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Honolulu Rail Transit From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Honolulu Rail Transit Project

Project construction in Waipahu

Overview

Type Medium-capacity rail rapid transit

Status Under construction

Locale Honolulu County Hawaii

Termini East Kapolei

Ala Moana Center

Stations 21

Services 1

Daily ridership 119600 (2030 projection)[1]

Website wwwhonolulutransitorg

Operation

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Opened Phase I Late 2020

(East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium)

Phase II Late 2025

(Aloha Stadium to Ala Moana Center)[2]

Owner HART

Character almost entirely elevated

Rolling stock Hitachi Rail Italy (Driverless Metro)

Technical

Line length 20 mi (32 km)

Number of tracks 2

Track gauge 4 ft 8 1frasl2 in (1435 mm) standard gauge

Electrification Third rail

[show]

Route map

The Honolulu Rail Transit Project (also known as the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project) is an urban rail rapid transit system under construction in Honolulu County Oahu Hawaii The mostly-elevated system features design elements from both heavy rail systems and light metros[3] with a commuter rail-like design incorporated into trains and suburban stations It will become the first large-scale publicly run metro system in the United States to feature platform screen doors[4] The first phase of the project linking East Kapolei and Aloha Stadium is scheduled to open in late 2020 while the second phase of the project continuing the line to Ala Moana Center across urban Honolulu is due to open in December 2025

For more than 40 years debate over the development of a rail system in Honolulu has been a major point of contention in local politics especially leading into the 2008 2012 and 2016 election cycles Proponents of the system say it will alleviate worsening traffic congestion already among the worst in the United States[5] They assert that the urban agglomeration in south Oahu is ideally suited to rail as it is constrained by mountains to a narrow strip along the coast which has resulted in the fourth highest population density in the US[6] Rail opponent and freeway advocate Panos Prevedouros has questioned its cost effectiveness compared to alternatives[5] and claims that it will have marginal impact on future congestion and that new roads will therefore still be required[7]

The project is financed by a surcharge on local taxes as well as a $155 billion grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) After major cost overruns the tax surchages were extended in 2016 by five years to raise another $12 billion however that additional funding was only sufficient for construction out to Middle Street in Kalihi The FTA stated that its contribution is contingent to completion of the line all the way to Ala Moana Center and will not be increased[8] After much wrangling the state legislature in 2017 approved $24 billion in additional taxes to allow the city to complete the project according to the original plan[9]

Construction of the final 43 miles (69 km) section through downtown Honolulu which is expected to be the most difficult to build has not commenced The contractor selection process for this section was restarted in September 2017 and is expected to take eighteen months[10]

The final cost has grown from preliminary projections of $4 billion in 2006[11] to between $9 billion[12] and $10 billion by 2017[13] Critics have called for a forensic audit to establish the cause of the increase[14][15][16] The tax increase legislation passed in 2017 also requires the State auditor carry out an audit of the projects accounts[17] and to consider alternatives for completing the system[18]

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Contents

[hide]

1History

o 11Previous projects

o 12Studies

o 13Impact on Honolulu mayor elections

o 14Delays

o 15Burial issues

2Financing

o 21Initial General Excise Tax (GET) surcharge

o 22GET surchange extentions and Hotel Tax surcharge

o 23Federal Transit Administrations request for recovery plan

3Route

4Rolling stock

5Timeline of progress

6References

7External links

History[edit]

Plans for a mass transit line to connect Honolulus urban center with outlying areas began in the 1960s[19] but funding was not approved until 2005[20] The controversy over the rail line was the dominant issue for local politics leading into the 2008 Honolulu elections[21] and culminated in a city charter amendment which left the final decision to the citizens of Oahu[22] The amendment passed with 53 of voters in favor[23] and ground broke on project construction on February 22 2011[24][25]

Previous projects[edit]

For more than 50 years Honolulu politicians have attempted to construct a rail transit line[6] In 1966 then-mayor Neal S Blaisdell suggested a rail line as a solution to alleviate traffic problems in Honolulu stating Taken in the mass the automobile is a noxious mechanism whose destiny in workaday urban use is to frustrate man and make dead certain that he approaches his daily occupation unhappy and inefficient[19]

Frank Fasi was elected to office in 1968 and started planning studies for a rail project[26] named Honolulu Area Rapid Transit (HART) in 1977[27] After Fasi lost the 1980 reelection to Eileen Anderson President Ronald Reagan cut off funding for all upcoming mass transit projects which led Anderson to cancel HART in 1981[28][29][30] Fasi was reelected in 1984 and restarted the HART project in 1986[31] but the second effort was stopped in a 1992 vote by the Honolulu City Council against the necessary tax increase[20][32]

Fasi resigned in 1994 to run for governor with Jeremy Harris winning the special election to replace him Harris unsuccessfully pursued a bus rapid transit project as an interim solution until he left office in 2004[33] His successor Mufi Hannemann began the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project (HHCTCP) the islands fourth attempt to build a mass transit system operating in a dedicated right-of-way

Studies[edit]

Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor survey marker in the sidewalk at the corner of Kapiolani Blvd and Keeaumoku Street in

Honolulu

The City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services released the first formal study related to the HHCTCP on November 1 2006 the Alternatives Analysis Report The report compared the cost and benefits of a fixed guideway system along with three alternatives The first expanded the existing bus system to match population growth A second option called for a further expansion to the bus system with improvements to existing roads The third alternative proposed a two-lane flyover above the H-1 freeway between Pearl City and Honolulu International Airport continuing over Nimitz Highway and into downtown Honolulu The report

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recommended construction of the fixed guideway and is considered the citys official justification for building a rail line[34][35]

