Only 1,245 passengers rode Skyline on the first day they had to pay
KITV July 6, 2023: … Thursday was day two of people paying to ride Skyline, and it was pretty empty again just like on Wednesday.
The city said there were were only 1,245 riders on Wednesday, which amounts to 88 riders per hour during the 14 hours it was open.
(DO THE MATH: $13B / 1,245 = $10.4M per passenger -- slightly more than a Bugatti Centodieci. We could have bought each rider a house in Manoa with billions to spare.)
"The turnout yesterday, yeah I would've liked a few more. 88 riders per hour -- that's a really crowded bus, but it's a really uncrowded train," said Roger Morton, the director of the city's Dept. of Transportation Services.
The city's goal by the end of the year is 8,000 to 10,000 riders a day….
If each of the 1,245 riders on Wednesday paid $3, which is a one-way adult fare, the city collected $3,735 for the whole day.
When asked how many riders the city needs to cover their operational costs on a daily basis, Morton (refused to) reply (and dissembled thusly): Well, rail never covers its operational costs. But what we would like to have would be that my goal is that by the time we get our system all the way done, that it would cover about 30% of our costs."…
read … Only 1,245 passengers rode Skyline on the first day they had to pay
UPDATE: 1,290 Riders on Friday July 7, 2023
UPDATE: Nouchi says he does forecast the second week of ridership to stay at 1,000 to 2,000 riders a day.
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City announces initial Skyline ridership during free-fare period
News Release from City and County of Honolulu, July 5, 2023
HONOLULU – The City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services announces ridership for the five fare-free days celebrating the opening of Honolulu’s Skyline metro rail system.
Since Skyline opened its doors to the public on Friday, June 30 at 2 p.m., Honolulu’s newest transit option welcomed nearly 72,000 riders. The fare-free period concluded on July 4th.
Friday June 30 (4 hours): 8,942 riders
Saturday July 1: 14,216 riders
Sunday July 2: 17,510 riders
Monday July 3: 12,946 riders
Tuesday July 4: 18,108 riders
Total: 71,722 riders
As riders learned about new Skyline and TheBus services, DTS received valuable feedback which will influence improvements in service and communications.
“DTS is proud to welcome all riders onto Skyline to experience the quick, efficient, and sustainable reliability of Skyline when combined with our high-quality TheBus and Handi-Van services,” says DTS Deputy Director Jon Nouchi. “The strong demand throughout the fare-free period demonstrated our island’s resident and visitor interest in learning about our newest, high-capacity transportation option. A project 55 years in the making, from first plans to last week’s grand opening, we are honored to debut this long-awaited service for the benefit of everyone, now and into the future.”
After a full year of service, DTS anticipates Skyline average weekday ridership to be between 8,000 to 10,000 riders daily.
Segment 2 of Skyline, expanding to Kahauiki Middle Street Station including Makalapa Pearl Harbor, Lelepaua Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, and Āhua Lagoon Drive Stations, is projected to begin operations by mid-2025.
For all inquiries, questions, or reports for Skyline rail operations, please contact:
Skyline operates during the following hours:
- Weekdays: 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Weekends and City Holidays: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
For more information on Skyline, please visit: www.honolulu.gov/skyline.
For informational videos introducing Skyline, familiarizing yourself with Skyline stations, and how to ride TheBus and Skyline, please visit: //www.youtube.com/@hnldts">https://www.youtube.com/@hnldts>.
For more information on getting a HOLO card, please visit: www.holocard.net.
—PAU—