Initial paid rail ridership more than doubles after revision
The number of passengers paying to ride the Skyline rail system for the initial five days after free fares ended July 4 has leaped to 18,329 from 8,127 because passengers who transferred from TheBus were not originally counted as train riders, the city Department of Transportation Services said Monday.
It costs passengers one fare to ride both TheBus and rail if they transfer from either system within a window of 2-1/2 hours.
The initial numbers reported by DTS, the department said, “only accounted for Skyline riders who boarded directly at any of the nine Skyline Stations. It did not include riders who initially rode TheBus and accessed Skyline using the 2-1/2-hour transfer window or any type of daily, weekly, or monthly pass products.”
During the first truncated four-hour window of free ridership on June 30, 8,952 riders packed into trains — culminating in a total of 71,722 free passengers riding for free through July 4.
Rail ridership was expected to drop after the novelty of riding the first 11 miles of track from East Kapolei to Halawa for free wore off — and while DTS adjusted bus schedules and routes to accommodate train arrivals and departures.
But the updated number of 18,329 paying passengers released Monday weren’t nearly as disappointing as the 8,127 that DTS previously reported for the subsequent five days of paid ridership.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Following the Fourth of July, actual paid ridership increased from:
>> 1,245 on Wednesday to 3,276.
>> 1,290 on Thursday to 3,203.
>> 1,390 on Friday to 3,397.
>> 1,990 on Saturday to 4,141.
>> 2,212 on Sunday to 4,312.
“The corrected ridership numbers now accurately reflect all Skyline riders including direct boardings, transfer passengers, and pass product users,” DTS said in a statement.
DTS emphasized that paid Skyline service began this summer and, just like TheBus, is expected to see ridership grow with the resumption of school in the fall.
Jon Nouchi, deputy director of DTS, said in a statement, “We are excited that rail ridership during our first week of paid fares actually exceeded what had been previously reported, and we appreciate the opportunity to clarify the accurate ridership of Skyline after our opening weekend and fare-free days. DTS looks forward to welcoming more passengers aboard Skyline as our island residents and visitors become acquainted with O‘ahu’s newest transportation mode.”
Skyline’s operating hours are 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and city holidays.