A second planning document the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) studied possible natural and social impacts of the construction and operation of the HHCTCP The DEIS was completed and cleared for public release by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on October 29 2008 After minor changes were made to comply with state law the document was distributed via the citys official project website four days later The DEIS indicated that impacts of the rail project would include land acquisition from private owners on the route displacement of residents and businesses aesthetic concerns related to the elevated guideway and noise from passing trains[36]

The city was criticized for timing the release only two days before the 2008 general election City Councilmember Ann Kobayashi running as a mayoral candidate against incumbent Hannemann suggested that the city deliberately withheld key information to early voters who had already cast their ballots for the mayoral candidates and a city charter amendment related to the project[37][38] The anti-rail advocacy group Stop Rail Now criticized the report for not further discussing bus rapid transit and toll lanes options studied earlier by the city in its Alternatives Analysis[39][40]

The third and final official planning document the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was approved and cleared for public release by the FTA on June 14 2010 The FEIS addresses and incorporates public comments received regarding the DEIS[41] The FTA subsequently declared the environmental review process complete in a record of decision issued on January 18 2011[42]

Impact on Honolulu mayor elections[edit]

The importance of the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project in the 2008 mayoral election led one observer to describe the vote as a referendum on rail transit[21] Two challengers emerged as rivals to incumbent Mufi Hannemann City Councilmember Ann Kobayashi and University of Hawaii professor Panos D Prevedouros Kobayashi supported a rubber-tired mass transit system as opposed to the conventional steel-wheel-on-steel-rail system chosen by the Hannemann administration Prevedouros on the other hand opposed any mass transit project favoring construction of a reversible tollway over the H-1 similar to the Managed Lane option studied in the Alternatives Analysis and reworking existing road systems to ease congestion[43] No candidate won a majority of votes in the September 20 non-partisan primary forcing a runoff between Hannemann and Kobayashi[44] Hannemann successfully retained his post with 58 of the vote in the November 4 general election[45]

On April 22 2008 the Stop Rail Now advocacy group announced their intent to file a petition with the city to place a question on the 2008 ballot to create an ordinance that read Honolulu mass transit shall not include trains or rail[46] Stop Rail Now attempted to submit the petition with 49041 signatures to City Clerk Denise De Costa on August 5 but was initially denied after De Costa claimed the city charter did not allow the petition to be submitted less than 180 days before a general election as the wording of the petition called for a special election[47][48] Stop Rail Now filed a lawsuit to force the city to accept the petition and the courts ruled in Stop Rail Nows favor on August 14[49] Stop Rail Nows petition drive ultimately failed on September 4 when De Costa deemed 35056 of the signatures valid short of the 44525 required[50]

In response to the possibility that Stop Rail Nows petition would fail the City Council had however voted on August 21 to place a proposed amendment to the city charter on the ballot asking voters to decide the fate of the project[51] Mayor Hannemann signed the proposal the following day[52] The City Councils proposed amendment was not intended to have a direct legal effect on the citys ability to continue the project but was meant as a means for Oahu residents to express their opinions on its construction[22] The charter amendment was approved with 53 of votes cast in favor and 47 against Majorities of voters in Leeward and Central Oahu the areas that will be served by the project voted in favor of the amendment while the majority of those living outside the projects scope in Windward Oahu and East Honolulu voted against it[23]

In the 2016 Honolulu mayoral elections the main three candidates again took opposing views on rail Charles Djou former mayor Peter Carlisle and incumbent Kirk Caldwell all ran for mayor with the stated goal of finishing rail However Republican Djou ran on drastically cutting spending on rail by cutting funding on buying cars on the rail before its completion and hiring mainland consultants[53] Kirk Caldwell also stated that spending on rail should be cut but instead by shortening the rail to end at Middle Street[54] Carlisle was the only candidate in full support of funding the rail system and stated that rail has gone too far to be stopped[55] Kirk Caldwell won the election and promptly went on to adopt Carlisles position that rail should be completed

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Delays[edit]

Construction on the HHCTCP rail line was originally scheduled to begin in December 2009 but did not occur on that date owing to delays in the project review process delays in obtaining federal approval of the environmental impact statement[56]

Honolulu mayor Peter Carlislespeaking at the projects groundbreaking ceremony

In January 2010 Republican Governor Linda Lingle publicly recommended that the city alter plans for the rail line after news reports on FTA documents where the federal agency raised issues over declining tax revenues in connection with a global economic recession[57] and commissioned a study by the state to review the projects finances in March[58] The state financial study publicly released on December 2 2010 indicated that the project would likely experience a $17 billion overrun above the $53 billion projected cost and that collections from the General Excise Tax would be 30 below forecasts Then Mayor Peter Carlisle (Democrat) dismissed the study as damaged goods and a pre-determined anti-rail rant He also pointed to several conclusions as erroneous and inaccurate before concluding that spending a third of a million dollars for this shoddy biased analysis is an appalling waste of our tax dollars[59] Lingles Democratic successor Neil Abercrombie publicly stated that the financial analysis would not affect his decision to approve or disapprove of the project saying that the states responsibility is limited to the environmental review process and that decisions regarding the projects finances belong to the city and the FTA[60] Governor Abercrombie subsequently approved the projects final environmental impact statement on December 16 2010[61] The Honolulu City Council held a hearing on January 12 2011 about the states financial review but the hearing was not attended by any state officials who had been invited to testify[62]

On January 18 2011 the FTA issued a record of decision indicating that the HHCTCP had met the requirements of its environmental review and that the city was allowed to begin construction work on the project[42] The record of decision allowed the city to begin negotiating with owners of land that will be purchased for the project to begin relocating utility lines to make way for construction of the line and stations and to purchase rolling stock for the rail line[63][64] A ground-breaking ceremony was held on February 22 2011 in Kapolei at the site of the future East Kapolei station along Kualakai Parkway[24][25]

