Roger Morton, director of the Department of Transportation Services (DTS), told the Budget Committee the department’s combined budget (DTS plus operating partners) is $487,561,540 and includes a substantial increase in Skyline operating costs tied to adding stations, trains and longer service hours. Morton said the Skyline operations budget rises from about $89 million to roughly $120.7 million — "that's a 35% increase," he said — driven by additional service hours, more trains and associated increases in security, elevators/escalators maintenance and electricity costs.

Why it matters: The DTS budget funds daily operations of bus service and handivan operations run by the city's contractor (OTS), transit fleet replacement, traffic-signal infrastructure, and near-term readiness costs for an expanded Skyline service. The committee questioned staffing, capital timing, and program details that affect street-level safety, accessibility and service reliability.

Key operating and staffing details: Morton said DTS has roughly 889 funded positions with about 45 vacancies and expects to fill 33 hires by the end of the fiscal year. He described the department as small in head count but large in operational scope because it manages contracting with operators and multiple service lines. Morton said passenger revenue was conservatively budgeted at about $49.7 million for the coming year.

Transit vehicle and capital programs: DTS listed a bus and handivan acquisition program at about $74.2 million to replace vehicles and expand the electric-bus transition. Morton said the city is planning bus charging infrastructure at Middle Street Transit Center and that the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) is funding several related electrification projects. DTS also proposed a multi-year program to replace traffic controllers islandwide, a project Morton said will take roughly four to five years; he said about 85% of the island’s signals are connected today.

Fare modernization and retail/payment services: The department described work to operate and maintain the electronic fare collection system and to add new payment capabilities. Morton said the city intends to add contactless credit-card acceptance as an additional payment media to the existing HoloCard system so riders can tap with credit cards or mobile wallets; he said the system change reduces the need to purchase large quantities of stored-value cards for transient riders. Morton noted that concession fares for seniors or low-income riders will still require vetted HoloCards. He said online credit-card sales currently carry transaction fees and that product pricing for multi-day passes will reflect card-processing costs; Morton said those fees are incorporated into proposed product pricing rather than a separate convenience charge.

Handyvan and human-services coordination: Morton described a $4.0 million line for an agency-provided trips program that subsidizes five social-service providers to transport clients who would otherwise rely on the handyvan. He said the agency arrangement is a cost-saving alternative: waiver-agency trips cost roughly $12–$13 per trip compared with $50–$60 if provided directly by the handyvan.

Traffic signals, cameras and Vision Zero: DTS requested funding to modernize traffic controllers, expand traffic-signal islandwide connectivity, and fund engineering studies for red-light enforcement cameras. Transportation technology chief Tai Fukumitsu said $160,000 in the proposed budget is seed money for engineering assessment to place red-light cameras; he said the state is expanding cameras on state roads and the city may add cameras on city streets but placement requires engineering evaluation. Morton and Complete Streets Administrator Renee Espial discussed Vision Zero work and the city’s Safe Routes to School efforts; Espial said the department estimated between $500,000 and $1,000,000 would be needed to fund a citywide program at scale and that DTS is seeking state Safe Routes to School funds.

Broadband and West Oahu infrastructure: DTS described plans to place fiber and broadband infrastructure on West Oahu as part of trenching and traffic projects. Morton and Tai Fukumitsu said the state will fund an initial design and pay for a portion of the trunk line while DTS will pick up a later segment to extend fiber to Nanakuli and Wai‘anae; DTS is also installing wireless communications on existing towers to support traffic systems.

Public testimony and accessibility concerns: Public testifier Donald Sakamoto, who said he is blind, urged stronger ADA attention on sidewalks and station approaches and warned of accessibility problems in station and vehicle design. Angela Melody Young supported both HART and DTS funding for bus and handyvan operations and urged more efficient scheduling for senior services.

Ending: DTS officials told the committee they can provide a chart of federal/local funding ratios for CIP projects on request and that more detailed project lists and prioritization for controller upgrades, Safe Routes work and other CIP items will be shared with council offices as part of budget follow-ups.