Editorial: Get public ready to try rail system

It’s the novelty of the experience that will draw Oahu residents to take inaugural rides on the elevated rail line that, at long last, begins service this week.

The full $10 billion project, under construction by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) since 2011, has been planned at some level for decades longer than that. Controversial as it’s been, many residents should at least have an interest in trying it out. They will get their chance starting at 2 p.m. on Friday (see information box).

Novelty wears off pretty quickly, though. It’s the usefulness of Skyline, as the transit system has been named, that will put it on a successful trajectory, even at this early stage.

For now the service connects only the nine stations along 11 miles from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium, and finding ways riders can begin working it into daily routines is crucial to building ridership over the long term.

Events planned at either terminus will make transit newcomers more likely to drive to the park-and-ride there and then take advantage of the rail. There’s the Aloha Stadium swap meet, of course. The 50th State Fair is another short-term attraction, set to end July 9, just after the first week of the rail rollout.

There needs to be much more temporary activation of the area, since a new stadium won’t open for years. And the city should be involved in that planning.

For the most part, though, the early adopters of Skyline likely will be those who use public transportation already. Although daily commuting patterns were rocked by the pandemic, the city’s bus system over its long history has enjoyed high ridership.

These bus passengers must be guided through the multimodal transition by the city Department of Transportation Services (DTS) that is now operating the rail system, and that will take some serious outreach. Much of this effort already is in the works, according to DTS Director Roger Morton.

The most important part for a public-transit commuter is to learn how their old familiar routes have been changed to get them to their destinations with a rail connection.

It is good that the city is changing routes to make the system more functional from the start. For example, the routes into Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam will offer a connection from the stadium station for the many civilian shipyard employees coming from the West Side.

These changes will take effect Saturday. There is some guidance online (thebus.org, then click the “Bus Routes to Rail” button), including new timetables.

More user-friendly tools are promised. Google Maps is one platform that, starting July 1, will include the rail schedules in its route-planning search engines. Whatever the city can do to make navigation easy with apps or visuals at stations and bus stops will be appreciated by riders.

Businesses along the line surely will look for ways to make a hop on the rail worthwhile for those who otherwise wouldn’t head their way.

Morton said the city is doing a cross-promotion starting Monday with Zippy’s, Pearlridge Center and Ka Makana Ali‘i, which will distribute HOLO cards loaded with a one-day pass that can be used anytime July 5-Sept. 30. More of these partnerships would be helpful.

HOLO is the refillable fare payment card for rail and bus rides. Riders can link them to an account online that they load with fare money. This will simplify the bus-rail integration and make the system more seamless. Those who haven’t used public transportation routinely should be encouraged to get one now.

There is a long way to go before Skyline becomes more practical, when the tracks reach the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in 2025. At that point local residents might find it a useful way to get dropped off somewhere on the line and just head to their flight by train. Tourists might like the notion of discovering new places in the Ewa direction, too.

The system was open to the media on Thursday. The ride was fairly smooth, although those hand rails help as standing passengers adjust to the train slowing or accelerating at a station.

Tougher to endure are the construction disruptions that still lie ahead, through Dillingham Boulevard and beyond. So DTS and HART will be challenged to overcome the deep-seated frustration with cost overruns and delays, and win over the public.

There will be growing pains, to be sure, until Skyline and Oahu adapt to each other. Listening to what the public says on the subject, and meeting their needs, will be a crucial part of the journey.

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HOW TO RIDE

All rides on the new rail system, Skyline, will be free from when it opens at 2 p.m. Friday, until the last train runs on July 4. TheBus also be waiving fares July 1-4.

Starting on Saturday, riders must have a valid HOLO card to take advantage of free service. They must tap their cards at fare gates but will not be charged during this period.

For information on various fare programs: holocard.net/where-to-obtain-load-a-card.