Sustainable Transportation Forum Held in Hilo

At the Sustainable Transportation Forum held in Hilo on Thursday, Feb. 15, 201, some of the ideas shared were reducing the amount of miles vehicles travel by creating walkable, bike-able communities.

Sen. Lorraine Inouye. Photo courtesy Hawai‘i Senate Majority.

For the first time, the forum was held on Hawai‘i Island. It was hosted by Sen. Lorraine R. Inouye, Chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Energy. In attendance were fellow community leaders, County councilmembers and stakeholders of various transportation sectors from Hawai‘i Island as well as Maui and O‘ahu.

Sen. Inouye lead the forum by discussing the purpose of the new Sustainable Transportation Forum and its efforts to help realize Hawai‘i’s 2045 clean energy goals. Jade Butay, Interim Director for the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) provided updates on transportation projects in Hilo and across Hawai‘i Island. He also discussed details on Hawai‘i’s use of the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAPS) which provides federal funds to transportation improvement projects.

Special guest presenter for the forum was Beth Osborne, Vice President for Technical Assistance in Washington, D.C. In her previous roles, Osborne was with the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for transportation Policy and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy. Before joining DOT, Osborne worked on Capitol Hill for Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), Rep. Ron Klink (D-PA) and Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA).

Osborne provided insights on the state of transportation for the country, Hawai‘i and particularly Hawai‘i Island. Her knowledgeably identified land use and city planning as the most productive route to sustainable transportation in Hawai‘i and the reduction of fossil fuel usage. Her primary focus was on reducing vehicle miles traveled by developing housing with nearby retail, schools and parks. She highlighted the concept of planning communities with the purpose to be safe, accessible and transit-friendly by walking and biking.

Recognizing the need to continue a statewide discussion about sustainability and achieving Hawai‘i’s energy goals, Sen. Inouye announced future plans for Osborne to return for another Sustainable Transportation Forum in Kona, Hawai‘i.