Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced last week that the Federal Transit Administration awarded the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation $8.9 million to support rural transit service in Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Counties during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Kaua‘i County Transportation Agency and the County of Hawai‘i Mass Transit Agency can use these funds on capital, planning, or operational expenses like salaries, fuel, vehicle maintenance, and supplies to clean and disinfect the buses.
“Communities in Hawai‘i rely on rural transit like The Kaua‘i Bus and the Hele-On Bus, which connect people to food, medical treatment, and their work. As our state begins to reopen, this funding will allow Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Counties to safely continue their transit operations, and keep both riders and transit workers safe despite these economically unpredictable times,” Senator Hirono said.
This is the rural grant component of the total $107 million in transit funding that Senator Hirono announced for Hawai‘i in April. In May, the Senator announced The Bus would receive $90.8 million to address the coronavirus and budget concerns. The entire $107 million in transit funding is paid by the federal government without requiring a local match and can cover expenses starting January 20, 2020.
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