Hokama Lauds Congress for Transportation Funding

Councilmember Riki Hokama. Photo credit: Maui Office of Council Services.

Maui County Councilmember Riki Hokama commended the US Senate and House today for passing a five-year authorization of surface transportation funding last night.

Hokama, the immediate past president of the National Association of Counties, has been a leading national advocate for passage of the FAST Act, or Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, since being elected to lead NACo last year.

During his time at the helm, he made long-term surface transportation funding a key element of his presidential platform.

“I want to thank the House and Senate leadership and all four members of our Hawaiʻi delegation for sending the FAST Act to the President,” Hokama said in a county press release. “This will ensure critical funding, about $116 billion, will be available for county-owned highways and bridges throughout the nation,” he said.

Hokama said the $305 billion FAST Act is the first long-term transportation funding bill passed by Congress in a decade. He said the legislation allows for improvements in transportation safety and electrical vehicle infrastructure.

Hokama referenced data compiled by the American Society of Civil Engineers, saying 27% of Hawaiʻi’s major roads are in poor condition, and 144 bridges in the state are structurally deficient. Hokama said the FAST Act will allow Hawaiʻi counties and the state government to address these infrastructure problems.

According to Hokama, the FAST Act will provide $1.1 billion in infrastructure funding and $261 million in transit funding in the State of Hawaiʻi through 2020.