Feds Green Light Honolulu Rail Construction

[ellisonz]

By Michael Levine 02/06/2012
UPDATED 2/6/2012 5:15 p.m.

Honolulu on Monday got a key green light from the Federal Transit Administration and could start to spend $185 million of local tax dollars on heavy construction for the rail project within weeks.

Opponents said later in the day that they do not intend to ask a judge to stop construction. They say they've received a promise from the city that if their lawsuit against the project prevails, any work undertaken between now and then will be torn down.

The Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) received from the FTA allows Honolulu to spend $184.7 million to start building the foundations and pillars along the first segment of the route. The letter permits the city to spend its own money before the $1.55 billion it hopes to receive from the federal government is approved. The letter was announced in a joint press release from Hawaii's congressional delegation.

"This is great news for the rail project and for the community, and I would like to thank Senator (Daniel) Inouye and our congressional delegation for their strong support. I also appreciate the FTA's willingness in working collaboratively with us to keep this project moving forward," Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Interim Executive Director and CEO Toru Hamayasu said in the release. HART put out its own press release Monday afternoon.

More: http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2012/02/06/14801-feds-green-light-to-heat-up-honolulu-rail-fight/

[SoapBox]

1. Amazing.

"Opponents said later in the day that they do not intend to ask a judge to stop construction. They say they've received a promise from the city that if their lawsuit against the project prevails, any work undertaken between now and then will be torn down."

Tear it down? The hell you say.

Leave it as a monument to the idiots that want pure gridlock (as though the traffic around HNL is any easy gem).

Tear it down...such bull.

[ellisonz]

2. I've got some issues with the route...

...but I don't think there's any stopping it. The city is kinda taking a shot in the dark and we'll have to wait and see if it actually reduces gridlock.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. You are not the only one

But it appears it is going through as currently planned.

I don't see it helping traffic very much

[ellisonz]

4. Mufi kinda forced it through...

I think if there was a spur to UH it would make more sense, but absent that it kinda just meanders between two places no one goes in between Ala Moana and Kapolei.

I think they would have been better off spending all this time fixing the roads to create more efficient routes into and out of the urban core. I think of a number of places where some improvements could diffuse traffic patterns. I also think bus service could definitely be improved. Doing those two things would more directly broach the problem the train is trying to address without the boondoggle aspect.

[Firebrand Gary]

5. Congratulations Hawaii.

"to start building the foundations and pillars along the first segment of the route"

Its too bad that they opted for steel on steel, mag-lev should have been the only choice. I wonder if there is still time?

[ellisonz]

6. Sounds like a done deal on the train-type. n/t

[msongs]

7. the corrupt construction bloaters will jack up the cost of this thing many times over nt