Thousands of riders made their way aboard Skyline in the days after the second segment of the rail opened on Oct. 16.
According to the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Transportation Services, there were:
— 11,879 rides taken on Skyline on Thursday, Oct. 16, the first day segment two opened to the public;
— 10,471 rides on Friday, Oct. 17;
— 19,562 rides on Saturday, Oct. 18; and
— 20,056 rides on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Saturday and Sunday were part of a fare-free weekend.
"DTS is extremely pleased with the first four days of Skyline segment two service!" Travis Ota, information specialist for the department told Aloha State Daily in an email. "Not only did we open Skyline to some of the island’s largest employment centers, but we also saw a tremendous turnout of riders eager to experience the new segment. From keiki to kūpuna, thousands of riders boarded Skyline over the weekend, taking in the views and exploring new commute options.
"Many riders also went multimodal, coming in by our newest rapid bus lines, and bringing their e-bikes and scooters aboard to test their full commute from Skyline to work or school," he continued.
The first segment of the rail opened in June 2023 and spans just under 11 miles from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium. This section includes the rail's first nine stations: Kaualakaʻi (East Kapolei), Keoneʻae (University of Hawai‘i-West Oʻahu), Honouliuli (Hoʻopili), Hōʻaeʻae (West Loch), Pouhala (Waipahu Transit Center), Hālaulani (Leeward Community College), Waiawa (Pearl Highlands), Kalauao (Pearlridge), and Hālawa (Aloha Stadium).
The newly opened 5.2-mile stretch of guideway now carries riders beyond Aloha Stadium to the Middle Street Transit Center and has four new stations: Makalapa (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam), Lelepaua (Daniel K. Inouye International Airport), Āhua (Lagoon Drive) and Kahauiki (Middle Street Transit Center).
Ota says DTS had volunteers providing assistance to riders throughout the weekend "and couldn’t be happier with the response."
"There were a lot of people cheering for the airport station, and even families coming straight off the plane with their suitcases, heading west on Skyline for the first time," he says. "Of course, as with any new service, there are technical details we’re continuing to fine-tune. Rider feedback from the busy opening weekend is incredibly valuable and helps us continue improving the Skyline experience."
In September, daily ridership counts ranged from 1,842 to 7,519. Monthly ridership numbers this year have been as low as 89,167 in June and as high as 119,513 in September. You can find more historical ridership data here.
New and modified bus routes, which also take effect Oct. 16, aim to "improve connectivity between Skyline, TheBus and key destinations across O‘ahu," a recent announcement from DTS noted. Read more about those changes here.
The new rail segment also prompted changes to the ground transportation operations at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
People with inquiries, questions or reports for Skyline rail operations should call 808-848-5555 (option 4) or email skyline@honolulu.gov.
More information about Skyline can be found at honolulu.gov/skyline.
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Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
