Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transit Pass Subsidy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate committee advances bill to subsidize state employee transit passes after AMPOL study presents ~$16.7M annual cost for full coverage
Summary
SB 2993 would fund fully subsidized transit passes for state employees; AMPOL presented a 2023 estimate of about $16.7 million per year for all state employees and about $8.3 million for 50% participation, and described badge-integration and implementation considerations. Committee advanced the bill with instructions to include the study in the report.
The Senate committees advanced SB 29 93 on Feb. 11 after testimony from the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (AMPOL), which presented survey results and a 2023-based cost estimate for subsidizing transit passes for state employees.
Kiana Otsuka, AMPOL senior transportation planner and project manager for the referenced study, told senators the cost depends on participation and negotiated monthly rates. "So at a 100% cost, 1 year would be 16 almost $17,000,000 for all 46,000 plus, state employees," Otsuka said, calling the figure a 2023 number and noting that the estimate also incorporated costs to upgrade or issue state badges if the city and county of Honolulu’s preference for badge-based tap‑on integration is used. She said a 50% participation scenario would be roughly $8.3 million per year.
DHRD representatives and other state officials described operational constraints: DHRD has a pretax transit benefit program but lacks the funds and staffing to purchase passes and retrofit badges statewide. Otsuka said the city’s preference is to embed transit credentials on employees’ state badges so that only authorized employees can tap on; that approach may require coordination and resources to ensure badge‑system compatibility across different agencies.
The chair recommended passing SB 29 93 with amendments and instructed that the committee report include AMPOL’s 2024 focus‑group findings (54% of surveyed state employees reported they would ride transit if passes were fully subsidized) and the AMPOL cost figures; the committee adopted the recommendation.
Fiscal note and next steps: The AMPOL figures were presented as 2023-based estimates and are participation-sensitive; the committee asked the bill’s report and fiscal analysis to reflect the study and operational considerations including badge integration, county coordination and program administration responsibility. The committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass with amendments (effective date change to Jan. 1, 2077) and directed staff to incorporate AMPOL and Department of Health remarks into the committee record.
