Moving together: The case for sustainable transportation in Hawaiʻi
At Hawaiʻi Appleseed, our work has long focused on the systems that shape economic security for Hawaiʻi’s families: housing, food, tax, wages, and transportation. As we’ve deepened our work on transportation equity, we’ve found it increasingly difficult to address without also addressing climate. The two are connected in ways that matter deeply for the communities we serve, and we’re beginning to explore what that means for our advocacy.
We are already experiencing the effects of climate change. Rising sea levels are threatening coastal infrastructure. More intense storms are disrupting the roads and transit networks that communities depend on. The Kona Low storms and hurricanes that have impacted the state so far this year have already caused billions of dollars in damage and even cost several lives. Extreme heat is making outdoor commutes, such as walking and biking, uncomfortable and dangerous, especially for keiki and kūpuna.
The communities most exposed to these climate impacts are often the same communities already navigating the greatest transportation challenges: low-income families, people with disabilities, and residents in areas underserved by transit. The overlap isn’t coincidental. The same disinvestment that leaves communities without reliable transportation options also leaves them most exposed when climate disruptions hit.
That intersection between climate vulnerability and transportation insecurity is where we want our work to grow.
Hawaiʻi’s transportation challenges are not the result of individual choices. They are the result of decades of underinvestment in alternatives. As our “Rethinking Roads” report found, between fiscal years 2019 and 2024, 66 percent of the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation’s $5.68 billion budget went toward projects that expand vehicle capacity—road widening, new lanes—while only 1.5 percent was directed toward reducing vehicle travel through alternative transportation.
When transit is infrequent, when bike infrastructure is incomplete, and when walking routes are unsafe, the system isn’t working for people. And when people can’t rely on alternatives, traffic grows, emissions rise, and the neighborhoods already bearing the greatest environmental burden absorb even more.
What Sustainable Transportation Actually Looks Like
One of the most direct ways transportation shapes our climate is through vehicle miles traveled, or VMT, which looks at the total distance driven by all vehicles on the road. In Hawaiʻi and across the country, transportation is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and the majority of those emissions come from ground transportation and personal vehicles.
Reducing VMT is one of the most effective tools we have for cutting emissions. The way to do that isn’t to tell people to drive less, it’s to build a system where walking, biking, taking transit, and carpooling are viable options for more people.
Every trip taken by bus instead of a solo car ride reduces emissions. Every safe bike lane that enables someone to commute without a vehicle reduces emissions. Every carpool that replaces two or three separate car trips reduces emissions. These aren’t marginal gains. At scale, they are transformational. And in Hawaiʻi, where our islands are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, the urgency is real.
This is where transportation equity and climate action converge. Investing in sustainable transportation options isn’t just good environmental policy, it’s good economic policy. It reduces household transportation costs, eases traffic, improves air quality, and gives more people genuine access to opportunity.
Buses, bikes, walking, and carpooling reduce emissions, but only when they’re truly accessible. This is why Hawaiʻi Appleseed advocates for transportation improvements that advance both sustainability and equity. This means:
Safe streets for everyone. Pedestrian safety improvements, such as curb extensions, better intersections, and improved lighting not only make streets safer for walking and biking, but also support healthier, more connected communities.
Better bus and transit access. Expanding routes, increasing frequency, offering free/discounted fares, and improving the overall reliability of transit gives residents a genuine alternative and reduces the emissions that come with every car trip that transit could have replaced.
First/last-mile connections to rail. Skyline has real potential to shift how people move across Oʻahu, but only if people can actually reach it. Shuttle services, improved bus connections, and safe walking routes to stations would expand who can benefit from the system.
Carpooling and community ride-sharing. Formal and informal networks, such as neighbors helping neighbors get to work and appointments, can reduce both transportation insecurity and single-occupancy vehicle trips at the same time.
Climate justice is the principle that both the burdens of climate change and the benefits of climate action should be shared fairly. It recognizes that the communities that have contributed least to the climate crisis often suffer its consequences most, and that any meaningful response must center those communities rather than leave them behind.
When we push for transit improvements and safer streets, we are fighting for clean air and economic mobility at the same time. When we advocate for walkable neighborhoods, we are reducing emissions and giving people the freedom to move through their own communities. When we make sustainable commuting more accessible, we make life more affordable and make our islands more resilient.
