page_title: TheBus (Honolulu)
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: TheBus (Honolulu) / History
caption_attribution_description: English: A Honolulu Rapid Transit (HRT) trolley bus stops at the corner of King and Bishop Streets, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, on 24 October 1944.
context_page_description: TheBus is the public bus transportation service on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, in the United States. As of fiscal year 2012–13, TheBus has a ridership of approximately 75.5 million boardings annually on its fleet of 518 buses, providing daily service on 110 routes. TheBus is privately managed by the nonprofit Oʻahu Transit Services Inc., which operates the system under a public-private partnership with the City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services.
context_section_description: TheBus' origin was The Honolulu Rapid Transit and Land Company, which operated buses and trolley lines mostly in the Honolulu district, while most outlying areas were serviced by competing bus companies. Honolulu Rapid Transit (HRT) was founded on June 6, 1898, the same day that Hawaii was annexed by the United States. HRT started streetcar operations in Honolulu in 1901. HRT operated streetcars from 1901–41, motor buses continually from 1925 onward, and trolley buses from 1937–57.
  Various issues caused its failure, including a series of strikes by union workers and reports of a hostile takeover of the company by its new owner Harry Weinberg in 1955, after he began buying up other properties in Hawaii.
  By the 1960s, HRT management was associated with constant strikes that at times left passengers without bus service for more than 60 days (a 67-day strike in 1967, followed by a 60-day strike in 1970). The City & County of Honolulu considered acquiring HRT and its competitors, as more cities in the United States were taking over operations of privately owned bus companies. So on September 14, 1970, and under the guidance of then-Mayor of Honolulu Frank Fasi, the city established Mass Transit Lines (MTL) Limited, a management firm and forerunner to The Oahu Transit Services, to oversee operations. After careful negotiations the city would purchase HRT (and its competitors serving the other portions of O'ahu) for $2 million for a down payment along with an additional $1 million to buy new buses. Fasi later went to Dallas, Texas and bought 50 ex-Dallas Transit System 1964-built GM air-conditioned New Looks (TDH5303), followed by adding 17 new New Looks (T6H5307A) from GM's Pontiac, Michigan plant. On February 25, 1971, the city council officially approved a contract for MTL to take over operations. Several days later, on March 1, HRT was renamed TheBus.
  With the exception of 17 newly built buses, the 50 ex-Dallas buses were renumbered 550-599 and ran in DTS colors as shown. The DTS colors were similar to the old HRT colors so the Dallas buses didn't look totally out of place. After its transition from HRT to TheBus, MTL decided to give the system a more friendlier modification, where in addition to changing the paint scheme, it also relaxed the standard uniforms by replacing them with the current short-sleeve shirts featuring TheBus logo, buses, and slogans. Fasi introduced the "new-identity apparel" in 1974, hoping to change the bus' stodgy, old image to a fresher, more fun one that would help lure more drivers out of their cars. These uniforms, which are updated every 2–3 years, have also known to become collectors' items.
  The success of TheBus and its business model has been well received by residents, tourists and the transit industry. Ridership for TheBus has grown from 30 million passengers per year to approximately 71 million. TheBus is now the 20th most utilized transit system in the country, the 13th most utilized bus fleet, and the sixth highest transit ridership in the country per-capita. TheBus also has the lowest cost per passenger mile of any system and one of the lowest cost per boarding passengers in the industry.
  Despite its success, TheBus also had its share of setbacks. In August 2003, a strike by union workers left Honolulu without bus service for nearly a month. This move and its settlement the following September coincided with the City Council approving a fare increase to $2 and other increases in rates and pass fees, in part to fund the city's promise to the Teamsters not to cut service and employees. By 2006, ridership and profits rebounded thanks to the implementation of programs geared toward college students who commute to school and work, and rising gas prices.
  In 2009, ridership for TheBus dipped slightly by 2 percent due to its July 2009 decision to increase its fares to $2.25 (it was raised to $2.50 starting in July 2010), lower gas prices, and a rising unemployment rate. But overall, Honolulu has had relatively high bus ridership. In 2008, 5.6 percent of Hawaii commuters used public transporta
caption: A HRT trolley bus in 1944.
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