Question: Will animals be allowed on the Skyline?
Answer: Leashed service animals and small pets in carriers will be allowed on Oahu’s elevated rail transit system under certain conditions, the same as on TheBus, according to the city.
The rail website says service animals are permitted, as well as small animals that “must be placed in a cage or carrier that can be put under the seat or on the passenger’s lap without inconvenience to other passengers.” Verbiage on TheBus website is nearly identical.
The Honolulu City Council has approved a public transit bill that amends Chapter 15B of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu to integrate rail service and update rules for rail and bus service, referred to collectively as a multimodal municipal transportation system. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi is likely to sign Bill 32 (2023), CD2, into law by June 26, a spokesperson said.
Bill 32, which you can read at 808ne.ws/transitord, says that animals are not allowed aboard a multimodal municipal transportation vehicle or “in or upon” a multimodal municipal transportation facility, except for service animals, pets and police dogs under the following conditions:
>> Service animals: “Service animals must be under the control of their handler, be housebroken, and be restrained by a leash, harness, or other device made for the purpose of controlling the movement of an animal. A service animal may be carried on its handler’s person but may not occupy a separate seat.”
>> Pets: The small animal must be “kept and held at all times” within an appropriate, enclosed and secured container that fits on the passenger’s lap or under their seat without blocking an aisle, stairway or door. Only animals that can be transported “without risk of injury to the animal and without risk of harm or inconvenience to other passengers or authorized transit personnel” are allowed.
>> Police dogs: “Police dogs must be fully trained and accompanied by an officer.”
Q: To ride the rail June 30, will I need a HOLO card? I only want to take a round-trip ride to experience the rail. I do not ride TheBus nor do I plan to use the rail.
A: No. The fare gates are scheduled to be open from 2 to 6 p.m. June 30, and a HOLO card will not be required to check out Oahu’s new rail transit system. HOLO cards will be required starting July 1, the first full day of Skyline service.
Q: How fast will the train go?
A: The average speed of Oahu’s Skyline trains will be about 30 miles per hour, said Travis Ota, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Transportation Services. “However, the speed depends on train loads and timing. For example, if a train takes a minute longer to load passengers onto the train and ends up a minute behind schedule, the train will go at a higher speed to get to the next station at its scheduled time,” he said in an email.
Mahalo
I went to Iwilei Costco last Wednesday and couldn’t find my car after shopping. I was sure I knew exactly where I parked my car, but it wasn’t there. I went up and down the aisles, pressing the alarm on my remote, but couldn’t find it. An employee saw me and asked if I needed help to find my car. He told me to wait in the shade and asked another employee to help me. He looked in the area where I said I parked my car, but couldn’t find it. As an afterthought, I told him I usually enter the parking lot from Dillingham Boulevard and park in a different area. But because of the ongoing roadwork, I entered from Alakawa Street. So he took the trouble to look in that area and found my car, which was a distance from where I thought I had parked it. This absent-minded, 80-year-old lady is very, very grateful. His name tag showed Jay-R. Thank you! — A.P.
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.
