Case announces $1.9 million federal grant to buy new buses in Pahoa, Big Island and Maui County

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Ed Case (2nd District, Hawaii) today announced that federal grants totaling nearly $1.9 million are being awarded to purchase new buses that will improve transportation services on Maui and in the Pahoa region of Hawaii Island.

“This grant will help Hawaii County to buy three new vehicles to serve the needs of individuals with disabilities in Pahoa where public demand for this service has been increasing because of the area’s explosive population growth and traffic congestion,” said Case. “The grant for Maui County meets an immediate need to purchase six new buses, which will help the county to save on transportation expenses.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation grant will go to the Hawaii Mass Transportation Agency (HMTA) to purchase the new vehicles and to buy spare parts for 23 vehicles that make 330,000 trips a year.

Maui County’s Department of Transportation will use the grant to purchase six 30-foot buses. The department currently contracts Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. and Roberts Tours and Transportation, Inc. to handle public transit needs which amount to 430,000 trips per year.