Lori M.K. Kahikina is the head of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART), a semi-autonomous agency that serves the City and County of Honolulu on Hawaii’s island of Oahu. She was named HART’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer in 2021 and is responsible for the design and construction of the Honolulu Rail Transit Project, the first fully automated (driverless) light rail system in the United States.
Kahikina is both the first native Hawaiian and the first woman to lead this public transit agency. A proud graduate of Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawaii, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a licensed Civil Engineer. She has also served with the City and County of Honolulu as both Deputy Director and Director of Design and Construction, as well as the Director of the Department of Environmental Services.
Photo Credit: Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART)
For more information on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have made significant contributions to public transit, please check out https://voicesforpublictransit.org/voices-for-public-transit-celebrates-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-heritage-month/
Transportation History 
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