Will Honolulu raise bus fares in 2026?

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Honolulu transit fares could go up starting next year to help make up for lower ridership and pay for escalating costs.

For some riders who have been using the system for years, the price increases are just another example of an increasing cost of living to which many feel resigned.

The City Council’s Budget Committee is scheduled discuss the new rates Oct. 14.

Along with raising the monthly adult fare from $80 to $90, Bill 54 would raise the cost of an annual adult fare from $880 to $990, seven-day passes from $35 to $45, the monthly youth fare from $40 to $45 and the annual fare for kūpuna from $45 to $50, among other changes.

Single fares would still be $3, but riders who pay with cash would be charged an extra 25 cents to encourage Holo card use. TheHandi-Van fares would go from $2.25 to $2.50 for a single ride.

Since the city started offering monthly bus passes in 1979, fares have climbed faster than inflation.

An adult monthly pass cost $15 back then, the equivalent of $64.03 today. But rather than today’s monthly pass costing $64.03 — which would put it on par with inflation — the proposed increase would push it to $90.

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