A new report from the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice estimates that making bus transit free for all riders statewide would cost roughly $62.4 million a year and recommends using existing transportation-related revenues to fund the program.
The report calls for the Legislature to establish a permanent, universal fare-free bus system covering all four counties. It estimates that eliminating fares would cost about $59.2 million annually on Oʻahu, $1.5 million on Kauaʻi and $1.6 million on Maui. Hawaiʻi County would have no additional cost because its Hele-On bus system is already fare-free.
Malia Boksanski, the report’s author, said the long-term goal is to eliminate fares for everyone rather than limit free service to specific groups.
“Fare-free transit for everyone is our long-term goal, and the strongest argument for it is equity and simplicity,” Boksanski said.
She said targeted programs can require riders to prove they qualify through applications, identification cards or income checks, creating barriers for people who may be struggling but fall just outside eligibility requirements.
“When the bus is free for everyone, those barriers disappear,” Boksanski said. “Anyone can get on, and riding the bus becomes the easy choice for everyone, not just those who already depend on it.”