In 2014 HART CEO Dan Grabauskas blamed lawsuits launched in 2011 for some of the cost overruns after bids to construct the first nine stations exceeded the budget by $100 million However his claims were disputed by the plaintiffs in one of the cases who said HART could have put put the stations out to tender and that HART had deliberately delayed the legal proceedings so a judgement would only be delivered after a significant proportion of the line had been completed[65]

Burial issues[edit]

Like most major infrastructure work in Hawaii construction of the rail line is likely to uncover historic human remains notably in its downtown Honolulu section The Oahu Island Burial Council (part of the State Historic Preservation Division within the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources) refused to sign a programmatic agreement on October 21 2009 over concerns about likely burial sites located along the lines proposed route over Halekauwila Street in Kakaʻako Three construction projects in the area since 2002 have each encountered unforeseen human remains that led to delays and archaeologist Thomas Dye stated The council is absolutely right that you should expect to find burials on Halekauwila Street[66]

The Burial Councils core contention is the citys decision to conduct an archaeological survey of the rail lines route in phases meaning construction on a majority of the line will be complete by the time the survey in the Kakaʻako area is performed which in turn increases the likelihood that any remains discovered will be moved instead of being allowed to remain in situ[67] In response to the Burial Councils concerns the city agreed to begin conducting an

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archaeological survey of the area in 2010 two years earlier than originally planned[66] The state Department of Land and Natural Resources later signed the citys programmatic agreement on January 15 2011 over the continuing concerns of the Burial Council[68]

The citys decision to conduct the archaeological survey in phases subsequently led to a lawsuit filed on February 1 2011 by the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation on behalf of cultural practitioner Paulette Kaleikini The suit which named both the city and the State of Hawaii as defendants contended that state law requires the full length of the rail line to have an archaeological survey conducted before any construction takes place and seeks to void the environmental impact statement and all construction permits issued for the project[69] Kaleikinis lawyers filed on February 18 a request for an injunction to stop work on the project until the case is resolved[25] The suit was initially dismissed on March 23 2011 after Circuit Court Judge Gary Chang ruled that state and federal laws allow the archaeological surveys to be conducted in phases[70] Kaleikinis lawyers subsequently appealed to the Hawaii Supreme Court which heard oral arguments in the case on May 24 2012[71] The court ruled on August 24 2012 that it agreed with plaintiff Kaleikini that the archaeological survey needed to be completed before construction could take place and that the State Historic Preservation Division did not comply with state law when it approved the project The case has now been remanded to Circuit Court[72] On December 27 2012 the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii granted the plaintiffs injunction and ordered that all construction-related activities in segment 4 of the archaeological survey be halted until compliance with the Hawaii Supreme Court decision made earlier this year is met This ruling does not affect construction activities in the first three segments nor does it affect construction planning design or engineering in segment 4 which is the final segment to be built The Phase 4 area encompasses the downtown area and its immediate environs including Chinatown Mother Waldron Park and Beretania Street Judge Tashima the only sitting judge on the case ruled on condition of the injunction that the city is required to file periodic status updates on their compliance with the judgment The injunction will then terminate 30 days after defendants file a notice of final compliance[73] City planners and rail representatives stated that archeological surveys will be completed early in 2013[needs update] and that this ruling would have no effect on construction in City Center Both sides are expected to appeal portions of the ruling that they do not agree with[needs

update]

Financing[edit]

Initial General Excise Tax (GET) surcharge[edit]

Former Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann

Ater winning the 2004 election Hannemann announced that construction of a rail line was an administration priority[74] The following May and upon prompting by the city the Hawaii State Legislature passed a bill (Act 247) to allow counties a one-half percent increase in the Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) from 4 to 45 to fund transportation projects According to the bill increased revenue would be delivered to counties implementing the raised tax to fund general public transportation infrastructure throughout Hawaii and to pay for mass transit in the case of the City and County of Honolulu[75][76] Money collected from the initial 4 GET would remain state revenue

Republican governor Linda Lingle initially threatened to veto the bill believing that money destined for county governments should be collected by the individual counties[77][78] After compromising with legislative leaders and Mayor Hannemann however she allowed the bill to become law On July 12 2005 the bill was enacted as Act 247

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of the Session Laws of Hawaii 2005 without the Governors signature[76][77][78][79] A month later the Honolulu City Councilauthorized the one-half percent GET increase[80] and Hannemann signed the measure into law on August 24[81] Act 247 required Honolulu to use the funds only for the construction and operation of a mass transit system and barred its use for public roads and other existing transit systems such as TheBus Since no other county authorized the excise tax increase before the deadline of December 31 2005 the Hawaii GET remains at 4 for Hawaiis three other counties[76][82] The increase went into effect on January 1 2007 and was due to expire on December 31 2022[76]

The Legislature considered a bill in the 2009 legislative session that would have redirected income from the half-percent increase back to the state to offset a $18 billion projected shortfall in the following three fiscal years[83][84][85][86]The bill was opposed by Mayor Hannemann and other city leaders who believed that redirecting the money would jeopardize federal funding for the project[87] and was eventually dropped after US Senator Daniel Inouye indicated to the Legislature that he shared the citys concerns[88][89]

GET surchange extentions and Hotel Tax surcharge[edit]

In January 2016 the Council extended the GET for another five years to add $12 billion in funding to cover a budget blowout The Council also required that the money raised by the extension go into a contingency fund and to pay for disability access to the system HART was required to provide quarterly financial reports to the Council[90]

