The Inside Track: Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation

Description

The Inside Track is a live, in-person event series that brings together leaders from key public and private sectors to share critical updates on upcoming construction projects across Hawaii. More than a rundown of bid opportunities, each session offers in-depth insights into priorities, funding outlooks, and long-term planning.

The Inside Track: Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation

The Inside Track: Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from the agency delivering Skyline, Honolulu’s rail transit system. As HART continues advancing Skyline’s Segment 3, substantial progress is being made with major construction activities continuing ahead.

Featured presenter Lori M.K. Kahikina, P.E., Executive Director and CEO of HART, will provide updates on the agency’s current priorities and construction progress. Attendees will gain insight into ongoing construction activities, project schedules, key milestones, and the work ahead as Skyline progresses toward Civic Center.

By attending, participants will:

• Learn about ongoing construction efforts, project schedules, delivery strategies, procurement opportunities, and key milestones
• Better understand HART’s priorities and long-term outlook
• Engage directly with agency leadership during a live Q&A session

Whether you are a general contractor, subcontractor, supplier, consultant, or industry partner, this session provides valuable insight into one of Hawai‘i’s largest public infrastructure investments.

Stay informed. Stay connected. Stay competitive.

Presenter:

Lori M.K. Kahikina, P.E.
Executive Director and CEO
Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation

Lori Kahikina is the Executive Director and CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART), the agency responsible for planning and constructing Skyline—Hawaiʻi’s first fully automated, driverless urban light metro system. She is the first woman and the first person of Native Hawaiian ancestry to lead the agency.

A proud graduate of Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawaiʻi, Lori holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and is a licensed Civil Engineer. She brings more than 30 years of engineering and public works experience, including leadership roles as Director of the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Design and Construction and Director of the Department of Environmental Services, where she oversaw a $5 billion federally mandated wastewater consent decree.

Under her leadership, Skyline’s first segment opened in 2023, followed by the second segment in 2025, which added four stations, extending service through the airport to the Kalihi Transit Center. The third segment, which will further extend Skyline through downtown Honolulu, is currently in design and construction and scheduled to open in 2031.

Outside of work, Lori enjoys spending time with her family, riding her horse, playing piano, and singing at three Catholic churches. She serves on the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Honolulu and the Hawaiʻi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, as well as the Dean’s Council for the University of Hawaiʻi College of Engineering and the Financial Council.

DRESS CODE POLICY

Business, Business Casual, and/or Aloha Attire. The Pacific Club’s dress code policy prohibits slippers, athletic shoes, jeans, shorts, t-shirts, knit pullovers and tank tops from being worn at the club.

CELL PHONE POLICY

Cell phones and electronic devices should be switched to silent or vibrate while on Club property. Members and guests should not take phone calls under the Club roof. Permitted areas include the lawn, lobby phone booth, foyer, exterior walkways, and parking lot.