Hele-On awarded funds for zero-emissions fleet, capital improvements

The Hawaii County Mass Transit Agency, in partnership with the state Department of Transportation, on Wednesday received from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration grant funds from the Buses and Bus Facilities and Low or No Emission grant program under President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

As part of the joint grant application with HDOT, Hawaii County, Maui County and Kauai County will receive a piece of the $23.1 million from the Low or No Emission grant program and $12 million from the Bus and Bus Facilities grant program.

This is Hawaii County’s third successful application. Funds were previously granted in FY 2018 and FY 2021 for purchasing electric buses and associated charging infrastructure.

As part of those grant awards, Hawaii County also is leading the procurement of electric buses and charging equipment in partnership with Maui and Kauai counties.

The county will procure six fuel cell electric buses and support hydrogen charging infrastructure through the Low or No Emissions grant program. For the Bus and Bus Facilities grant program, the county will be able to continue to implement capital elements of the Hawaii County Transit and Multi-Modal Transportation Master Plan, which includes improvements to bus stops and shelters, transit hub design, and zero emissions infrastructure as the County transitions to zero emissions technology.

“Our administration has committed to transitioning to a more sustainable, eco-friendly fleet across the board and has been aggressively seeking funding opportunities to make the transition as swift as possible,” Mayor Mitch Roth said in a statement. “Through these grants, we will not only be able to acquire more zero-emission buses but also upgrade our facilities to support them — paving the way for an islandwide transition down the road.”

For additional Hele-On information, call (808) 961-8744 or visit www.heleonbus.org.