State Transit-Oriented Development Program
WHAT’S NEW!
City Advances Strategic Housing Plan and TOD Housing
Director-Designate Kevin Auger of the City and County of Honolulu Department of Housing and Land Management (DHLM) presented the City’s 2025–2028 Strategic Housing Plan and discussed organizational changes made to strengthen housing delivery and enhance the City’s ability to leverage public lands for housing. Under the Governor’s Emergency Proclamation on Housing, the City issued requests for qualifications for ten properties, identifying potential 
development partners and queuing up about 2,579 units in the housing pipeline. The City has reactivated its Private Activity Bond program to fund housing and DHLM is working on diversifying financing tools as well as collaborating with the UH Economic Research Organization on a comprehensive housing database. The City believes the repeal of the sunset date in Act 45, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024, is necessary to enable the counties to assemble land and scale-up TOD projects.
The City is focused on transit-oriented development along the Skyline Corridor to deliver housing, in particular at the Kūwili Station redevelopment area, where the State and City control more than 70% of the land. Early modeling suggests this area could support 2,500–3,000 new homes, though major infrastructure challenges remain. A multi-agency effort contributed to the City securing $2 million from the US Federal Transit Administration TOD Pilot Program and additional funding from OPSD, DPP, and the US Environmental Protection Agency for redevelopment master planning. A consultant team has been selected to begin master planning, flood mitigation work, and multimodal access improvements, including exploring rail-connected pathways and a mobility hub near Kūwili Station.
Presentation slides may be viewed at: https://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/op/lud/01TODCMTG/20251121/05-112125DHLM-TODCouncilMeeting.pdf
The presentation may be viewed starting at 50 minutes into the meeting: https://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/op/lud/01TODCMTG/20251121/GMT20251121-193619_Recording_gallery_3014x1828.mp4
Read the City’s 2025–2028 Strategic Housing Plan
Measuring the Impact of TOD on Oʻahu: What a Scorecard Can Tell Us
Jonathan “JV” Vuylsteke, UH Mānoa Urban and Regional Planning graduate student, presented research findings on a scorecard framework to evaluate Honolulu’s progress toward transit-oriented development (TOD). Improved access to transit leads to increased ridership and investment decisions influence development patterns and travel behavior.
With TOD efforts maturing on Oʻahu, a consistent way to measure progress is needed. His work focused on a 12 essential indicators scorecard that assesses transit quality, multimodal access, land use mix, parking, affordability, and economic activity. Using the Waipahu Transit Center as a case study, the scorecard revealed strong transit service in area with limited redevelopment activity and persistent auto-oriented land use pattern. The presentation emphasized the need for expanded data partnerships, including parking inventories and GIS-based datasets, to support full implementation and stressed the importance of a consistent measurement framework to guide investment. It was noted that performance metrics like the scorecard provide cler, data-driven indicators that could be used to strengthen federal grant applications by demonstrating need and readiness. Continued collaboration among State and City agencies on TOD performance metrics is encouraged.
Presentation slides may be viewed at: https://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/op/lud/01TODCMTG/20251121/06-JVCapstonePresentation.pdf
The presentation may be viewed starting at 21 minutes and 15 seconds into the meeting: https://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/op/lud/01TODCMTG/20251121/GMT20251121-193619_Recording_gallery_3014x1828.mp4
Hawaiʻi Interagency Council for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD Council)
On June 29, 2016, Governor David Ige signed into law Act 130, SLH 2016 (SB 3077) which designates the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD) as the lead State agency to coordinate and advance smart growth and TOD planning in the State. Act 130 also established the Hawaiʻi Interagency Council for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD Council).
The purpose of the TOD Council is to coordinate and facilitate State agency TOD planning, and to facilitate consultation and collaboration between the State and the counties on smart growth and TOD initiatives. Links to Act 130, SLH 2016 and a summary of its provisions are available below.
With representation from State and county governments and the community, the TOD Council serves as the State’s forum for TOD planning and policy development. The Council is co-chaired by the directors of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and the Hawaiʻi Housing and Finance Development Corporation (HHFDC). The TOD Council’s primary responsibilities are to:
- Develop and implement a State strategic plan for TOD, including mixed-use and affordable and rental housing projects;
- Facilitate funding for TOD programs and projects;
- Monitor TOD implementation and recommend needed policy and statutory changes; and
- Review Capital Improvement Project requests for TOD on State lands.
For information regarding TOD Council meetings, please click here or on the link in the sidebar to the right.
Click here to view Act 130, SLH 2016
Click here to view a summary of Act 130, SLH 2016
Other TOD-Related Legislation Enacted in 2016
Act 131 (HB 2293)
Allows HHFDC to develop mixed-use developments in partnership with State and county departments and agencies.
Click here to view Act 131, SLH 2016
Act 132 (HB 2305)
Authorizes the creation of Regional State Infrastructure Improvement Subaccounts within the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund and the use of the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund to provide loans and grants to finance regional state infrastructure improvements in areas of planned growth. Also allows repayment from assessments or fees which capture property value increases (IDs or TIF).
Click here to view Act 132, SLH 2016
Act 127 (SB 2561)
Establishes a goal of developing or vesting the development of at least 22,500 affordable rental housing units statewide ready for occupancy between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2026. Also establishes a temporary special action team on rental housing to make recommendations to the Governor, Legislature, and other parties to achieve the goal.
Click here to view Act 127, SLH 2016
Background
The State of Hawaiʻi is the largest landowner along Honolulu’s 20-mile rail transit corridor, owning about 2,000 acres of land within a half-mile radius of the 21 stations. As construction of the Honolulu rail transit system progresses, the State has a unique opportunity to enhance Oahu’s urban environment by applying smart growth and transit-oriented development (TOD) principles to revitalize neighborhoods, increase affordable housing, and improve accessibility to public facilities and services. On the Neighbor Islands, similar smart growth and TOD principles can be applied effectively in the provision of State facilities and services to encourage quality growth and vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods in urban or rural centers.
In 2012, OPSD and Smart Growth America convened a Project Stakeholders Group to develop a TOD implementation strategy for State agencies, entitled “Leveraging State Agency Involvement in Transit-Oriented Development to Strengthen Hawaii’s Economy.” This effort included three workshops and involved over 40 government and private and non-profit organizations.
In 2015, the State Transit-Oriented Development Task Force was formed, chaired by Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland. Monthly meetings were held to coordinate State agency projects and plans in the TOD areas surrounding the rail transit stations in Honolulu. A status report to the Governor and Legislature was prepared in December 2015.
Contact
If you have any questions about the State’s TOD efforts, please contact staff at OPSD – Land Use Division by email at [email protected] or by phone at (808) 587-2805.
TOD
Stay updated on the City and County's current activities and planning efforts for TOD around each rail station. Click here for more information.