Question: It’s been almost a year since the rail started running. Is ridership holding up to the hype of the early days?
Answer: No, although the early surge of riders likely had as much to do with Skyline offering free rides its first five days of operation as it did with publicity surrounding the grand opening of Oahu’s elevated rail-transit system, which offers limited service at this point. Segment one, from East Kapolei to Halawa, began carrying passengers June 30; segment two is scheduled to open next year.
Skyline might see an uptick in ridership Friday, when it will extend its hours to accommodate passengers attending Leeward Community College’s commencement, which begins at 5 p.m. After the ceremony, the last trains from the LCC Skyline station will leave westbound to the Kualakaʻi/East Kapolei station at 8:44 p.m. and eastbound to the Halawa/Aloha Stadium station at 8:53 p.m., according to a news release from Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services. Skyline usually stops running at 7 p.m.
As for overall ridership, no month has matched July, when 151,600 passengers rode Skyline, 62,789 of them the first four days, when rides were free, according to reports posted at honolulu.gov/skyline Opens in a new tab. Otherwise, monthly ridership totals have ranged from a low of 85,460 (December) to a high of 96,178 (August), the reports show. March, when 94,867 passengers rode, is the most recent report posted.
Q: I want to get rid of an old TV but was told that I could not put it in the gray bin. Can you tell me who I could call to get this done?
A: Since you emailed your question, we’ll first offer an online option: Making an appointment with the city for free, curbside bulky pickup. Go to honolulu.gov/env Opens in a new tab, click on the icon that says “Make a Bulky Appointment” and follow the instructions, which will ask you to input your address and other information. If your address is eligible for this service but you cannot make an appointment online, call the refuse division of Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services at 808-768-3200 (press zero after the recorded greeting) to make an appointment over the phone.
Oahu’s Going Green program is another option, as it accepts TVs at its regular drive-thru, drop-off recycling events. The next Going Green event is scheduled for June 1 at Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., according to the nonprofit organization’s annual calendar.
Auwe
Auwe to the Auwe! Absolutely not to an amnesty for all the unregistered vehicles to get legal! Of course there’s going to be a big cost all at once, but whose fault is it that it got that way? Why should they get away with not paying for many years while the rest of us law-abiding citizens conscientiously and faithfully renew as required, year after year? You break the law, you pay the consequences. — Donna
Editor’s note: Donna and other readers reacted negatively to a reader’s suggestion, printed in Wednesday’s column as an Auwe, that the city should consider an amnesty allowing owners of unregistered vehicles to register without having to pay past-due vehicle weight taxes, which could run in the thousands of dollars for vehicles that are several years overdue. That reader reasoned that reducing the number of unregistered vehicles on the road also would also reduce the number that are uninsured. Readers we heard from by email and phone Wednesday vehemently disagreed with the suggestion.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the caring girl who was passing by the Hale Towers parking lot when my mom had just lost her balance and fell, hitting her head. My mom was bleeding and the kind girl helped me get her up to the car. Mom got stitched up at ER. Thank you for all your help! — Bonnie
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