On 1 September 2017 the Legislature after meeting for a week in a special session on rail financing approved further taxes to raise $24$ billion for the project The taxes include a further three year extension to the 05 percent General Excise Tax surcharge which will now expire in 2030 and a thirteen year 10 percent surcharge on the existing 925 percent statewide Transient Accommodation Tax (TAT) which is charged to tourists Efforts to pass a funding bill in May 2017 had failed and the impetus for the special session was a FTA deadline of September 15 for a funding plan to cover the shortfall[91] The bill also grants the state government oversight over the project including the appointment of two non-voting representatives on the HART board and calls for an audit of HART by the state auditor It was signed into law by the governor on September 5[17]

Federal Transit Administrations request for recovery plan[edit]

In mid 2016 the FTA requested that HART develop a recovery plan by August 7 2016 Also in June a separate report by Jacobs Engineering the project management contractor said under a worst case scenario the final cost would $1079 billion[92]

In January 2017 group called Salvage the Rail published a plan based on Option 2A from six alternatives proposed by the FTA to HART in 2016[93] that would terminate the elevated section at Middle Street and run at street level to the terminus along a route one block inland from the HART plan The system would need to be reconfigured to use new driver-operated low floor vehicles lowering the platforms on the stations already constructed[94][95] Proponents say it would save $3 billion and four years of construction as well as avoid disturbing burial sites under the downtown area

After a lodgement extension was granted by the FTA HART submitted its recovery plan in April 2017 which concluded that completion of the original 21 station route was the only viable option An alternative Plan B to build only 14 stations within the already funded $65 billion budget was ruled out because of lower ridership legal risks insufficient contingency and other reasons The new project cost was $8165 billion with media reports indicating that after financing charges are included it could be over $10 billion An updated schedule for opening said the section from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium will open at the end of 2020 and operation of the full route by December 2025[96][97]

In September 2017 HART submitted an updated recovery plan to the FTA with a new estimate price of $902 billion The plan still includes $8165 billion in construction costs but has reduced financing costs of $858 million following state legislation granting both prolonged and new taxes to fund the project[12] The State Auditor has been tasked to consider alternatives for completing the system as part of its audit of HART[18]

Route[edit]

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City and state politicians at the projects groundbreaking ceremony

The project as planned will construct an elevated rapid transit line from the eastern edge of Kapolei near the University of Hawaii-West Oahu campus to Ala Moana Center (East of Honolulu downtown)[6] The line will pass through communities along southern Oahu via Honolulu International Airport and downtown Honolulu The long term plan includes four currently unfunded extensions two extensions east to the University of Hawaii-Manoacampus and to Waikiki an extension west through Kapolei to Kalaeloa and a link through Salt Lake[98]

The rail line will have twenty-one stations and run from Kapolei to Honolulu passing through Waipahu Pearl City Waimalu Aiea and Halawa From the eastern terminus at Ala Moana Shopping Center in Honolulu the line is proposed to split into two future extensions to the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus and Waikiki Originally the line was to fork near Aloha Stadium into two routes one passing Honolulu International Airport and the other through Salt Lake before reuniting at Middle Street in Kalihi The city council initially decided to build the Salt Lake route before the airport route as a result of horse-trading with City Councilmember Romy Cachola whose constituents included Salt Lake residents and whose vote was needed to pass the decision[99][100] After the city charter amendment on rail transit passed the City Council reconsidered the decision and decided to re-route the rail line to pass by Pearl Harbor and the airport without a Salt Lake alignment[101][102] The airport route is 4 more expensive but is expected to have significantly higher ridership since it will ferry workers to both the airport and the Pearl Harbor navy base The trains will operate with up to twenty departures per hour[103] The Rail will operate from 4am to midnight[2]

On October 21 2009 the city announced Kiewit Pacific Co had won the $483 million contract to build the first two stages of the line bidding $90 million under the expected price The stations were tendered separately[104][105]

The construction of the rail line started from suburban areas in Kapolei and Ewa and progresses towards the urban center in Honolulu There will be 112 columns from East Kapolei to Ewa[106] The choice to start from Kapolei was made because the first phase must include a baseyard for trains which is more cheaply built away from the center and because the city chose to delay to later phases of the project the major infrastructure impacts and unpopular traffic delays that will be associated with construction in the urban center[107] Future extensions would eventually service the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Waikiki and Kalaeloa[104]

As of November 2016 the line is scheduled to open in two phases in late 2020 and late 2025[108]

Late 2020 East Kapolei ndash Aloha Stadium

Late 2025 Aloha Stadium ndash Ala Moana Center

Rolling stock[edit]

First trainset for the rail project on public display in February 2017

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The line will use 128 ft (39 m) trains carrying about 390 passengers each similar in weight to light rail systems elsewhere in the United States (such as the MAX in Portland Oregon) as opposed to heavier and thus more expensive lines found on rapid transit systems like the subways and elevated systems of Chicago and New York City[109] However the stations will be standalone structures and will be substantially bigger than typical light rail stations Physically the Honolulu system will have a good deal in common with light rapid transit systems such as SkyTrain in Vancouver British Columbia or the Copenhagen Metro as well as the Docklands Light Railway in London The system will be the first metro system in the United States to feature platform gates[110]

