Talk Story Room: A new era of transportation with Jon Nouchi
Jul 29, 2024
DTS Deputy Director discusses Skyline one year after the launch of the Honolulu rail service
In the latest episode of our Talk Story series, Jon Nouchi, deputy director of the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services (DTS), looks ahead to the expansion of Skyline in 2025, when it will become five miles longer and provide a station at the airport that he expects to be transformative for commuters.
As he enters his eighth year on the job, he continues to strive for what he calls “choice nirvana,” where residents can choose from a variety of cleaner, more efficient choices suited for their transportation needs.
Raised in Kaneohe, Nouchi’s fascination with transportation began in his early years when he recognized the consistency of the bus system. This early exposure led him to devote his career to improving mobility and creating options for island residents.
We invite you to listen in as Nouchi talks with Kathleen Rooney, Ulupono Initiative’s director of transportation policy and programs, about his role at DTS and how he sees transportation as a critical customer service. He shares how having more transportation choices is reshaping the island’s landscape and how more residents are rethinking their options outside of driving a car.
In the video, the two passionate transportation experts have a lively discussion encompassing topics that include how transportation choices have evolved rapidly over the past decade, the history of transit in Honolulu, mobility as a crucial factor in enhancing social equity, Nouchi’s enthusiasm for the Complete Streets program, and the meaning behind each of the Skyline transit stations’ Hawaiian name.