HONOLULU (KHON2) — Excitement is building for the launch of Skyline’s second phase on Oct. 16, as Honolulu’s rail system opens four new stops from Pearl Harbor-Hickam to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
Lori Kahikina, CEO and executive director of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit, hopes to expand the project further through Bill 60.
The completed Skyline could include routes to West Kapolei, UH Manoa and Waikiki, shared Kahikina.
“If Bill 60 does pass it grants HART the authority to continue to extend the minimal operable segment, which is right now East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center, and hopefully, the full locally preferred alternative, which is West Kapolei to University of Hawaii with a spur to Waikiki,” Kahikina said.
The number of students commuting to UH Manoa during the school session adds to traffic troubles, which the Skyline could help alleviate, she said.
“If we are granted that authority by city administration and city council that would be very exciting but we do need the funding,” Kahikina said. “Right now our funding truncates at 2030 and we can only get to Civic Center but the goal is to get to Ala Moana, we have to get to University of Hawaii Manoa because you can see the impact when they are back in session the impact on the traffic.”
While funding could be a problem for that goal, the recent completion of second segment means eligibility for more funding.
“So far we have a positive outlook, now that we’ve transferred and opened up second segment we are eligible for another $125 million,” Kahikina said. “When we finish the utility relocation next year that’s another $125 million and in 2027 that’s the remaining FFGA, that’s $119 million. That’s the remaining $300 plus million to fulfill our contract with FTA.”
She shared the shutdown doesn’t have much of an impact on Skyline right now.
“As of now we don’t see an impact. We would put in the application to get reimbursed, we would submit all of our invoices and FTA is shut down, but I’m hoping that they’ll be back in the office within the next couple of months. If we don’t get that tranche of $125 million by the end of the year or even the end of our fiscal year which is June 30th, we’ll still be ok,” said Kahikina. “We have the funding right now. We don’t want to hold out too long but we will be ok.”