Skyline has set a new weekday ridership record as thousands of students returned to school and commuters faced heavier traffic with the start of the fall university semester last week, Honolulu Department of Transportation Services announced.

On Aug. 26, the rail system recorded 14,143 rides, the highest weekday ridership total to date, DTS said in a news release. Skyline averaged 13,478 rides on weekdays from Aug. 24 through Aug. 28.

DTS says the increased ridership reflects growing use of Skyline and related bus routes for those traveling to schools, workplaces and other destinations.

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

DTS notes Skyline operates in conjunction with TheBus, allowing riders to connect with neighborhoods, schools and employment centers beyond the rail line.

Skyline and the rapid bus routes combined account for nearly 20% of Oahu’s daily public transit ridership, according to DTS.

At the Ahua Lagoon Drive Skyline Station, riders can transfer to several rapid bus routes, including the A Line to Downtown Honolulu, Ala Moana and the University of Hawaii at Manoa; the U Line to UH-Manoa via the H-1 Freeway; and the W Line serving Kalihi, Chinatown, Downtown, Kakaako, Ala Moana and Waikiki.

Currently, four park-and-ride facilities are available to transit riders:

• Keoneae UH West Oahu Station with 304 stalls.
• Honouliuli Hoopili Station with 344 stalls.
• Halawa Aloha Stadium Station with 590 stalls.
• Kahauiki Kalihi Transit Center Station with 95 stalls.

The lots are reserved for transit riders, and vehicles may be parked for no more than 24 hours, according to DTS. Skyline operates daily, including weekends and holidays, from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

In July, Skyline marked its third anniversary with more than 5 million passenger trips since the automated rail system began carrying riders between East Kapolei and Aloha Stadium in June 2023.

DTS said Skyline averages nearly 12,000 weekday rides while maintaining more than 99% service reliability.

The city’s rail system expanded in October 2025 with the opening of its second segment, which added 5 miles and four stations between Aloha Stadium and the Kalihi Transit Center at Middle Street.

Construction is now underway on the third segment, which will extend the rail line to the Civic Center in Kakaako. According to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, Segment 3 is scheduled to open and begin public revenue service in March 2031.

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