Hawaii Transportation Alternatives Program Profile 

State DOT Program Staff

State DOT TA Coordinator
Dean Matsui 
Hawaii Dept. of Transportation 
Highways Division 
869 Punchbowl St 
Room 301 
Honolulu, HI 96813 
Tel: 808-587-6392
Email: dean.m.matsui@hawaii.gov

FHWA Division TA Coordinator
Amy Ford-Wagner
FHWA – HI Division
300 Ala Moana Blvd Room 3306
Honolulu, HI 96850
Tel: 808-541-2325
Email: amy.ford-wagner@dot.gov

State DOT Website: https://hidot.hawaii.gov/

TA Program Structure, Policies, and Procedures

• Application timeline: Applications are accepted throughout the year, but an annual call for applications is published in January with a specific deadline for applications. Please see website for more information.
• TA program structure: The Hawaii State Department of Transportation manages to the TA program, which provides federal funds for community-based projects that expand travel choices and enhance the transportation experience in Hawaii. Areas with populations greater than 200,000 are allocated a percentage of the annual TA Program budget. In Hawaii, Oahu is the only island eligible for these funds. The Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OMPO) administers and awards this specific suballocation through a competitive process separate from the HDOT TA Program. Due to a backlog of projects, OMPO will not be requesting new applications in FFY 2025.
• Application tips: Interested applicants must submit a Notification of Interest to the TA Program Coordinator prior to submitting an application. HDOT TA does not fund scenic beautification as a stand-alone project, routine maintenance and operations or archaeological planning and research. 
• Who is eligible to apply: Local government, Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, school districts, local education agencies or schools, non-profit partners, and HDOT, at the request of another eligible agency.
• Application components: Project sponsor, project identification, budget, matching funds, eligibility, project description and scope, existing conditions, purpose and benefits, project readiness, schedule and status, permits, ROW, environmental impact and resource protection, public support
• Selection criteria: Promotes safety, project delivery and readiness, transportation equity, network connectivity, public and community support, enhances community mobility.
• Is there an advisory committee?: Yes
• Project award minimum: None
• Project award maximum: None
• Match requirements: 20%. There are other options for the non-federal share:   
  • The Hawaii Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds may be used for the local match (up to 20% of project cost), subject to HDOT approval.   
  • Federal sources of matching funds outside of the highway programs are limited, but include U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Community Block Grants, 42 U.S.C. 5305(a)(9); and federal youth service programs, such as AmeriCorps, 42 U.S.C. 12571.   
  • In-kind match: A third party donates services, equipment, material, and goods that are required for a project.  The valuation of the donation is included in the TA Program application budget and must be approved by FHWA prior to the release of federal funds.  There are accounting and reporting requirements during project implementation. 

More information on Hawaii’s Transportation Alternatives program can be found here.