U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg went on a whirlwind tour of Oʻahu on Thursday to experience firsthand the impact of federal infrastructure funding. He said he was struck by Hawaiʻi's unique needs and opportunities.
Buttigieg started the day on the Honolulu rail with local and federal officials. The $10 billion transit system is shiny and new, but daily ridership has been around 3,000 since opening in July 2023.
"I saw a very impressive, very modern new system. I also know there's been a lot of frustration and impatience getting that up and running, so I was encouraged to see that now it very much is," Buttigieg said.
The Federal Transit Administration, which falls under Buttigieg's department, facilitates federal funding for the rail. It currently runs from Kapolei to Aloha Stadium and does not yet reach major hubs, such as the Honolulu airport.
"Of course, much of the value of that system will come from the stations that are going to be added in the future. So we're pleased to be able to fund that work, and we want to work closely with Hawaiʻi to make sure that those get delivered," he added. "Good transit benefits everybody. Even if you don't use it, you benefit because the roads that you do use are less congested."
Buttigieg also got a tour of Honolulu Harbor, the state's lifeline for goods and supplies.
It included a blessing at the Kapalama Container Terminal, which is slated to open in 2025. The roughly $555 million project is a cornerstone of the harbor modernization plan. The redone storage facility hopes to reduce congestion.
"People in Hawaiʻi count on so many goods being shipped in through the port, so I was glad we had a chance to see the harbor," he said.
The daylong tour ended with a look at the runway fixes at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. State Transportation Director Ed Sniffen briefed HPR about the work that has begun to repave the shoulder of the runways and replace the aging lights.
Those runways were repaved last year in a massive project that stalled other highway projects to ensure there was enough asphalt available on island to complete the job.
"Of course, aviation is so important to a state located where Hawaiʻi is. So seeing directly the visions for improving this facility and where those federal dollars that we're bringing through the Biden Infrastructure Plan, seeing where those dollars are gonna go was really great, too," Buttigieg said.
He told HPR that he was impressed by the strong level of collaboration between different units of government from the counties to the state to the federal agencies.
"You can't take that for granted. It certainly doesn't exist everywhere that I go," he added.
He also visited Lahaina on Wednesday with local officials and members of Hawaiʻi's congressional delegation.
"I had the opportunity to see the devastation that those wildfires wreaked on the community, but also the resilience of the community, and why it's so important for us to be supporting them as an administration," Buttigieg said.
He returned to the mainland Thursday night. He said his only prior visit was a vacation to Kona.
While the trip was a rare chance for local officials to show off what federal dollars are paying for, the trip also provided Buttigieg a look at the vulnerabilities of the island state and the need to modernize our lifelines.
"We're trying to either create alternatives or make sure that what you do have here can be more resilient, whether it's an airport, a road or a port," Buttigieg said.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Feb. 23, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. Sophia McCullough adapted this story for the web.
