Nearly $9.6 Million Headed To Kauai, Maui, Hawai‘i Island To Acquire New Buses And Improve Infrastructure

HONOLULU — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $9,596,669 in new federal funding to purchase new buses for Kauai, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island.

“Our communities depend on public transportation to get to work, buy groceries, and support local businesses,” said Senator 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 Kona as a hub for operations, maintenance, and storage.

The U.S. 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.

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