HONOLULU -- The city's new silver electric hybrid buses hit the streets Thursday. They're on a new route, which had its start-up delayed because of construction on Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki.

Bus rider Emilio Ruiz waited at Kapahulu Avenue in Waikiki Thursday morning. Scanning the schedule and the map, he found the city's new route "E," "The Transit."

"I just heard about it today. Says E, express, so I just decided to take it for a ride, see where it goes and stuff," Ruiz said.

It was the only route through Kakaako where no one was waiting. However, the city expects ridership to increase once the new University of Hawaii Medical School is completed.

"This is the fastest way to get to Chinatown," transit driver Sam Tatofi said.

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Tatofi drove bus No. 133 Thursday, letting curious riders know where the transit goes.

"To be honest with you, I'm surprised there's a lot of tourists. They wait at the right bus stop. They heard on the news about it, and a lot of locals from downtown," Tatofi said.

The route is unusual because it is the only one that goes down Kalakaua Avenue through Waikiki.

Thursday was the beginning of the new route in Waikiki, but it also may be the end of the line for future plans for the city's Bus Rapid Transit System. The original plans were for the route to go from Waikiki all the way to West Oahu.

Current plans call for Route "E" to run from Waikiki to Aala Park. The new transit service will run from 5 a.m. to midnight on weekdays. Service will start a little later on weekends.

It may absorb the No. 8 bus route between Waikiki and Ala Moana Center, which is already clogged with tourists, along a clogged Kuhio Avenue.

The new silver buses will run about every 10 to 15 minutes with stops at downtown, Aloha Tower, Kakaako, Victoria Ward Centers, Ala Moana Center and Waikiki. New signs will also mark those stops.