This page provides an overview of the key studies that have served as the foundation of the various highway and transit improvements on Oahu since Hawaii became a state in 1959.

The Oahu Transportation Study

One of the earlier regional transportation plans was prepared in 1967 by the Oahu Transportation Planning Program. The plan was called the Oahu Transportation Study and used 1985 as its horizon year. It recommended many of the highway and transit improvements that have since been completed, including parts of Interstate H-1 and H-2 highways, and served as a guide for improvements to major roadways such as Likelike, Pali, Farrington, Kamehameha, and Kalanianaole.

Hali 2000

Prepared in 1984, Hali 2000 analyzed the travel needs for the year 2000 and provided an assessment of alternative future transportation system approaches to serve those needs. The study included transportation system management, highway system, at-grade or partially grade-separated light rail, and a fully grade-separated rapid transit alternatives, in addition to a baseline scenario consisting of committed projects. Costs and impacts on various system performance and environmental measures were estimated for each alternative.

Hali 2005

Hali 2005 identified transportation plans and policies to address Oahu’s travel needs through the year 2005. The plan included highway, public transportation, transportation system management, and bicycle elements. The document described socioeconomic and travel forecasts for the year 2005, presented various elements of the plan, and included a financial analysis.

2020 ORTP

The 2020 ORTP updated Hali 2005 and was the first iteration of the regional transportation plan developed after the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) was authorized by Congress in 1991. ISTEA established new transportation planning requirements for state and metropolitan jurisdictions, which included that the regional transportation plan have a time horizon of at least 20 years, contain a priority list of projects, be financially constrained, and include input from public officials and citizens. Among the 2020 ORTP list of projects were the construction of Interstate H-3, addition of lanes on Kahekili Highway, and other roadway improvements.

Transportation for Oahu Plan TOP 2025

The Transportation for Oahu Plan TOP 2025 was developed in 2000 and endorsed by the OahuMPO Policy Committee in April 2001. It used a 2025 planning horizon year. Like many cities across the United States, the projects necessary to meet the congestion and transit needs of Oahu far exceeded the funding available. While over $7 billion (in year 2000 dollars) in projects were proposed, only $3.6 billion (in year 2000 dollars) worth of projects were included in the plan to meet the Federal requirement for financial constraint. New to the transportation planning series was a list of illustrative projects that could be considered if projects in the Transportation for Oahu Plan TOP 2025 list became infeasible or if additional funds became available.

The Transportation for Oahu Plan TOP 2025 may be viewed or downloaded here. Please also view or download the accompanying errata sheet.

Oahu Regional Transportation Plan 2030

The Policy Committee of the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization approved Amendment #1 to the Oahu Regional Transportation Plan 2030 in May 2007. The Oahu Regional Transportation Plan 2030 was first approved in April 2006. The Plan was consistent with and met the requirements of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFTEA-LU), which was adopted by the United States Congress in 2005. This plan incorporated the City and County of Honolulu’s fixed guideway project between East Kapolei and Ala Moana Center. The fiscally-constrained plan called for approximately $15.3 billion (in 2005 dollars) worth of projects.

The Oahu Regional Transportation Plan 2030 may be viewed or downloaded here.

Copies of studies prior to the Transportation for Oahu Plan TOP 2025 are not available online. Printed copies of these reports are available from the OahuMPO upon request for the cost of printing and postage.

OAHU REGIONAL Transportation Plan 2035

The Policy Committee of the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OahuMPO) approved the Oahu Regional Transportation Plan (ORTP) 2035 in April 2011.

Find the full ORTP 2035 here.
You can find the list of projects included in the ORTP 2035 here.

Oahu Regional Transportation Plan 2040

The Policy Committee of the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OahuMPO) approved the Oahu Regional Transportation Plan (ORTP) 2040 on April 13, 2016. Find the full ORTP 2040 here.

You can find the list of projects included in the ORTP 2040 here.