Honolulu bus stop not fixed for months is ‘awful’

HONOLULU (KHON2) — A sweltering problem that has been unaddressed for months is what bus users said of the stop at Keeaumoku and Beretania streets. KHON2 looked into why a fix has taken so long.

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Riders of TheBus have found other ways to beat the heat since a vehicle drove into and destroyed the bus shelter at Stop Number 39.

“We wanted to get some shade, my girlfriend and I, and so we thought this would a good place since there’s that obstruction over there, and we just wanted to stay in a cooler place,” said Kalihi resident Fred Badua.

Others resorted to handheld umbrellas to chill out. The obstruction is the old shelter, which City officials said has been there since it was destroyed on Wednesday, June 5.

Officials with the Honolulu Transportation Services Department said there are plans to replace the damaged shelter with a decommissioned shelter from another location, which they contest is more cost-efficient and quicker than designing, constructing and installing an entirely new covering. KHON2 asked DTS officials the questions below and received the following answers:

1. When did the car damage the shelter?
   • A motor vehicle crash damaged the bus stop shelter on June 5, 2024. DTS took immediate action to replace the bus shelter and took down the remaining structure for safety reasons. New seats were installed for passengers while we worked on getting the shelter replaced.
2. How much of a drastic reduction in cost does replacing the broken shelter with a decommissioned shelter from another location, rather than contracting, designing and constructing an entirely new shelter?
   • We are currently procuring a contractor to replace this shelter and cannot comment or provide costs at this time, respecting the procurement and bid process. We anticipate receiving a cost proposal by Friday for this shelter. We hope the bids are acceptable in price and scope, which would require the contractor to replace the shelter within 30 days of notice-to-proceed. A new contract to construct a completely new bus shelter would take more time and cost, and involve planning, design, construction, and inspection of the new construction.
3. Why would an entirely new shelter need to be contracted and designed? Aren’t there plenty of previous designs already?
   • Bus stop designs are standardized to roughly three standard types, however, site conditions, sidewalk widths, slope, existing above and below-ground utilities, and many other factors require specific engineering and design unique to each location. We must also ensure ADA compliance.
4. Why were the steel brackets not covered with something more aesthetically pleasing than the damaged shelter?
   • While we appreciate the consideration for aesthetics, our replacement strategy prioritizes using an existing replacement shelter and installing it using remaining elements such as posts and brackets to minimize new construction costs. In that respect, it is safer to cordon off the whole site instead of leaving obstructions in the sidewalk. While complete demolition and removal could have been an option, we believe that this method would be the most expensive method with the longest timeframe towards completion. Since TheBus stop is still active, we have installed a temporary seat for riders using the stop.
5. How many other bus stops are in states of disrepair or have ongoing maintenance requests?
   • If passengers encounter stops which need repairs, cleaning, or graffiti abatement, please call TheBus Customer Service at (808) 848-5555. TheBus stop maintenance crews work daily to clean and maintain nearly 4,000 TheBus stops island-wide.

In the meantime, a two-seat bench was installed next to the unsalvageable shelter. Taxpayers hope it will not be months longer until a new fixture is back in place.

“We got money going all over the place and hopefully they fix it soon,” said Badua.
“It’s all asphalt, all the hard, bare concrete, so it’s, it’s awful,” said Char.

City officials said a bid to replace the shelter should be finished by Friday, Oct. 11 and the contractor will be required to replace it within 30 days of getting the notice to proceed.

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Councilmember Calvin Say said the following in a statement:

“I understand that, while the current damaged bus shelter is unsightly, the safest and quickest solution is to replace it with a decommissioned shelter. Leaving the remaining damaged parts in place strategically prevents smaller, less noticeable hazards on the sidewalk. I fully support the Department of Transportation Services in its efforts and encourage any measures they can take to expedite the replacement process,” Say said.

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