Committee amends plan to expand seating and shelter at Ma'alaea Harbor Village transit stop, sets $2M placeholder

Members debated whether to direct the county to undertake a study for a new Kihei transit hub or to expand the existing facilities at Ma'alaea Harbor Village. After discussion of parking, ferry connectivity and shelter capacity, the committee amended Action 1.02 to "develop additional seating and shelter at the Ma'alaea Harbor Village transit hub transfer station to reduce congestion and encourage public transit ridership," and set an estimated CIP placeholder of $2,000,000.

Director of Transportation Mark Takamori told the committee MDOT had not started work on a new hub. "We have not started on it," he said, prompting members to favor expanding the existing stop rather than initiating an entirely new center. The amendment was moved on the floor by Councilmember Gabe Johnson and seconded by Councilmember Sugimura. Chair Paulton called the vote; staff recorded the motion as passing with nine ayes and zero noes.

The committee also asked staff to standardize the department acronym to "MDOT" in the plan text and to note that funding could include county, state and federal sources or grants. Why it matters: the change preserves a transfer node for inter‑island and inter‑district transit while moving a capital placeholder into the county CIP list so future budgeting and grant applications can reference a concrete project.