Rolling stock for the line will initially include 80 cars in 40 two-car consists built by a joint venture between AnsaldoBreda and Ansaldo STS named Ansaldo Honolulu (AnsaldoBreda and Ansaldo STS previously collaborated on the construction and operation of vehicles for the Copenhagen Metro[111] and the Brescia Metro) Both companies were later bought by Hitachi[112] Each car will be 64 ft (20 m) long weigh 72000 lb (33000 kg) and have 36 seats with a listed total capacity of 195 people[109] The cars will be powered by a third-rail electrification system[113] The two unsuccessful bidders for the rail car contract Bombardier Transportation and Sumitomo Corporation of America filed protests over the award[114] Both protests were rejected during the administrative process but Bombardier sought judicial review of their bid protest[115] The administrative decision against Bombardiers protest was affirmed by both the state Circuit Court and the Intermediate Court of Appeals[116][117]

In December 2016 Hitachi Rail Italy reported defects were discovered in the welds in the extruded aluminum beams of twenty-seven car shells four of which were already in Hawaii The manufacturer will fix the problems but warned delivery may be delayed as production of new vehicles was be halted[118] In March 2017 HART said they would meet the interim opening needs after repair of the defective cars and that full opening would not be affected[119]

In May 2017 trains were towed on tracks in Honolulu for the first time to check clearances[120] Testing of trains under their own power commenced in October 2017[121]

Timeline of progress[edit]

June 2006 - Officials estimate the infrastructure construction cost at estimated at $3 billion $200 million more than a previous estimate for a 24-mile system This does not include the cost of the trains[11]

January 2007 - The General Excise Tax (GET) within Honolulu County is increased by 05 with the extra funds earmarked for a mass transit system The increase was set to expire on December 31 2022

February 2007 - The City Council approves the Mimimum Operating Segment from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Centre via Salt Lake Boulevard[97]

October 2008 - The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is released to the public The projected cost is $37 billion including $1 billion for contingencies[122]

November 2008 - Fifty three percent of voters support an measures to give the Honolulu City Council authority to proceed with establishment of a steel wheel on steel rail transit system The estimated cost is $4 billion[123]

January 2009 - The middle portion of the route between Aloha Stadium and Middle Street is amended to have stations at the Pearly Harbor Navel Base and the Honolulu Airport which had one of the original options The previous route followed Salt Lake Boulevard[102]

June 2010 - The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) is released to the public Estimated cost is $55 billion Patronage by 2030 is projected to be 116300 riders per day[124]

December 2010 - A report commissioned by outgoing Governor Lingle is released which warns the project could cost at least $17 billion more than the cityrsquos projected $55 billion price tag[59]

May 2012 - Construction workers started pouring concrete on the foundations that will hold the rail columns[125]

December 2012 - Honolulu City Council and the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) sign agreement for the project with a budget of $512 billion including $155 billion provided by the Federal Government Full system revenue service is projected for January 31 2020[126]

September 2014 - HART canceled the initial tender for the first nine stations after the bids were higher than budget The first trips on the railway is expected to be delayed probably until 2018[127]

November 2015 - FTA withholds payment of a $250 million allotment until the council could show it had sufficient funding to complete the project[128]

January 2016 - Five year extension to the General Excise Tax surcharge adopted to add $12 billion in funding[126]

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May 2016 - HART chairwoman Colleen Hanabusa shared a confidential document detailing budget estimates as of March 1 2016 showing that the rail project is expected to cost $69 billion[129]

April 2016 - An audit of the project by the City criticized HART for using outdated financial figures and budgets lack of documentation for change orders and warned the HART estimates of the cost overruns were unreliable[130][131] HART officials disputed the audits findings

May 2016 - The FTA revealed that they estimate the total cost as $81 billion for the 20 mi (32 km) line In addition completion of the rail system would be delayed nearly five years until December 2024 versus HARTs federal funding agreement stating that full line service from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center would start in January 2020[132]

June 2016 - Report from Jacobs Engineering the project management oversight contractor says that under a worst case scenario the final cost would $1079 billion[92]

April 2017 - HART sent a Recovery Plan to the FTA which concluded that completion of the original 21 station route was the only viable plan The new project cost given is $8165 billion with media reports indicating that after financing costs are included it will be over $10 billion Opening of part of the system from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium is scheduled for the end of 2020 with final completion of the full route by December 2025 The project is reported to be 36 percent complete as of March 2017[96][97]

September 2017 - A new law is enacted to extend and increase taxes to raise $24 billion for the project The GET surcharge is extended by three years to 2030 (generating about $1 billion) and a surcharge of one percent is placed on the statewide hotel room tax for 13 years (generating $13 billion)[91][17] HART submits a new recovery plan to the FTA with an estimated final cost of $902 billion with savings attributed to reduced financing costs given the new taxes[12]

References[edit]

1 Jump up^ Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit System Figures honolulutransitorg archived from the original on July 29 2014 retrieved 2014-07-22

2 ^ Jump up toa b Rail Facts - All FAQs wwwhonolulutransitorg

3 Jump up^ Mangieri Gina (19 May 2016) Could light rail help train reach Ala Moana and beyond KHON2 Retrieved 2016-10-28

4 Jump up^ Administrator The Honolulu Rail Project - Based on the Copenhagen Driverless Metro System wwwansaldohonolulurailcom

5 ^ Jump up toa b Honolulu ranked worst in country for traffic Hawaii News now Retrieved 2017-08-31

6 ^ Jump up toa b c Boeing G (2016) Honolulu Rail Transit International Lessons in Linking Form Design and Transportation Planext 2 28ndash47 Retrieved 2017-08-31

7 Jump up^ What Can We Do About the Rail Nothing Tackle Traffic Congestion Honolulu City Beat January 29 2015 Retrieved 2017-08-31

8 Jump up^ CRAIG T KOJIMA (2016) Feds to city No more money for rail no stopping at Middle Street Honolulu Star Advertiser Retrieved 2016-08-31

9 Jump up^ Nanea Kalani (2017-09-01) Rail bail-out bill goes to Ige after House approves Honolulu Star Advertiser Retrieved 2017-09-02

