The County of Hawaiʻi Mass Transit Agency has implemented technological advancements to make riding the bus and using HIBIKE easier. The technological advancements include trip planning, automated vehicle location, mobile fare payment, social media use, and an app.
Passengers can obtain all Hele-On route and schedule information is on Google Transit through Google Maps, as well as on Microsoft Bing Transit through Microsoft Bing Maps and soon on Apple Maps. The Trip Planner tool on these apps and websites will provide transit options for trips anywhere on Hawaiʻi Island and can compare to walking, biking, and driving. A passenger can enter the information in the Trip Planner by either street address, cross streets, or major landmarks along with the trip date and desired arrival or departure times for same-day service or many weeks in advance. The Trip Planner will then display several options from which to choose. Each option will include directions to and from the nearest bus stop, applicable route numbers including any transfer information; and, total travel times for each trip option.
Passengers on bus Routes 60, 76/Green, 301, and 403, can track their buses in real-time by visiting www.myheleonbus.org. This feature will show specific details such as where the bus is, if it is early or late, how full the bus is, and the next stop. An additional four buses will receive this technology in 2023.
Additionally, Roberts Hawaiʻi, the County’s transit operations contractor, uses Green Road, an internal automated vehicle locator system that allows their dispatchers and the Mass Transit Agency staff to track where all the buses are in real-time for when passengers call requesting a status update. 21 of the 49 buses presently have the system installed with the goal of completing the fleet in March 2022.
Passengers can purchase their fares using a credit card or a gift card with Visa or Mastercard logo through the Token Transit app, which is also incorporated into the Moovit app. All single rides, 15 ticket sheets, monthly passes, and paratransit coupons are available through this app. Token Transit is available through Google Play and the App Store and online at www.tokentransit.com and select Hele-On.
Hele-On has an innovative partnership with Moovit, which provides mobility as a service app and a trip planner available at www.moovit.com or through the Moovit app available through Google Play or App Store. Moovit allows passengers to plan a trip, purchase a Hele-On one way, 15 ride ticket book, paratransit coupon, or monthly pass to ride the bus and track HIBIKE availability in Hilo and Kailua-Kona. Additionally, passengers can schedule Lyft and Uber rides through this app.
In a press release Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth said, “We are excited to make our Hele-on bus system even more accessible. Our residents deserve a bus system that is responsive, reliable, and able to suit the needs of our various communities, and we are extremely proud of the work that is being done to achieve those goals. It’s our hope that folks take advantage of these new tools and take the ride on one of our many routes soon.”
For more information about Hele-On, call (808) 961-8744, TDD: 711 or email heleonbus@hawaiicounty.gov, or visit www.heleonbus.org.