With Friday’s public launch of Honolulu’s long-awaited rail system and all the questions riders have about how to get on board, parents like Meredith Aki of Kapolei have an extra layer of concerns: Will Skyline be a safe and smart choice for my keiki?
Aki has always driven her two children, ages 8 and 13, to their private schools in downtown Honolulu. She said she has a “wait-and-see attitude” for now about sending them on their own via the Skyline elevated rail system, which stops about a half-mile from her home.
“I do wonder if rail and bus would be safe for the kids, and if it could save us time and money,” she said.
City officials in a Q&A with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser said they believe the rail to be a safe and economical mode of transportation for riders of all ages, including children.
The first phase of the nearly $9.8 billion Skyline project is an 11-mile stretch between Halawa near Aloha Stadium and the Kualaka‘i station in East Kapolei. The system is planned to eventually extend to Kakaako by 2031, and possibly its original terminus at Ala Moana Center.
While studies show around 800 to 1,000 people are killed in train-related incidents in the U.S. each year and that about every five days a child dies from a train collision, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, Honolulu’s rail system is different from most mainland systems in that the trains and stations are elevated above ground, away from vehicular traffic.
It is “100% grade-separated, and entry onto the tracks is blocked,” said Travis Ota, an information specialist at the city Department of Transportation Services. “There are no ground-level crossings, such as on the continent, where gates close down on streets and highways where children might wander onto the tracks when a train is coming.”
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Ota provided email responses to other questions posed by the Star-Advertiser about rail use by children and college students. Some of the responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Question: Is there a minimum age to ride the rail, and are children required to be accompanied by an adult? Are the rules for rail different from those for TheBus?
Answer: There is no minimum age to ride TheBus and rail. There are some very young children who take TheBus to school each day by themselves. For rail a similar policy exists.
Children 5 and under are able to ride for free with an accompanying fare-paying passenger. Parents wishing to bring their child onto the train are asked to use the ADA accessible fare gates (located at the ends of the fare gates) to bring their child in.
Q: How can parents prepare their kids and teens for riding Skyline?
A: We ask that parents please let their children know that the system is safe and dependable to get them to their destinations, but to also be aware of their surroundings at all times. We ask that children do not play around or inside the stations, especially around the platform gates and trains. Proper etiquette is encouraged. Remember, if you see something, say something.
Q: What is “proper etiquette”?
A: Elevator etiquette: Let others off first and don’t be boisterous.
Q: What security devices and measures are in place to keep keiki from wandering onto the tracks and to keep them safe while riding?
A: Each station has secured passenger service gates that remain closed until the train has arrived and opened its doors. This prevents children and adults from falling onto the tracks. Security cameras are located at all stations on the ground level and platform level, as well as on board the trains to ensure that riders are safe. Station attendants will be at each station, along with roving security.
Q: What are the security cameras and their staff watching for?
A: The security console is staffed 24/7 at the Rail Operating Center by DTS security contractors. The system has built-in AI to look for unusual events such as someone leaving an item on the platform or engaging in raucous behavior. Once an incident is detected, the system will automatically follow a person through the system.
Q: Will University of Hawaii at Manoa students be able to use rail and bus seamlessly? How long will it take for riders to get from the Halawa station to UH Manoa?
A: UH Manoa students will be able to connect from Skyline to TheBus. Route A is being modified, starting today, to connect from the Kalauao (Pearlridge) and Halawa (Aloha Stadium) Skyline stations to UH Manoa. These buses are scheduled to be timed with Skyline trains and will arrive every 10 minutes, just like the trains. (To view the route, check 808ne.ws/3pojJiC.)
The bus ride from Aloha Stadium to UH is 50 minutes, and the transfer is free (transfers with the HOLO card are free within a 2-1/2-hour period).
