Nearly $10 Million Coming For Neighbor Island Public Transit

Hawai‘i will receive more than $9.5 million in new federal funding to purchase new buses for Hawai‘i Island, Maui, and Kaua‘i.

“Our communities depend on public transportation to get to work, buy groceries, and support local businesses,” said Senator Brian Schatz, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This grant will help make transit services on the neighbor islands more accessible, reliable, and clean.”

The federal funds will be used to replace seven 35-foot hybrid buses and to acquire three new 40-foot to 45-foot ADA-compliant buses. The grant will also cover the land acquisition for and construction of a baseyard in Kailua-Kona as a hub for operations, maintenance, and storage.

The US Department of Transportation’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program, which awarded Hawai‘i this competitive grant, offers state and local governments funding to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities.