$250 Million Granted To Honolulu Rail Transit

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the City and County of Honolulu will receive $250 million from the Department of Transportation next week to fund continued construction of the Honolulu Rail Transit project.  The $250 million grant was made possible through appropriations provided in the Fiscal Year 2014 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill as part of the Federal Transit Administration’s capital investment grant program. In 2013, Schatz secured Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx’s support for the project both in writing and in conversations during Secretary Foxx’s Senate confirmation process. 

“The federal government has followed through on its responsibility to help fund Honolulu Rail Transit construction,” Senator Schatz said. “Rail creates jobs and cuts traffic.  I am continuing to fight in this year’s appropriations process to make sure Honolulu Rail has the funding it needs to move forward next year.”

 Senator Schatz sent a letter with six Senate colleagues to the Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Federal Transit Administration’s capital investment grant program in the Fiscal Year 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.  The bill, which has cleared the Appropriations committee and is headed to a vote on the Senate floor, delivers $250 million to the Honolulu Rail Transit project for FY 2015.