Oahu, Hawaii, America Walks — I’ve spent my whole life on the island of Oahu, Hawaii and I’ve used public transit to get around since I was a college student. Since then, public transit and my bicycle have allowed me to access school, work, and other destinations on the island with ease, but that’s not the case for many.
I started riding public transit in college as my primary way of getting around the island. I enjoyed riding the bus because I could just take out my video games or look out the window and relax, which is impossible when driving around here. Since 2023, I have worked as Director of Navy Programs for Hawaii Pacific University. Today, most of my trips happen by bike or train unless I’m taking my piano to play a gig, which I do in my free time.
My commute is similar each day—I hop on my bike around 7:45 am, ride to Pouhala Waipahu Transit Center Station, board the Skyline train, and ride for about 10 minutes. Then I get off, and bike about 5 minutes to get on base at Pearl Harbor. It’s made for a stress-free commute that allows me to get some physical activity, skip the soul-crushing traffic, and reduce my impact on our delicate environment. I’m fortunate that my home and work are positioned to make this commute easy for me because that’s not the case in every part of the island.
The Skyline train has been a game changer for me and many other commuters, with connections between the University of Hawaii West Oahu campus and Leeward Community College, as well as a much-needed connection between Halawa and Kapolei. More connections like these–by bus or train—would be a great benefit to people trying to get around the island on a daily basis.
I think that more people don’t use public transit on Oahu because it’s not always the most convenient option depending on where you are going and public perception of using transit isn’t always positive. Investments from the federal government in things like increased service frequency, nicer buses, bus-only lanes, safety improvements, and bike lanes would go a long way in making transit every resident and visitor’s first choice for getting around the island.
I look forward to continuing to do my part locally to support public transit investments and hope that federal leaders do the same. Increased funding for transit from the federal government, as proposed in Rep. Hank Johnson’s Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act, would go a long way in giving people in communities across Oahu more connection to each other, work, and leisure.