As the new interim Mass Transit Administrator, I would like to report to the community on Hawaii County’s efforts to develop a public transit hub in the communities of Pahoa and Kailua-Kona.
First, it is important to discuss the need for service and the need for the facility. Hele-On, which is the brand name of the county’s public transit system, provides us a basic level of transit services islandwide, including one route to Pahoa and surrounding communities that is not conducive to commuter travel or intra-community travel. It is the same case in Kailua-Kona. The Transit and Multi-Modal Transportation Plan adopted in August 2018 laid a framework for building a better public transit network integrated with transit hubs, bicycles, pedestrian access and helped laid a sustainable path for a public transit system that can drive economic development.
To implement the efforts of the Master Plan, the Mass Transit Agency will launch enhanced routes in Hilo, Pahoa, Kailua-Kona, Ka’u, Waikoloa Village and Waimea areas of the island starting in September. This includes a new express route connecting Honoka’a and Kailua-Kona, Volcano and Hilo, Pahoa and Hilo and Hilo and Kailua-Kona, in addition to the existing routes operating today. This will result in additional transit service, the introduction of Sunday and holiday service on many routes, and an improved transportation network to meet the growing needs of the community. Interim transit hubs will be established at Puna Kai Shopping Center in Pahoa, Longs Drugs in Kea’au and Kona Commons Shopping Center in Kailua-Kona. An existing transit hub already exists in Hilo at Mo’oheau Park.
With the enhanced transit services being launched, this allows an opportunity for the Mass Transit Agency to focus on building transit hubs in Pahoa and Kailua-Kona. Pahoa’s project is in a more advanced state than Kailua-Kona, however, it should be noted that both the planning, design and engineering of these hubs require great attention to many details, ensuring that the correct sites are picked to provide the most efficient use for a transit operation, as well as the appropriate phases of building a transit hub, including property acquisition, environmental assessment of potential sites, design, engineering and ultimately construction. To ensure that all phases of planning these hubs are done correctly, Managing Director Lee Lord as well as the directors of Finance, Planning, Public Works, and myself are working together to implement the construction of these hubs within the next two to three years.
The first effort will be on Pahoa. While efforts were undertaken in 2019 using SSFM, the consultant who wrote the Transit and Multi-Modal Transportation Master Plan, the county is going through a professional services procurement to procure a consultant who would be dedicated to preparing the environmental assessment, plus 30% design. This effort will start in the fall. The public’s input will be obtained through community meetings. Once that effort is completed and the property has been acquired, the project will be turned over to Public Works to complete the final design and secure a contractor to construct the facility. Once completed, the Mass Transit Agency will shift the interim transit hub to the new facility with the new routes that are due to start in September. This collaborative effort between the departments is the best way to deliver this hub project forward.
The funding for initial costs has been set aside by the county for the Pahoa project.
The Kailua-Kona Transit Hub project is funded from a discretionary Federal Transit Administration grant to cover the cost of purchasing buses, building a new baseyard for Mass Transit Agency in Kailua-Kona as well as constructing a transit hub.
The Mass Transit Agency, in conjunction with Planning Department will continue to facilitate the Kailua-Kona transit hub and that project will be re-engaged in 2022 with the identification of a consultant to assist in public outreach, site identification and performance of the environmental analysis plus 30% design.
While the previous administration had to suspend work on this project due to the pandemic, the current administration has made improving the islandwide public transportation system a priority which includes constructing the Pahoa and Kailua-Kona hubs. For the interim, enhanced transit services will begin in September in island wide and I hope you will take advantage of it.
John Andoh is the Interim Mass Transit Administrator for the County of Hawaii Mass Transit Agency.
