Schatz, Buttigieg Visit Transportation, Infrastructure Projects On O‘ahu Made Possible By Historic Federal Investments
Joined by Senator Hirono, Representative Case, County Mayors, Local Officials
HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg today toured multiple infrastructure projects on O‘ahu which have received federal funding, including through the historic infrastructure law Congress passed in 2021. Schatz, chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, and Buttigieg visited the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Control Room and rode the Skyline with Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and other city officials. Later, they joined Hawai‘i Department of Transportation officials for a tour of Honolulu Harbor and participated in a blessing ceremony for a project at the Kapalama Container Terminal.
Joined by U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i), Schatz and Buttigieg also met with the mayors of the County of Hawai‘i, the County of Kaua‘i, the County of Maui, and the City and County of Honolulu to discuss how the county, state, and federal governments can continue partnering together to improve and expand infrastructure across Hawai‘i.
“For an island state that’s as isolated as ours to thrive, we need strong, resilient infrastructure and transportation,” said Senator Schatz. “The historic federal investments we’ve made, coupled with the hard work and continued collaboration of county, state, and federal governments, is helping make infrastructure across Hawai‘i safer and more accessible for everyone. There’s still more work to do, but there’s no denying all the progress we’ve made so far to move our infrastructure into the future.”
Senator Schatz, Secretary Buttigieg, local officials participated in a blessing ceremony and celebration for a project at the Kapalama Container Terminal
Schatz has continually helped secure federal funding for the Skyline project over the last decade, including most recently in the form of $64 million as part of the fiscal year 2023 appropriations bill. He also facilitated the approval process for the amended full funding grant agreement by the Federal Transit Administration last November, which unlocked nearly $750 million in federal funding for the project’s completion.
Schatz also worked with the Hawai‘i congressional delegation in helping secure a $47.3 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Kapalama Container Terminal project in 2022.
Senator Schatz and Secretary Buttigieg visited the HART Control Room and took a ride on the Skyline
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