Skyline sets weekday ridership record, providing a reliable option during traffic congestion during the back-to-school rush

DTS News Release, September 1, 2026

HONOLULU – The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) reminds Oʻahu residents that Skyline is a strong and reliable option for commuters during periods of heavy congestion, unexpected roadway disruptions, and the back-to-school commute.

On Wednesday, August 26, Skyline recorded 14,143 rides, the highest weekday ridership total to date. This milestone underscores our system’s growing role as a dependable, always-on-time choice as motor vehicle travel becomes more challenging and expensive amidst our existing traffic congestion in Oʻahu’s busiest travel corridors.

“Thousands of daily riders know that Skyline’s momentum is real”, says DTS Director of Transit Jon Nouchi. “Skyline is elevating Oʻahu toward a more connected, less congested future, and is increasingly becoming our island’s lifeline to a better commute above ground level gridlock.”

Last week marked the beginning of the Fall 2026 University semester, when thousands of students returned to school. The City is proud to see that newer students are embracing Skyline as their choice mode of transport to travel to and from school, work, and play.

The average weekday ridership for the week spanning August 24 to August 28 stands at 13,478.

Frequent service and seamless connections with TheBus allow riders access to neighborhoods and other destinations close to the Skyline corridor. With rapid bus service connections to and from the Āhua Lagoon Drive Skyline Station, workforce and student riders are able to take the A Line to and from Downtown Honolulu, Ala Moana, and UH Mānoa; the U Line directly to and from UH Mānoa via the H-1 Freeway; or the W Line, with service to and from Kalihi, Chinatown, Downtown, Kakaʻako, Ala Moana and Waikīkī.

This record ridership demonstrates how Skyline supports the broader transportation network by providing a safe, efficient, and dependable transit option during periods of peak demand.  Skyline, when partnered with these rapid lines, now accounts for nearly 20% of the entire daily transit ridership on Oʻahu.

The following park-and-ride lots are available for transit users:

Keoneʻae UH West Oʻahu Station: 304 parking stalls
Honouliuli Hoʻopili Station: 344 parking stalls
Hālawa Aloha Stadium Station: 590 parking stalls
Kahauiki Kalihi Transit Center Station: 95 parking stalls

Park-and-Ride lots are available only for transit riders, and parking is limited to no more than 24 hours. Drivers who commute by Skyline or TheBus can use any of these lots but must return within 24 hours to pick-up their vehicle.

To view Skyline ridership data, including the month of August 2026, please visit here.  (Avg for August -- WORKDAYS ONLY = 12,530.)

Skyline operates every day, including weekends and holidays, from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

For more information on Skyline, please visit: www.honolulu.gov/skyline.

For HOLO Card information, visit www.holocard.net or call 808-768-4645.

To plan your transit trip, download the free Transit App for TheBus and Skyline schedules and real-time arrivals.