Public transit fares on Oahu soon may go up for some riders.
The Honolulu Rate Commission said it will accept public testimony on proposed transit fare changes affecting Skyline, TheBus and TheHandi-Van at its Tuesday meeting.
The rate proposal does not include any increases for HOLO card riders in the adult, youth and senior categories or the annual pass for low-income TheBus riders. It also provides a $10 decrease in monthly pass rates for Hawaii residents in the senior, Medicare, disabled and low-income categories.
Proposed increases in pass rates include a $10 and $5 increase in monthly pass rates for adults and youths, respectively, and a $110 increase for the adult annual pass.
DTS said the proposed fare structures will ensure the city’s transportation system is reliable, sustainable and able to meet the changing needs of Oahu’s transit riders into the future. DTS said operating and maintenance costs have risen across its multimodal system, including TheBus, Handi-Van and Skyline.
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,” DTS Director Roger Morton said in a statement. “The fare policy changes under consideration will simplify the current fare structure, making the system more user-friendly for residents and visitors.”
As part of the city’s efforts to streamline its public transit, frequent and faster TheBus service will be introduced in conjunction with segment 2 of Skyline rail. These improvements will simplify travel across Oahu and create better connections for transit users, DTS said.
Public testimony can be offered Tuesday starting at 2:30 p.m. at the Manoa Falls Conference Room, 711 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1600. The meeting can be attended in person or via Zoom at 808ne.ws/4euK81I.
A copy of the meeting agenda can be found on the Rate Commission website at 808ne.ws/4fkmk1J.
Full details regarding the proposed changes also can be found on the Rate Commission website.
Written testimony may be submitted via:
>> Email: ratecomm@honolulu.gov.
>> Fax: 808-768-4730.
>> Mail: 711 Kapiolani Blvd., 16th Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813; Attention: Rate Commission.
Once received, written testimonies, including the testifier’s address, email and phone number, will be publicly available on the Rate Commission website.
If an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation is needed due to a disability, contact Puni Chee at 808-768-8329 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or send an email to hchee@honolulu.gov as soon as possible.
