Question: A week ago my family went for our first ride on the Skyline train to Kapolei from the Halawa station. The problem was that coming from town on the H-1, after exiting at the stadium exit, there was no (visible) signage to guide us to the station parking. I knew it was adjacent to the stadium, but with all the roads there, it was just lucky guesswork we found it. Then, we floundered trying to figure out how to navigate the automated ticket machines at the lower level, especially as there was no staff to help interpret the instructions. Finally, on entering the upper level to board the train, we found there are no bathrooms for the ridership anywhere. On arriving at the terminus at East Kapolei, there were no directions as to how to get to the mall nearby, not by bus or even signage for walking. We realize that the train is still new, but it would not take much for the Skyline organization to make it more user-friendly.
Answer: We shared your concerns with Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services, which manages Oahu’s elevated rail-transit system, the first phase of which opened at the end of June. Here’s the emailed response from Jon Nouchi, deputy director of DTS:
“Regarding signage at the Skyline stations, the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting, Transit-Oriented Development division is working on final design and implementation of a signage and wayfinding masterplan, which includes pedestrian and vehicular directional signage including nearby points of interest around Skyline stations. This signage is intended to provide long-range vehicular directions to access station and parking entrances and neighborhood- based signs to better orient residents and visitors around Skyline stations.
“Regarding restroom access, restrooms are available at all stations for urgent situations and can be accessed by our customers with the assistance of Skyline employees. DTS has issued directions to Skyline operations staff to allow access to passengers requesting restrooms. We will continue to direct and enforce this policy to all Skyline team members to ensure continued access to restrooms. To note, most rail operators nationwide do not have restroom facilities open to the public except at large-scale commuter rail stations such as continental cities’ Union Stations or Penn and Grand Central Stations in New York.
“For questions or comments regarding station access, riders may call 808-848-5555 and select Option 4 for Skyline Customer Service. Please note the day, date, time, and station location; this will assist us in resolving the issue.”
The lack of open-access public restrooms has been a source of complaints to Kokua Line since Skyline opened, including from riders who said the city’s solution hasn’t worked for them. They’ve said that a station attendant refused to let them use the staff toilet, or that there was no one to ask to unlock the toilet, or that they were told there were no bathrooms available. Each rail station has one or two toilets, designed for staff use but also available to the public in urgent situations, as Nouchi said. Anyone who is refused access, or who can’t find a station employee to unlock the door, should call to complain as Nouchi described. After selecting Option 4 for Skyline customer service and hearing the recorded greeting, press 8 to speak to a representative. Keep good notes of the incident as the customer-service phone line is staffed only during regular weekday office hours, so you may not be able to report your problem the same day it occurred.
For more information about Skyline, including routes and schedules, go to honolulu.gov/skyline
Q: I just got the Navvis hack letter Thursday, long after everybody I know was getting it. Did HMSA ever say how many members were affected?
A: The security breach affected 462,861 Hawaii residents, according to a notice on the state Office of Consumer Protection’s website.
Navvis & Company LLC, a partner of the Hawaii Medical Service Association, has been sending out letters for months to HMSA members whose personal and protected health information was hacked in a cyberattack in July. The letters offer a year of free credit monitoring, and urge the recipient to be vigilant against identity theft and fraud.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the UH fan who found my Honda car key in the Stan Sheriff Center on Wednesday after the UH men’s basketball game and turned it in to the ushers. I was able to retrieve it thanks to you. — Grateful fellow UH fan
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.
