The Honolulu Rate Commission is holding its meeting on Tuesday at which time the public is invited to provide testimony on proposed changes to fares for Skyline, TheBus and The Handi-Van.

What You Need To Know

  • The rates being proposed do not include increases for adult, youth and senior HOLO card users or the annual Pass for low-income TheBus riders; it actually provides a $10 decrease in monthly pass rates for Hawaii residents in the senior, Medicare, disabled and low-income categories

  • The proposed rates do include increases in monthly pass rates for adults by $10 and youths by $5, and a $110 increase for the adult annual pass

  • Its proposed fares will ensure the city’s transportation system remains reliable, sustainable and able to meet the needs of riders in the future, according to DTS

In a news release, the Department of Transportation Services stated operating and maintenance costs are rising. A provided briefing indicates rising costs stem from a four-mile extension, two extra trains and an increase in hours from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. (currently 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.) for Skyline; rising costs of parts and service contracts for TheBus; and additional service providers and increase in service delivery for The Handi-Van.

The proposed fares will ensure the city’s transportation system remains reliable, sustainable and able to meet the needs of riders in the future, according to DTS, which also stated that transit fares have not been raised since 2022.

“It’s always hard to find the balance between what taxpayers contribute to the upkeep of the system, and the riders that use the system,” said DTS Director Roger Morton in the release. “The fare policy changes under consideration will simplify the current fare structure, making the system more user-friendly for residents and visitors.”

In order to streamline public transit, TheBus will offer “new, frequent and faster” service that will begin simultaneously with the second segment of Skyline rail. DTS says these improvements will “simplify travel across Oahu and create better connections for transit users.”

The rates being proposed do not include increases for adult, youth and senior HOLO card users or the annual Pass for low-income TheBus riders; it actually provides a $10 decrease in monthly pass rates for Hawaii residents in the senior, Medicare, disabled and low-income categories.

The proposed rates do include increases in monthly pass rates for adults by $10 and youths by $5, and a $110 increase for the adult annual pass.

A few of the objectives of the proposed rate policy are to incorporate affordable fare increases, encourage intermodal trips, gradually eliminate annual fares, incentivize the use of the HOLO card, encourage visitors to ride TheBus, and a long-term goal of eventually doing away with using cash aboard TheBus, according to the news release.

The public is invited to provide input on the fare changes at the Honolulu Rate Commission’s monthly meeting on Tuesday starting at 2:30 p.m. at the Manoa Falls Conference Room at 711 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1600. The public can attend either in-person or via Zoom.

Written testimony can also be submitted by emailing ratecomm@honolulu.gov, by faxing 808-768-4730 or mailing a hard copy to 711 Kapiolani Blvd., 16th floor, Honolulu, HI 96813, Attention: Rate Commission.

According to the rate commission, once received, written testimonies, including the testifier’s address, email and phone number, will be publicly available on the Honolulu Rate Commission website.