Purchase new vans for the county of hawaii mass transit agency (HMTA) and ADP hardware and software and security equipment for county of maui department of transportation (MDOT) transit agencies…

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $3.34 million under the Buses and Bus Facilities Formula Grant Program (CFDA 20.526) to the Hawaii Department of Transportation on September 3, 2025, with completion targeted for April 28, 2028. Through sub-awards to two rural county transit agencies, the grant funds the purchase of capital equipment and fleet modernization: the County of Hawaii Mass Transit Agency (HMTA) will procure new vans to replace aging paratransit vehicles and expand service capacity to rural communities on the Island of Hawaii, while the County of Maui Department of Transportation (MDOT) will upgrade computer-aided dispatch/automatic vehicle location (CAD/AVL) hardware and software systems and replace outdated multi-camera video surveillance systems on fixed-route transit buses serving the Island of Maui.

These capital improvements will directly benefit riders across both islands by ensuring reliable transit service through modernized fleet assets and enhanced operational technology. The HMTA's van acquisitions will allow the agency to retire vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life while expanding paratransit capacity, whereas MDOT's technology upgrades will improve operational efficiency and passenger safety on fixed-route service. As a formula grant distributed through statutory allocation mechanisms, this award supports the FTA's ongoing commitment to modernizing public transit infrastructure in rural and small urban communities across Hawaii.

Purpose

The purpose of this award is to purchase new vans for the county of hawaii mass transit agency (HMTA) and ADP hardware and software and security equipment for county of maui department of transportation (MDOT) transit agencies serving rural and small urban communities.

Activities

Funds will cover capital expenses for the purchase of new vans (HMTA) and ADP hardware and software (MDOT).

Expected outcomes

The hmta will be able to replace aging vans that have met their useful life and expand their paratransit fleet with new vans to provide reliable service to the rural communities on the island of hawaii. The MDOT will update existing CAD/AVL hardware software and outdated multi-camera video surveillance system on buses in the fixed route fleet on the island of maui.

Intended beneficiaries

Riders on the islands of maui and hawaii in the state of hawaii.

Subrecipient activities

Hdot will subaward these funds to the two (2) rural counties of maui and hawaii. Maui also receives small urban funds.