10 Jump up^ Rail officials start over on selecting builder for last stretch Honolulu Star Advertiser September 8 2017 Retrieved 25 September 2017

11 ^ Jump up toa b Rail transit system cost estimate $3 billion Honolulu Advertiser June 23 2006 Retrieved 2017-09-01

12 ^ Jump up toa b c The Estimated Cost Of Honolulu Rail Just Dropped By $1 Billion September 18 2017 Retrieved 25 September 2017

13 Jump up^ Caldwell says state lawmakers rail-funding plan falls short Honolulu Star Advertiser August 24 2017 Retrieved 6 September 2017

14 Jump up^ The Hard Reality Of Honolulu Rail Costs Honolulu Civil Beat August 25 2017 Retrieved 6 September 2017

15 Jump up^ City rail audit wont look for fraud Grassroot Institute August 18 2017 Retrieved 20 September 2017

16 Jump up^ Rep Tupola Backs Forensic Audit for HART Hawai`i Free Press August 15 2017 Retrieved 20 September 2017

17 ^ Jump up toa b c Honolulu rail bailout becomes law with Iges signature Honolulu Star Advertiser September 5 2017 Retrieved 6 September 2017

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18 ^ Jump up toa b Bring Honolulu Rail Down To Earth Honolulu Civic Beat September 27 2017 Retrieved 28 September 2017

19 ^ Jump up toa b Blaisdell hails Oahu mass transit project Honolulu Star-Bulletin pp A12 May 24 1966

20 ^ Jump up toa b Reyes BJ (August 11 2005) Council gives transit go-ahead 13 years after initial rejection Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-10-16

21 ^ Jump up toa b Carlson Ragnar (September 3 2008) Hail to the chief Honolulu Weekly archived from the original on September 28 2011 retrieved 2008-10-16

22 ^ Jump up toa b Au Laurie (October 19 2008) Voters can derail $4B project Honolulu Star-Bulletin archived from the original on June 1 2010 retrieved 2011-03-08

23 ^ Jump up toa b Au Laurie (November 10 2008) Voters on route drive rail victory Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2010-07-07

24 ^ Jump up toa b Park Gene (February 12 2011) Rail ready to break ground Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2011-02-12

25 ^ Jump up toa b c Park Gene (February 23 2011) Its a go Honolulu Star-Advertiser 130 (23) p A1 retrieved 2011-02-23

26 Jump up^ Fasi To Start Rail Transit Study Honolulu Star-Bulletin amp Advertiser p A1 February 16 1969 (Note At this time the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser published Sunday editions jointly under the name Honolulu Star-Bulletin amp Advertiser)

27 Jump up^ Tune Jerry (July 7 1977) A Transit Line with a HART Honolulu Star-Bulletin pp A12

28 Jump up^ Matsunaga Mark (February 19 1981) Reagan stops HART in its tracks Honolulu Advertiser p A1

29 Jump up^ Matsunaga Mark (May 5 1981) Mayor to abandon HART beef up buses Honolulu Advertiser pp A1

30 Jump up^ Glauberman Stu (May 5 1981) Mayor Calls HART Study to Abrupt Halt Honolulu Star-Bulletin p A1

31 Jump up^ Matsunaga Mark (August 14 1986) Transit system plan revived Honolulu Advertiser p A3

32 Jump up^ Mariani Jeanne (September 23 1992) Rail line dead ndash for now Honolulu Star-Bulletin p A1

33 Jump up^ Dicus Howard (January 30 2004) Harris Honolulu must build fixed rail Pacific Business News retrieved 2008-10-16

34 Jump up^ Kua Crystal (November 3 2006) Council panel backs rail as mass-transit solution Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-10-15

35 Jump up^ City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services (November 1 2006) Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis Report Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 to 7 retrieved February 25 2009

36 Jump up^ US Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration City and County of Honolulu Department

of Transportation Services Draft Environmental Impact Statement Executive Summary (PDF) retrieved February 25 2009

37 Jump up^ Au Laurie (October 31 2008) City releases portion of rail report Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2010-07-07

38 Jump up^ Shikina Robert (November 3 2008) Kobayashi rails against city for timing of report Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-11-06

39 Jump up^ Hao Sean Roig Suzanne (November 3 2008) Hawaii rail transit cost now at least $434B Honolulu Advertiser retrieved 2011-03-05

40 Jump up^ US Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services (2008-11) Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project Draft Environmental Impact StatementSection 4(f) Evaluation Cover to Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 (Part 1) Chapter 4 (Part 2) Chapter 5 Chapters 6ndash8 References to Index Appendix A (Conceptual Alignment Plans and Profiles) Appendix B (Conceptual Right-of-Way Plans Appendix C (Construction Approach) Appendix D (Record of Agency Correspondence and Coordination) Appendix E (Record of Public and Stakeholder Correspondence and Coordination) retrieved on January 5 2009

41 Jump up^ Hao Sean (June 15 2010) Final study for rail line gets feds OK Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2010-02-01

42 ^ Jump up toa b Park Gene (January 19 2011) Rail gets OK to break ground Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2011-01-20

43 Jump up^ Au Laurie (September 10 2008) Mayoral debate turns raucous Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-10-16

44 Jump up^ Borreca Richard Au Laurie (September 21 2008) Hannemann and Kobayashi reset sights for Nov 4 Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-10-20

45 Jump up^ Au Laurie (November 5 2008) Hannemann win re-election with 58 Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-11-05

46 Jump up^ Au Laurie (April 22 2008) Rail critics utilize power of pen Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-10-20

Page 12 of 14

47 Jump up^ Au Laurie (August 5 2008) Lawsuit looms over validity of anti-rail petition Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-11-06

