HONOLULU – The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) today announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has approved HART’s 2022 Recovery Plan. The Recovery Plan was required by the FTA to document HART’s plans for the completion of the rail project within the amount of funding that is forecast to be available. With the approval of the Recovery Plan, HART is now eligible to receive the remaining $744 million in federal funding under the Full Funding Grant Agreement. This is first infusion of federal funds from the Full Funding Grant Agreement to the project since 2017.
“Since HART submitted the recovery plan in June, we have been working hand-in- hand with the FTA, meeting weekly, to keep the process moving toward recovery plan approval,” said HART Executive Director and CEO Lori Kahikina, P.E. “We are so thankful for the support and communication from the FTA to accept the recovery plan as is and amend the Full Funding Grant Agreement, which is unprecedented, so that we may see the project through to completion. It is a strong show of confidence in the work of this administration and in the cooperation and partnership with our many stakeholders including Mayor Blangiardi, the HART Board, Department of Transportation Services and the Honolulu City Council.”
HART will receive $125 million when the Full Funding Grant Agreement is amended, $250 million when HART awards the City Center Guideway and Stations (CCGS) contract, projected for fiscal year 2024.
HART’s 2022 Recovery Plan was submitted to the FTA in June, one month ahead of schedule, and proposes a truncated project scope with an interim terminus at the Civic Center Station, located at the intersection of Halekauwila Street and South Street, and a temporary deferral of the Pearl Highlands Parking Garage. The FTA is currently conducting an environmental reevaluation of the truncated scope.
HART remains committed to completing the full scope of the project to the Ala Moana Transit Center in a subsequent phase of the project.
> News Release PDF
> FTA Letter to HART on June 2022 Recovery Plan PDF
> 2022 Recovery Plan