HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Honolulu’s rail line has a new official name: “Skyline.”
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi made the announcement Friday, saying he’s hopeful the new name will offer a chance to re-brand the delayed and at-times embattled project.
“We had lost credibility and I had been told in no uncertain terms, you gotta find a way to get your act together. Get the people there in Honolulu working together in a way that’s credible,” Blangiardi said, at a news conference.
The city said the name represents the “expansive views from mountain to the ocean” that can be seen from the rail’s elevated guideway.
“This name just fits and feels right to us,” added deputy Department of Transportation Service Director Jon Nouchi, at a news conference.
Other names that were considered include “HART,” “TheTrain” ― like “TheBus and “TheHandi-Van” ― and “Rail.”
Nouchi said the feedback on those names was overwhelmingly negative.
The city also tested Hawaiian words, including “Hoku,” “Ilima,” and “Kui.”
How did the name go over with the public? It depends on who you ask.
“I think they should focus on building the rail first before naming it,” said Ryan Dasmarinas, of Kalihi.
Aysia Lapot, of Pearl City, had this to say: “I would have thought a Hawaiian name for it.”
Sara Yip, of Honolulu, agreed:
“It would be nice to have a special name for the people of the islands.”
The new name “Skyline” comes ahead of opening day of the rail’s first phase on June 30.
On that day, riders will be able to try the rail for free during the rail’s initial hours from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
From July 1 to 4, the service will still be free but riders will need a HOLO card to get on. All City transit will be free during that time as TheBus executes service modifications to serve rail stations.
Roger Morton, DTS director, said the first phase of the rail line ― from Kapolei to Aloha Stadium ― won’t alleviate traffic at first. But once the next segments are added, he does expect ridership to grow.
“It’s not going to do a lot for traffic in the first segment because we’re building this for the future,” Morton said.
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