48 Jump up^ Section 3-404 (PDF) Revised Charter of Honolulu retrieved on February 25 2009

49 Jump up^ Au Laurie (August 20 2008) City clerk rushing to certify anti-rail effort Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-11-06

50 Jump up^ Au Laurie (September 4 2008) Anti-rail groups effort denied by courts clerk Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-11-06

51 Jump up^ Au Laurie (August 21 2008) Council OKs ballot question on transit Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-11-12

52 Jump up^ Au Laurie (August 22 2008) Mayor vows to put transit on ballot Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-11-12

53 Jump up^ Charles Djou Rail (httpdjoucomissuesrail)

54 Jump up^ Mendoza Jim Lincoln Mileka Davis Chelsea (June 16 2016) Mayor wants to shorten rail route ending at Middle Street Hawaii News Now Retrieved 2017-03-11

55 Jump up^ Grace Lee Mayoral candidate Peter Carlisle says rail project cannot be stopped (httpwwwhawaiinewsnowcomstory31997123mayoral-candidate-peter-carl-isle-says-rail-project-cannot-be-stopped)

56 Jump up^ Hao Sean (January 3 2010) Honolulu rail behind schedule with construction start unclear Honolulu Advertiser retrieved 2011-02-01

57 Jump up^ Hao Sean Pang Gordon YK (January 9 2010) Honolulus rail costs put state at financial risk governor says Honolulu Advertiser retrieved 2011-02-01

58 Jump up^ Hao Sean (August 26 2010) Time short for Lingles call on rail Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2011-02-01

59 ^ Jump up toa b Carlisle dismisses Lingles rail report Pacific Business News December 3 2010 Retrieved 2017-09-01

60 Jump up^ DePledge Derrick (November 5 2010) Abercrombie to weigh rail EIS Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2011-02-01

61 Jump up^ Park Gene (December 17 2010) Governor signs off on review of rail Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2011-02-01

62 Jump up^ Park Gene (January 13 2011) State skips hearing on rail finance studies Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2011-02-01

63 Jump up^ Park Gene (February 20 2011) If they build it will developers come Honolulu Star-Advertiser

retrieved 2011-02-20

64 Jump up^ LaFrance Adrienne (February 21 2011) Rail Groundbreaking Phony or For Real Honolulu Civil Beat Peer News LLC retrieved 2011-02-22

65 Jump up^ Honolulu rail CEO blames cost overruns on legal challenges but critics say it is incompetence August 15 2014 Retrieved 6 September 2017

66 ^ Jump up toa b Hao Sean (October 20 2009) Burial council wont sign rail pact Honolulu Advertiser retrieved 2010-07-07

67 Jump up^ Conrow Joan (May 26 2010) grave matters Honolulu Weekly archived from the original on November 19 2011 retrieved 2011-01-30

68 Jump up^ Park Gene (January 16 2011) City plan accounts for problematic burial sites Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2011-01-30

69 Jump up^ Daranciang Nelson (February 1 2011) Lawsuit claims rail endangers burial sites Honolulu Star-Advertiser 129 (364) p B1 retrieved 2011-02-01

70 Jump up^ Daranciang Nelson (March 24 2011) Judge Rejects Suit Challenging Rail Survey Honolulu Star-Advertiser retrieved 2011-03-24

71 Jump up^ Hervey Tiffany (June 27 2012) Buried Truth Honolulu Weekly archived from the original on October 25 2012 retrieved 2012-07-19

72 Jump up^ Grube Nick (August 24 2012) Rail Derailed Hawaii Supreme Court Rules Against Honolulu Honolulu Civil Beat Peer News LLC retrieved 2012-08-24

73 Jump up^ Schwind Paul Honolulu Rail Remedy ndash Phasers On Minimal Web Hawaii Reporter Retrieved 2013-01-17

74 Jump up^ Kua Crystal (January 1 2005) Director prioritizes rail transit Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-10-16

75 Jump up^ Kua Crystal (May 5 2005) City measure touts rail tax Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-10-16

76 ^ Jump up toa b c d State of Hawaii Department of Taxation (July 29 2005) State of Hawaii Department of Taxation Announcement 2005-11 (PDF) archived from the original (PDF) on December 11 2009 retrieved 2009-06-21

77 ^ Jump up toa b Kua Crystal (July 12 2005) Late deal avoids transit veto Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-10-16

Page 13 of 14

78 ^ Jump up toa b Zimmerman Malia (July 12 2005) Surrounded By Democrats at the Capitol Hawaiis Republican Governor Rescinds Decision to Veto Tax Increase Measure Hawaii Reporter archived from the original on August 9 2007 retrieved 2008-10-16

79 Jump up^ DePledge Derrick Dingeman Robbie (July 12 2005) Deal puts transit tax back on track Honolulu Advertiser p A1 retrieved 2010-07-07

80 Jump up^ Kua Crystal (August 11 2005) Transit project to raise taxes Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-10-16

81 Jump up^ Kua Crystal (August 24 2005) Mayor signs tax calls for multi-faceted traffic solutions Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-10-16

82 Jump up^ Daranciang Nelson (December 31 2006) Excise tax increase begins tomorrow Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2011-02-02

83 Jump up^ Wu Nina (January 22 2009) Legislature battles to avert $18B deficit Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2010-07-07

84 Jump up^ DePledge Derrick Boylan Peter (June 21 2009) Governor emphasizes Hawaiis deficit woes as Legislature opens Honolulu Advertiser retrieved 2009-06-21

85 Jump up^ Hawaii State Legislature 2009 Regular Session Senate Bill 1626 Status archived from the original on June 15 2009 retrieved 2009-06-21

