Oahu transit riders will begin paying higher fares July 1 as the city implements its first fare increases for TheBus, Skyline and TheHandi-Van in four years.

The fare changes average roughly 14%, with most fare categories increasing between 11% and 13%, city data indicates. Single-ride fares paid with a HOLO card will remain unchanged,however.

 The city Department of Transportation Services says the new fare adjustments will help maintain safe, reliable and accessible public transportation serv­ices while supporting operations, maintenance and future investments in Oahu’s transit system.

“DTS will continue to monitor costs, ridership and funding levels, but no additional fare increases are currently planned beyond those taking effect on July 1,” DTS spokesperson Travis Ota said.

Under the new fare structure, adult monthly passes will increase from $80 to $90, while annual adult passes will rise from $880 to $990, representing a 12.5% jump for both categories.

Youth monthly passes will increase from $40 to $45, while annual youth passes will rise to $495.

The largest increase approved by the Honolulu City Council in January affects the seven-day pass, which will jump from $35 to $45, an increase of nearly 29%.

One-way TheHandi-Van fares also will rise, from $2.25 to $2.50.

Cash-paying riders will see an increase as well, with single fares rising by 25 cents. A single ride on TheBus with cash will be $3.25, DTS said.

The agency emphasizes there’ll be no change to fares for riders using a HOLO card to purchase a single ride, now called the 2- Hour Pass, on TheBus or Skyline.

“After your first tap, you can ride TheBus and Skyline as much as needed within the two-hour period at no additional cost,” Ota said.

A reduced-fare program for Hawaii residents who are seniors, people with disabilities, Medicare cardholders, paratransit eligibility ID holders and qualifying low-income residents also takes effect.

Reduced fares include single-ride fares set at $1.50 for cash payers and $1.25 for those with a HOLO card; the two-hour pass at $1.25; and the 24-hour pass at $3. The reduced monthly pass fare for Hawaii residents is $20, while the annual pass is $45, according to DTS.

These changes mark the first fare increase since July 2022.

DTS encourages riders to use registered HOLO cards, which provide balance protection, account management features and fare-capping benefits that prevent riders from paying more than daily or monthly pass limits.

“These fare adjustments help ensure we can continue operating and improving TheBus, Skyline and Handi-­Van services, while meeting the transportation needs of Oahu,” DTS Director Roger Morton said in a statement.

The latest fare increases originated with Bill 54, legislation requested by DTS in July and approved by the City Council on a split vote in January. At the time, city officials asserted the increases were necessary to address growing transit expenses.

“Our transit budget today is about $440 million,” Morton told the Council before its Jan. 28 vote to change transit fares. “Over this year, costs will go up about

$11 million. And next year, they’ll go up about another $11 million. So we will be looking at a transit budget somewhere in the $470 million range.”

Morton said transit fares currently cover only about 10% of the actual cost of operating the system. According to DTS, the approved fare increases are expected to generate approximately $4 million in additional annual revenue in fiscal year 2027.

“That’s basically 20% of the two-year rise in the cost of transit,” said Morton during the January meeting.

The proposal drew opposition from members of the public and advocacy organizations who argued the increases would negatively impact working-class and transit-dependent riders.

Local 5, which represents unionized hospitality, health care and food service workers, came out against the measure.

“We oppose any kind of increases to TheBus fare or public transportation in general,” said Joli Tokusato, a Local 5 representative. “If you’re trying to make people use public transportation you have to make it the easiest way possible for them.”

Dale Vanderbrink, an Ala Moana-Kakaako Neighborhood Board member who testified in his individual capacity, argued the additional revenue represented only a small fraction of DTS’s overall budget.

The “$4 million is not a lot of money for DTS, but it is a lot of money when obtaining it by nickel and diming the residents,” he said.

Following the vote, the Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice criticized the Council’s decision, arguing it would place additional strain on low-income households.

The organization noted that more than 20% of bus riders have household incomes below $20,000 annually, and more than half do not have access to a car.

At the meeting, Council member Tyler Dos Santos-­Tam unsuccessfully attempted to amend Bill 54 to preserve existing fare levels, arguing public transportation aided low-income riders and their families.

“TheBus is not optional for many families,” he said. “It is how they get to work, it is how they get to appointments and essential services.”

The Council later approved the fare increases on a 6-3 vote, with Council members Radiant Cordero, Dos Santos-Tam and Matt Weyer voting against the measure.

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