”
For more information about how the rail transit system will operate, see honolulu.gov/rail, holocard.net, and thebus.org/Fare/FarePassesNew2023.asp.
Mahalo
Many thanks to the following people for making May 15 a great Monday for me: The manager at Longs Drugs in Kailua Town Center, the woman at the Safeway parking lot who offered to return my shopping basket and the young man in a truck who pumped gas for me. He noticed that I was having trouble starting it. Many thanks from this kupuna. May you have much good fortune for the good deeds. — Grateful kupuna
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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