Honolulu Transportation

AirLike most major American cities, the Honolulu
Located on the western end of Honolulu proper,metropolitan area experiences heavy traffic
Honolulu International Airport (HNL) is the principalcongestion during rush hours, especially to and
aviation gateway to the state of Hawaii.from the western suburbs of Kapolei, Ewa, Aiea,
HighwaysPearl City, Waipahu, and Mililani. Land for expanding
Four freeways serve Honolulu:road capacity is at a premium everywhere on
Interstate H-1, which, coming into the city fromOahu.
the west, passes Hickam Air Force Base andPublic transportation
Honolulu International Airport, runs just north ofEstablished by former Mayor Frank F. Fasi,
Downtown and continues eastward through MakikiHonolulu's public transit system has been twice
and Kaimuki, ending at Waialae/Kahala. West ofhonored by the American Public Transportation
the city proper, H-1 connects to Interstate H-2Association bestowing the title of "America's Best
from Wahiawa and Interstate H-3 from Kaneohe.Transit System" for 1994-1995 and 2000-2001.
Interstate H-201-also known as the MoanaluaOahu Transit Services' "TheBus" operates 93
Freeway and formerly numbered Hawaii Stateroutes with a fleet of 525 buses.
Rte. 78-connects two points along H-1: at AlohaCurrently, there is no fixed-rail mass transit
Stadium and Fort Shafter. Close to H-1 and Alohasystem in Honolulu. However, in 2004, the City &
Stadium, H-201 has an exchange with theCounty of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii
western terminus of Interstate H-3 to theapproved development of an action plan for a
windward side of Oahu (Kaneohe). This complexfixed rail mass transit system to be built in
of connecting ramps, some directly between H-1several phases. The initial line could link Kapolei in
and H-3, is in Halawa.West Oahu to UH Manoa. Several attempts had
Other major highways that link Honolulu properbeen made since the 1980s and 1990s to
with other parts of the Island of Oahu are:construct a fixed rail mass transit system but
Pali Highway, State Rte. 61, crosses north overstalled during Honolulu City Council hearings.
the Koolau range via the Pali Tunnels to connectHowever, on December 22, 2006, Honolulu City
to Kailua and Kaneohe on the windward side ofCouncil approved a fixed-guideway system that
the Island.will accommodate either rail or buses, that runs
Likelike Highway, State Rte. 63, also crosses thefrom Kapolei in West Oahu to UH Manoa, with a
Koolau to Kaneohe via the Wilson Tunnels.spur into Waikiki.
Kalanianaole Highway, State Rte. 72, runsAlso in 2004, construction had started on a bus
eastward from Waialae/Kahala to Hawaii Kai andrapid transit (BRT) system using dedicated
around the east end of the island to Waimanalorights-of-way for buses. The system, proposed
Beach.by former Mayor Jeremy Harris, was expected
Kamehameha Highway, State Rte. 99, runsto link the Iwilei neighborhood with Waikiki.
westward from near Hickam Air Force Base toHowever, current Mayor Mufi Hannemann has
Aiea and beyond, eventually running through thelargely dismantled the BRT system and deployed
center of the island and ending in Kaneohe.its buses along other express bus routes.