The announcement was not a surprise, but it was unpleasant news all the same: The governor decided to push virtually all major new highway improvements to the state’s budgetary back burner.

He said he had no choice: Deferred maintenance has taken its toll, and the state must constrain its limited funds to catching up on its backlog of repairs.

Gov. David Ige’s decision followed strong signals from the state Department of Transportation that it did not have the money to undertake several highway capacity-boosting projects.

This is a distressing development for thousands of Hawaii commuters, who have been sending signals back to their government in reply: We need help, and soon.

In one opinion poll after another, the frustration from traffic congestion ranks No. 1 or near the top of residents’ complaints.

That used to be an urban Honolulu phenomenon, but as development has boosted population on the neighbor islands, the rush-hour jams have become a daily occurrence there, as well.

So as commuters on Oahu continue to struggle to make the trips from and to the west side, drivers in Pahoa on Hawaii island await the widening of Highway 130 from two to four lanes.

The price tag for that amounts to $160 million; acquiring a larger right-of-way and building on it is expensive business, and such projects can bust the DOT budget in any given year.

There are solutions on two tracks here, and both of them need swift pursuit.

Restating a mandate for the longer term: The Transportation Department must do a better job deploying available federal funds for capital improvements and repairs.

Failure to make optimal use of this resource prolonged the time now required to erase the backlog. That now compels the state to take this step, given the poor conditions of existing highways.

In a state where a relatively small taxpayer base must pay high costs of land and materials for construction, better financial management is crucial.

Ige vowed to ask legislators again next session to increase the state’s gasoline and weight taxes and the vehicle registration fee; a similar request failed last session.

But even if he succeeds in that uphill battle, the revenue yield won’t eliminate the problem. The typical motorist would pay about $83 more a year, which would increase annual funding for highways projects from $300 million to $370 million — not nearly enough for costly capacity- building projects.

For the more immediate term, the administration owes these taxpayers alternative strategies for reducing traffic congestion.

The DOT made a start in the right direction in June, announcing an expansion of hours for its high-occupancy vehicle and Zipper lanes.

Other lower-cost proposals have included the Farrington Highway westbound contraflow in Nanakuli, where a tow truck is stationed to clear stalled vehicles, and better monitoring through traffic cameras.

Ige has pledged to explore new opportunities for contraflow lanes in the interim years; he must be held to that promise.

The state also should look for ways to boost participation in carpooling and HOV use, on Oahu and throughout the state.

Such initiatives should be pursued, leveraging public funds through private partnerships.

It’s also time for policies that would encourage staggered work hours and telecommuting, for public employees and those in the private sector.

The state is setting aside a number of important improvements that taxpayers have a right to expect.

Oahu must wait for the eastbound H-1 widening from Waiawa to Halawa and the Kahekili Highway widening project.

On other islands, the bypass projects in Lahaina, Paia, Kapaa and Kawaihae are on hold.

Providing and maintaining transportation systems is a bedrock responsibility of state government.

It’s time for state leaders to find ways of fulfilling that duty — looking “outside the box” if the money isn’t close at hand.