2023: Operations Begin for a Metro Station that Helps “Show the Way” on the Hawaiian Island of Oʻahu

June 30, 2023

On Hawaii’s island of Oʻahu, Kualakaʻi station in the community of East Kapolei first went into service. This station was one of nine that were officially opened on the same date. These stations constituted the inaugural segment of Skyline, a light metro rapid transit system that is managed by the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services and operated by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. Kualakaʻi station remains the western terminus of Segment 1 of Skyline.

Kualakaʻi is a Hawaiian word that means “to show the way.” This word also means “stand and lead.” Another unique aspect of Kualakaʻi station is the public art on display there. This work, which is located at the station’s entrance, is a glazed ceramic wall mural that was created by longtime Hawaiian artis Bob Flint (born in 1941).

Flint’s mural depicts hala and koʻoloaʻula, two varieties of trees that once flourished in this region of the Aloha State. The mural is titled Cherished Are the Hala and Koʻoloa ʻUla of Kualakaʻi (translated into Hawaiian as Haʻaheo I Nā Hala A Me Nā Koʻoloa ʻUla O Kualakaʻi).

Skyline in its entirety now covers 16.1 miles (25.9 kilometers) altogether and encompasses a total of 13 stations within Oʻahu. (The accompanying photo of Kualakaʻi station was taken in December 2025.)

Photo Credit: Public Domain (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en)

For more information on Kualakaʻi station, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kualaka%CA%BBi_station

Additional information on the light metro rapid transit system known as Skyline is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_(Honolulu)