TheBus (Honolulu)

TheBus

Common TheBus livery.
Founded	1971
Headquarters	Honolulu, Hawaii
Service area	Honolulu County, Hawaii
Service type	Public transportation
Routes	110
Stops	4,200
Hubs	9 (Ala Moana, Alapai, Hawaii Kai, Kalihi, Kapolei, Mililani, Wahiawa, Waianae, Waipahu)
Fleet	519
Daily ridership	239,400 (FY 2012-2013 weekday average, includes TheHandi-Van paratransit service)
Fuel type	Diesel, Diesel-electric hybrid
Operator	Oʻahu Transit Services, Inc.
Chief executive	J. Rodger Morton
Website	http://www.thebus.org/

TheBus is the public bus transportation service on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, in the United States. As of fiscal year 2012-2013, 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 Oʻahu Transit Services Inc., which operates the system under a public-private partnership with the City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services.

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 1901–1941, motor buses continually from 1925 onward, and trolley buses from 1937-1957. 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.