Mayor Billy Kenoi is keeping his commitment to expand our fare-free, island-wide Transit Network, embarking on the most ambitious plan in County history to extend rural routes, add more buses to the network and improve convenience and access between communities across the island.

Senators Akaka and Mrs and Senator Dan K. Inouye stand with Mayor Kenoi to welcome eleven new additions to the Hele-ON Transit Network bus fleet for route expansions implemented in 2010.

Transit Network expansion is a top priority for Hele-ON's Tom Brown.

Expanding Access Between Communities

Keeping our bus service fare-free and expanding routes across the island provides relief for our residents from rising fuel and transportation costs and improves access to services and activities.  It helps keep our kids busy with constructive after-school activities, and helps our seniors with access to medical care, senior activities and nutrition programs. Increasing transit ridership eases traffic congestion dramatically, conserves fuel consumption and provides a safe transportation alternative for the hard-working people who commute long distances across the island.

Record-Breaking Ridership

Under Mayor Kenoi’s leadership, the expansion of our Transit Network has evolved dramatically. Since 2008 the Hele-ON Transit Network broke all previous ridership records, providing more than 1 million passenger trips in a single 12 month period when ridership rose by 28 percent.  Ridership rose again in 2009/10, topping 1 million passenger trips with another 18 percent increase.

Transit Network Expansion

Eleven new additions and more on the way!

To serve the growing demand for island-wide transit routes, Mayor Kenoi’s administration has added 11 new buses to the County fleet. Existing transit routes were expanded by 15 percent since February of  2009. Then in the Spring of 2010, we once again extended the reach of our transportation system by adding new routes into rural communities. This critical step improves the convenience of the system by delivering on-time, reliable service to outlying communities such as Leilani Estates in Puna and Hawaiian Ocean View Estates in Ka’u. Continuing to expand access into outlying communities enables more of our residents to save on family transportation and fuel costs.

“We are grateful for the assistance of U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye and Hawaii’s Congressional Delegation for their work in helping to obtain federal funds to finance this unprecedented expansion of our County Transit Network.”

- Mayor Billy Kenoi

Federal Support Helps Our Local Economy

As communities embrace the new and improved bus service, Mayor Kenoi continues to press for increased federal support for our Transit Network. The success and growth of the system to date make a compelling case for future investment in this critical community infrastructure.

West Hawai’i spoke up loudly and clearly about the frustrations of traffic jams and congested streets. We responded by opening the Mamalahoa Bypass to ease commuter traffic, and opened a new mauka-makai connector to provide better access between kealakehe and Laiopua.

Today construction is well underway on the $35b million first phase of the Ane Keohokalole Highway. Thanks to the assistance of U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and the Hawai’i Congressional delegation, this project will improve the quality of life in West Hawai’i by opening new lands for affordable housing and for Hawaiian homesteading.

We dramatically expanded bus service island-wide, and we kept it free for everyone. We continue to expand routes and add buses, and will soon have the state’s first double-Decker bus.

• Our Mass Transit system served  a record 1.1 million passengers in Fiscal Year 2009-2010. The county Mass Transit system also topped 1 million riders in fiscal year 2008-2009, growing 28 percent in a single year. The growth was credited in large part to an expansion of the system that included new routes and more frequent service.
• Accepted $9 million in federal grants to purchase an array of new buses and build new mass transit administrative and maintenance facilities.
• Established Park & Ride facilities at Maku’u Market in Puna, Cooper Center in Volcano and Hawaiian Ocean View Estates in Ka’u.
• Began building the $35 million Ane Keohokalole Highway in Kona. The project will also improve Palani Road from Queen Ka’ahumanu up to and including the Henry Street intersection.
• Opened the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass 12 hours a day, seven days a week, to ease traffic congestion in Mauka Kona.
• Repaved four miles of the West Hawai’i portion of Saddle Road, a project that complemented the ongoing federal effort to reconstruct and realign the Saddle Road.
• Widened shoulders and resurfaced 23 miles of County roads, paved a mile-and-a-half of roads-in-limbo, and striped and restored faded markings on 186 miles.