Honolulu, Hawaii

:This article refers to the unincorporated census designated place. For the city and county, see City & County of Honolulu.

Transportation

Located on the western end of Honolulu proper, Honolulu International Airport (HNL) is the principal aviation gateway to the state of Hawai‘i.

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Two freeways serve Honolulu:

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• Interstate H-1, which, coming into the city from the west, passes Hickam Air Force Base and Honolulu International Airport, runs just north of Downtown and continues eastward through Makiki and Kaimukī, ending at Wai‘alae/Kāhala. West of the city proper, H-1 connects to Interstate H-2 from Wahiawā and Interstate H-3 from Kāne‘ohe.
• Interstate H-201—also known as the Moanalua Freeway and formerly numbered Hawaii State Rte. 78—connects two points along H-1: at Aloha Stadium and Fort Shafter. Close to H-1 and Aloha Stadium, H-201 has an exchange with the western terminus of Interstate H-3 to the windward side of O‘ahu (Kāne‘ohe). This complex of connecting ramps, some directly between H-1 and H-3, is in Hālawa.

Other major highways that link Honolulu proper with other parts of the Island of O‘ahu are:

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• Pali Highway, State Rte. 61, crosses north over the Ko‘olau range via the Pali Tunnels to connect to Kailua and Kāne‘ohe on the windward side of the Island.
• Likelike Highway, State Rte. 63, also crosses the Ko‘olau to Kāne‘ohe via the Wilson Tunnels.
• Kalanianaole Highway, State Rte. 72, runs eastward from Wai‘alae/Kāhala to Hawai‘i Kai and around the east end of the island to Waimānalo Beach.
• Kamehameha Highway, State Rte. 99, runs westward from near Hickam Air Force Base to ‘Aiea and beyond, paralleling the H-1.

Like most major American cities, the Honolulu metropolitan area experiences heavy traffic congestion during rush hours, especially to and from the western suburbs of Kapolei, ‘Ewa, ‘Aiea, Pearl City, Waipahu, and Mililani. Land for expanding road capacity is at a premium everywhere on O‘ahu.

Related Topics:
‘Aiea - Pearl City - Waipahu - Mililani

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Established by former Mayor Frank F. Fasi, Honolulu's public transit system has been twice honored by the American Public Transportation Association bestowing the title of "America's Best Transit System" for 1994-1995 and 2000-2001. O‘ahu Transit Services' "TheBus" operates 93 routes with a fleet of 525 buses.

Related Topics:
Frank F. Fasi - Public transit - American Public Transportation Association - 1994 - 1995 - 2000 - 2001 - TheBus

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Currently, there is no fixed-rail mass transit system in Honolulu. However, in 2004, the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawai‘i approved development of an action plan for a fixed rail mass transit system to be built in several phases. The initial line could link Kapolei in West O‘ahu to Iwilei near Downtown Honolulu (port area). Several attempts had been made since the 1980s and 1990s to construct a fixed rail mass transit system but stalled during Honolulu City Council hearings.

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Also in 2004, construction had started on a bus rapid transit system using dedicated rights-of-way for buses. The system, proposed by former Mayor Jeremy Harris, was expected to link the Iwilei neighborhood with Waikīkī. However, current Mayor Mufi Hannemann has largely dismantled the BRT system and deployed its buses along other express bus routes.

Related Topics:
2004 - Bus rapid transit - Jeremy Harris - Waikīkī - Mufi Hannemann

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