HEAL Coalition Makes Progress on Active Transportation Initiatives During the 2026

In fall 2025, the statewide Healthy Eating + Active Living (HEAL) Coalition identified free mass transit for keiki as a top priority for the 2026 legislative session. The goal is to ensure young people can access schools, after-school programs, work, vital services, and recreational activities without transportation costs standing in the way. The coalition believed that transit should function as a basic support for students and families, not a financial barrier, and that a universal, efficient, and inclusive program would benefit everyone. 

Research from other states’ youth transit programs confirms this. Free youth transit has been shown to increase school attendance and educational opportunities, ¹reduce the stigma and administrative burden tied to income-based eligibility, and ensure students from working families just above qualifying thresholds aren’t left out. Beyond students and families, free transit for keiki can also reduce traffic crashes, air pollution, and associated respiratory illness, while increasing physical activity.²  

The coalition worked to define what an ideal “Keiki Ride Free” program (HB1879) would look like: free transit for all keiki under eighteen, regardless of income, school type, or location, with a caregiver also riding free for children under twelve. Although youth already ride free in Hawaiʻi and Maui Counties, this program would expand the benefit statewide. 

The concept resonated beyond the HEAL Coalition, drawing support from Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice and the Hawaiʻi Youth Transportation Council, who authored similar bills. One such related bill (H2451/SB2904) was introduced to extend free mass transit to all residents, regardless of age, similar to the program currently running in Hawaiʻi County. More than 40% of residents over age 10 have limited access to a personal vehicle,³ and a universal program would support both those residents and the state’s broader climate and zero-emissions goals. 

Throughout the legislative session, a variety of free transit bills moved through committee hearings with support from community members and legislators. However, the scope was narrowed, and the Keiki Ride Free bill was amended to apply only to youth receiving free or reduced school lunches. While still a step forward, the HEAL Coalition and partners continued to advocate for expanding the program to include all young people statewide. Ultimately, none of the bills advanced to become law this session. 

Even so, the campaign made real progress. Conversations at every level of the process showed growing recognition that reducing or eliminating transit costs is essential for helping families move through their communities without the added burden of transportation costs. That momentum is carrying forward, and the HEAL Coalition and Hawaiʻi Appleseed will begin meeting with community members and organizations in the coming months to develop a strategy for the 2027 legislative session. 

If you are interested in joining the Keiki Ride Free advocacy effort, please contact Patti Hatzistavrakis at patti@hiphi.org to learn more. 

¹ U.S. Department of Education & U.S. Department of Transportation, Fact Sheet: Bolstering Daily School Attendance Through Safe, Accessible, Reliable Transportation. (2024). https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/2024-09/Fact-Sheet-Bolstering-Daily-School-Attendance-Through-Transportation.pdf 

² CDC. (2026, January 14). Improving Health Through Transportation Policy. https://www.cdc.gov/transportation/php/about/index.html

³ NRDC. (2025, December). Car Access Fact Sheet for Hawaii. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kmDzOGYSkbEbwEHBSCkJha8C7iKrwwQ7/view?usp=share_link