Editorial: Infrastructure buildup for Hawaii

The Biden administration’s $1 trillion infrastructure investment plan contains big chunks of money for Hawaii and puts the focus where it should — on farsighted improvements that can make the state cleaner, safer and more efficient.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) includes more than $1 billion to improve and repair Hawaii’s roads and bridges, public transportation systems, electric vehicle use and broadband internet access — some of the basic things that connect us. While the details aren’t finalized, chances are good the IIJA will clear Congress.

Among the projected funding for Hawaii:

>> Roads and bridges: Hawaii has 1,153 bridges, and 84 of them (7.3%) are structurally deficient, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. The IIJA would give Hawaii $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs over five years, as well as $1.2 billion for highways.

>> Public transportation: The IIJA projects Hawaii could receive public transportation funding of $316 million over five years — a drop in the bucket for Honolulu’s $12 billion rail project, but useful for other things, like improving bus systems.

>> Electric vehicles: More significantly, Hawaii could receive $18 million over five years to expand an EV charging network across the state. It would be a good start. The biggest hurdle for widespread adoption of EVs remains the lack of convenient places to power up. That needs to change, because the future appears to belong to EVs: By 2030, President Joe Biden wants half of the new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric, and automakers like General Motors plan to expand greatly their EV offerings. Hawaii should be ready.

>> Broadband internet: The social distancing and other isolating restrictions caused by the pandemic have demonstrated our growing dependency on high-speed internet access, especially for remote working and learning. It’s fast becoming a basic need. Recognizing this, the IIJA would give Hawaii a minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state. And the Legislature this year approved a broadband infrastructure grant program, with up to $10 million in state, federal and private funding, to provide “last-mile” broadband connecting unserved or underserved areas.

Of course, it’s not just about the money. Public policymakers and the private sector need to work together to ensure that these infrastructure projects come in on time, on budget, and are built to last.