Honolulu council approves free weekend rides, targeted HoloCard outreach for Skyline segment 2 opening

The Honolulu City Council on an out-of-order agenda vote adopted Resolution 25-2-10 FD1 authorizing promotional transit fares, a special HoloCard distribution and targeted marketing tied to the opening of Segment 2 of the Skyline Veil project.

The amendment (FD1) revised the segment opening from Oct. 1, 2025 to on or about Oct. 15, 2025, and adjusted suspended-fare dates accordingly; it also added a clause that if service begins after Oct. 15, suspended fares would occur the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday following commencement. The FD1 cites the city’s authority under Section 15B-2.1(d, Revised Ordinances of Honolulu 2021) to suspend fares.

Director Martin of the Department of Transportation Services told council members the light-rail ceremony is planned for Wednesday, Oct. 15, with revenue service to begin the following day. He said the administration proposes making the entire multimodal system free for the opening weekend so island residents can preview the new segment. “We estimate that we would lose about $42,000 in revenue on that Saturday and Sunday. That is about 1% of our monthly— the ordinance provides for no more than 5% loss of revenue, and we would provide, within a short period of time, an analysis back to the council on the impact of that,” Director Martin said.

Martin said the administration intends a twofold outreach: targeted marketing to workers and dependents at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (about 30,000 workers and dependents referenced by the director) and to personnel at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (about 15,000 workers), plus broader marketing outside the resolution.

Council Member Tupelo moved adoption of the resolution; the FD1 amendment was considered, the council waived the 48-hour rule for the hand-carried FD1, and the FD1 version of Resolution 25-2-10 was adopted.

Discussion vs. action: Council formally adopted the FD1 amendment and the resolution authorizing the promotional fares. Director Martin described operational changes the administration will make coincident with revenue service—bus-route adjustments and a roughly 3% bus-service expansion tied to the opening—but those operational changes were described as proposals rather than separately adopted council actions in this vote.

Background and next steps: The director said cybersecurity documentation and schedule compression prompted the shift from the Oct. 1 date. Council members pressed for clarity on suspended-fare dates; Director Martin confirmed the administration will provide a follow-up analysis on actual revenue impact after the promotional period.

Proper names: Skyline Veil (Segment 2); Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam; Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

For residents: The resolution authorizes the promotional fare suspension under the city ordinance named in FD1 and directs staff to report back on financial impacts; operational bus changes to feed Segment 2 were described as planned by DTS staff.