City bus routes will undergo changes when rail opens. Here’s what you need to know

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - As Honolulu’s new rail system Skyline begins operations this weekend, the city announced that over 20 bus routes will be undergoing changes to coincide with the opening.

Starting on July 1, new TheBus routes that provide direct connections to Skyline stations will commence as part of the first phase of Honolulu’s new Bus-Rail Integration Plan (BRIP).

The city also says that the upcoming changes to bus routes will include improvements to the frequency and availability of service and slight changes to TheBus’s current route alignment.

The biggest change for passengers riding TheBus will be modifications to Route A.

On July 1, the route will stop at Pearlridge rather than extend into Waipahu, and it will no longer serve the Middle Street Intermodal Center and King Street. The city says the shorter route will create a direct connection between Skyline, downtown Honolulu and UH Manoa.

Other TheBus routes that will be modified due to rail operations, include Route 1L, Route 20, Route 40, Route 99, Route 71, Route 73, Route 74 and Route C. These routes will begin servicing new areas as well as discontinuing service from existing ones.

More TheBus modifications to look out for, beginning July 1:

Route C will be re-routed in Kapolei to serve the East Kapolei and UH West Oahu rail stations. The remainder of the route will stay the same.
Route 1L will service Aloha Stadium seven days a week.
Route 20 will provide service between Aloha Stadium and Waikiki. It will no longer serve Pearlridge.
Route 71 will be discontinued and will be replaced by Routes 542 and 544.
Route 73 will be discontinued and replaced by Routes 531, 532 and 535.
Route 74 will be discontinued and replaced by Routes 551 and 552.
TheBus service to Leeward Community College and the Pearl City Cultural Center will be permanently discontinued.

To learn about modifications to other TheBus routes starting July 1, click here.

All changes will go into effect this Saturday as the first segment of Skyline operations begins. Additional modifications to TheBus routes will be made as future Skyline segments are completed.

For videos on the upcoming TheBus route changes, click here.

To learn more about TheBus schedule and route information, click here or call (808) 848-5555.