The Honolulu City Council is considering a measure to raise public transportation fares for nearly all riders. The city Department of Transportation Services (DTS) says this increase is necessary to keep up with rising operational and maintenance costs.

While the Budget Committee did not reach a consensus on Tuesday—partly due to disagreements over proposed carve-outs—Bill 54 remains very much alive and should pass.

Honolulu’s last public transit fare increase came in 2022, before the opening of Skyline, a rail system that now adds value to the already comprehensive TheBus and TheHandi-Van services. New capabilities and conveniences come with new costs, and the proposed fare increases are reasonable.

According to the latest version of Bill 54:

– Adult annual fares will increase by 12.5%, from $880 to $990.
– Monthly adult fares will go from $80 to $90.
– Annual senior rates will increase by 11% to $50.
– Monthly TheBus fares for youth riders will rise 12.5% to $45.
– Seven-day passes will increase by 28.5% to $45.
– Single fares remain steady at $3 for HOLO card users; however, cash-paying riders will be subject to a 25-cent surcharge.

So far, these changes are justifiable.

However, some more dubious proposals have emerged, including maintaining discounted pricing for residents over nonresidents, expanding discount eligibility for low-income riders, and removing the personal care attendant (PCA) fare exemption on buses and rail.

DTS Director Roger Morton opposed these particular additions—and rightly so.

Regarding resident pricing, Morton pointed out the difficulty in distinguishing residents from nonresidents. Implementing such a system would require additional time and resources and could slow transit operations. Moreover, there is “no way” to monitor cash-based transactions, which the bill allows.

While kama‘āina pricing is an attractive idea, adopting such a model without an accurate and reliable means of verification would be unwise. Morton also noted that ridership could decline if nonresidents were required to pay more, especially as tourists and visitors increasingly opt for alternatives like rideshare services. In this case, the negatives outweigh the benefits of preferential treatment for residents.

Another amendment proposes expanding reduced fares to include a new “very low income” category, beyond the current “extremely low income” threshold. This change aims to enlarge the pool of riders eligible for discounted fares, from those receiving benefits under the Social Security Administration’s Supplemental Security Income program to individuals benefitting from the federal Section 8 housing program.

Morton’s initial analysis suggests this expansion could increase the eligible population from roughly 110,000 to 180,000 people, potentially leading to a revenue loss between $6 million and $8 million. While more concrete numbers need to be determined before making a decision, that estimate is significant and raises concerns that such an expansion could be counterproductive to the bill’s goals. As it stands, the most in need are already receiving necessary breaks.

On personal care attendants, an amendment calls for removing the current fare waiver on buses and rail. Although concerns about possible abuse exist, DTS has not provided data regarding the impact of alleged fraud. Until such information is available, PCAs should continue to have fare-free access to public transit.

While it is reasonable for DTS to raise fare prices to cover increased maintenance and operations expenses, Bill 54 clearly needs refinement. This process must start with transparent rider impact assessments and accurate revenue estimates. Raising fares only to offset some of the additional income with overly generous exceptions risks maintaining the status quo—a situation that ultimately benefits no one.
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2025/10/20/editorial/our-view/editorial-dts-fare-hike-is-mostly-reasonable/