HONOLULU (KHON2) — The city is considering making a change to one of the longest bus routes on Oʻahu.
The move would force bus riders coming in from the west side into town to make extra stops, instead of the current, non-stop, direct route.
Bus riders have high praise for Honolulu’s bus system.
“I ride it every single day,” said Jake Defalco, bus rider. “This is the best public transportation I’ve ever seen. I love Hawaiʻi’s bus transit. It’s great.”
“I think it’s really nice,” said Joseph Kolaski, bus rider. “Because I live out way at the end of the island, Makaha, and there’s only one bus that goes out there.”
Well, one bus that goes there direct. Route C, Country Express, runs from Makaha to Ala Moana Shopping Center and back via the H-1. But the city is considering changes.
A proposal is looking at stopping the town bound route at the rail stop at UH West Oahu. So any riders coming into town would have to use the rail to the airport, then jump on another bus to get to their final destination.
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“So this would be an inconvenience then basically? Absolutely it’d be a total mistake,” said Kolaski.
“Ah that’s gonna hurt some people coming from Makaha, Waianae,” said Defalco. “I used to live in Makakilo and take it to Ala Moana to go work out so yeah, that one shot’s nice. So losing that’s gonna, it’s gonna hurt.”
According to the city’s plan, the changes would provide three benefits to riders: direct access to the H1 freeway, fewer stops along the route and a higher frequency, meaning more buses running more often.
TheBus is looking for feedback on the proposal. The deadline is Tuesday, July 15.
“We hope that those people who have concerns about then seeing, for example, Route C changed, then to just continue reaching out to their fellow bus riders as well as themselves, sharing how that would impact them,” said Radiant Cordero, Honolulu City Council Transportation Chair.
Cordero is also hosting two public meetings on all the changes coming to TheBus:
- August 23, 5:30 p.m.
- Kalihi Palama Public Library
- August 27, 6:30 p.m.
- Aiea Public Library
The ultimate goal is to make Oʻahu’s mass transit system efficient for everyone to use.
“Yeah the rail’s great,” said Defalco. “Everybody should do it. We’re paying for it right?”
“With the opening of Skyline, it does connect people to different places,” said Cordero. “But we also need to ensure that we build communities around these areas because we can’t just be having Skyline and The Bus going nowhere else.”
Email your comments to thebusstop@honolulu.gov