A local advocacy group is calling on the state Department of Transportation to spend more of its budget building out alternatives to cars.

Hawaiʻi Appleseed released a report late last year that examines how HDOT spent its dollars between fiscal years 2019-2024. Its analysis determined that the agency spent almost two-thirds of its budget for capital improvement on projects that “increase vehicle transportation.”

That’s compared to less than 2 percent of its capital improvement budget on projects that provide alternatives, like bike lanes and pedestrian walkways.

Abbey Seitz, one of the authors of the report, said this pattern of spending leads to a system that is over-dependent on cars, which leads to more traffic, higher emissions, and fewer options for people who don’t drive.

Moving forward, Appleseed is calling on HDOT to adjust its budget to invest more in transportation alternatives.