A proposed Pāhoa Transit Hub is gaining traction in its planning phase, with a preferred location confirmed by Hawaiʻi County's Mass Transit Agency.
The project is a part of a 2018 master plan adopted by Hawaiʻi County that outlined the idea to have a transportation hub in each district of the county, where riders could easily transfer from various routes.
At the state Transit-Oriented Development Program meeting, the county’s MTA confirmed that the preferred location for the hub is a privately owned plot of land directly north of the Puna Kai shopping center, off of Pāhoa Village Road and Kahakai Boulevard.
Austen Drake is the deputy manager at SSFM International, which is leading the design management team for the project. He said the location would act as a “gateway” into Pāhoa town.
“We wanted to provide riders with comfort and safety, and help support community, village, and gathering spaces,” Drake said. “So this has long been in the planning stage and it’s good to see it starting to move forward.”
Drake added that the MTA has been working with the state’s public library system — which is set to open a new public library in Pāhoa as well — to discuss the possibility of co-locating the two buildings.
The team is waiting for the Federal Transit Administration to approve an environmental assessment before the plan can move forward into the next phase, which would start with the land acquisition.
But some state lawmakers are concerned about the preferred location’s impact on the current business and livelihood of Pāhoa.
“I think some of the concerns from the community is going to be this new commercial area where not only the library, but now the TOD, is going to be placed, puts more emphasis on that side of Pāhoa,” said Rep. Greggor Ilagan.
“Businesses are closing there, and (this is) going to impact the main street area. I support this project, but I just want to state that we need to figure out a way to ensure that this new commercial area also has the spirit of Pāhoa.”
Other lawmakers, including Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, are worried about the land being privately owned. She questioned the team about their confidence in acquiring the land, stating that previous plans for this project looked solely at government lands, not those under private ownership.
Drake stated that the county is not allowed to formally negotiate with the owners until the environmental assessment process is completed, but he added that the owners have “been on board” with this project.
