Big changes are coming for Windward bus riders — and those changes will expand to other parts of Oahu — before the rail is ready to roll.

The City says the expansion of bus routes to and from Windward Oahu is a $3.7 million improvement, to a service that has been largely unchanged since the 1970s.

Buses have mainly used the Pali Highway to get to the Windward side — but soon, routes will expand to include Likelike Highway.

Deputy Transportation Services Director Jon Nouchi says — a bus will travel across the Koolau every 15 minutes normally — and every 10 minutes during rush hour.

“So, the frequency of buses and the regularity of buses that do the trans-Koolau trek are optimized and people will have a lot more opportunities to get to and from Windward from Downtown.”

The changes will also make it easier to travel between Kailua and Kaneohe.

TheBus will distribute pamphlets on-board, in addition to putting new route information online and on its mobile app.



Similar changes are coming next — to Leeward Oahu.

Nouchi says, “So we hope to open the interim segment of rail, the first 10 miles of rail between East Kapolei and Aloha Stadium, by the end of 2020. So in advance of that, we will be looking at all the services in that corridor between Kapolei and Halawa.”

TheBus transports more than 200,000 people a day, about 70 million per year.

Some will lose their ‘one-seat’ commmute.

Those riders will transfer to shuttles from the main routes — to stops near their homes.

For Romel Galanto of Kalihi — addition of buses to Likelike Highway — near his home — will help him get from Kalihi in to town — and over the Koolau.

“That’ll be real faster, quicker, way better going to Windward, so much easier, so much easier. Yeah, more convenient.”

Bus riders can get help via TheBus app, website http://thebus.org/ — and customer service staffers who answer the phone at 848-5555.

The changes take effect August 18.