86 Jump up^ Hawaii State Legislature Senate Bill 1626 Senate Draft 1 Relating to Taxation archived from the original on June 10 2011 retrieved 2009-06-21

87 Jump up^ Nakaso Dan (January 24 2009) Stimulus could revive Honolulu mayor says Honolulu Advertiser retrieved 2009-06-21

88 Jump up^ DePledge Derrick (March 11 2009) Legislature keeping its tax-raising options open Honolulu Advertiser retrieved 2009-06-21

89 Jump up^ Borreca Richard (March 11 2009) Lawmakers fear revenue slump Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2010-07-07

90 Jump up^ City Council approves tax surcharge extension for Honolulu rail project Hawaii News Now 28 January 2016 Retrieved 2017-09-02

91 ^ Jump up toa b $24 Billion Rescue Bill For Honolulu Rail Wins Final Approval Honolulu City Beat September 2 2017 Retrieved 2017-09-02

92 ^ Jump up toa b New worst-case scenario report reveals full 20-mile rail route could cost $1079B Hawaii News Now June 24 2016 Retrieved 6 September 2017

93 Jump up^ Ray Tsuchiyama (2016-06-29) A Rail System Option That Offers The Best Fit For Honolulu Honolulu Civil Beat

94 Jump up^ Salvage the Rail Group renews call to bring rail to street level Island News KITV4 February 7 2017 Retrieved 28 September 2017

95 Jump up^ MODIFYING HONOULU AREA RAPID TRANSIT (HART) FOR STREET LEVEL OPERATION IN DOWNTOWN HONOLULU (January 2017) (PDF) Salvage The Rail Retrieved 28 September 2017

96 ^ Jump up toa b HART committed to rail projects original route in recovery plan submitted to FTA Pacific Business News May 1 2017 Retrieved 2017-08-15

97 ^ Jump up toa b c HART Recovery Plan (PDF) Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation April 28 2017 Retrieved 2017-08-15

98 Jump up^ City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services Rail Transit Map (Part 1 Kapolei-Ewa) (Part 2 Waipahu-Aiea) (Part 3 Stadium-Kalihi) (Part 4 Kalihi-UH-ManoaWaikiki) retrieved January 5 2009

99 Jump up^ Consillio Kristen (November 17 2008) Rail route changes trigger harsh words Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2010-07-07

100 Jump up^ Kua Crystal (February 22 2007) Rail Route to Go Via Salt Lake Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2008-01-18

101 Jump up^ Au Laurie (January 29 2008) New rail route OKd Honolulu Star-Bulletin retrieved 2010-07-07

102 ^ Jump up toa b Hao Sean (January 29 2009) Council changes transit route to serve airport Honolulu Advertiser retrieved 2002-01-29

103 Jump up^ City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services QampA Honolulu Rail Transit brochure (PDF) retrieved January 5 2009

104 ^ Jump up toa b First contract awarded for Honolulu light rail Railway Gazette International October 26 2009 Retrieved 2009-10-26

105 Jump up^ Hao Sean (October 22 2009) 1st Honolulu Rail Contract Goes to Kiewit Pacific at $483M Honolulu Advertiser retrieved 2010-07-07

106 Jump up^ Tim Sakahara Concrete poured on Honolulu rail project Hawaii News Now May 16 2014 retrieved on October 29 2014

107 Jump up^ Hao Sean (February 25 2008) First phase of rail would end in Pearl City Honolulu Advertiser Retrieved 2009-03-16

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108 Jump up^ Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit Rail Facts Retrieved 2016-11-26 See question When will the train start operating

109 ^ Jump up toa b Park Gene (March 22 2011) Have a seat Honolulu Star-Advertiser 130 (50) p A1 A6 retrieved 2011-03-22

110 Jump up^ User Super Home wwwhonolulutransitorg

111 Jump up^ Brown Robert (April 15 2011) FACT CHECK mdash Carlisle Ansaldos Copenhagen Line One of Worlds Best Honolulu Civil Beat Peer News LLC retrieved 2011-04-16

112 Jump up^ Hitachi agrees to buy Ansaldo STS and AnsaldoBreda Railway Gazette 24 February 2015 Retrieved 25 February2015

113 Jump up^ US Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services (June 2010) Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project Final Environmental Impact StatementSection 4(f) Evaluation (PDF) pp 2ndash30 retrieved 2011-03-28

114 Jump up^ Park Gene (April 12 2011) 2 bidders protest citys rail decision Honolulu Star-Advertiser 130 (71) retrieved 2011-04-12

115 Jump up^ Kalani Nanea (October 14 2011) Disqualified Honolulu Rail Bidder Bombardier Files New Appeal Honolulu Civil Beat Peer News Retrieved 2013-07-13

116 Jump up^ Abramson Mark (October 17 2012) Hawaii Appeals Court upholds ruling in Bombardier rail lawsuit Pacific Business News American City Business Journals Retrieved 2013-07-13

117 Jump up^ Bombardier Transportation (Holdings) USA Inc v Director Department of Budget and Fiscal Services City and County of Honolulu 128 Haw 413 (App) 289 P3d 1049 (Haw App 2012)

118 Jump up^ New defect could further stall rail Honolulu Star-Advertiser 16 December 2016 Retrieved 8 September 2017

119 Jump up^ Repairs to fix rail car production defects scheduled to start in March KHON2 February 18 2017 Retrieved 8 September2017

120 Jump up^ Honolulu tests rail car on track for first time Honolulu Star-Advertiser May 30 2017 Retrieved 8 September 2017

121 Jump up^ In successful test city rail cars reach 40 mph on its own power Hawaii News Now October 19 2017 Retrieved 20 October 2017

122 Jump up^ Just the facts on Honolulu transit October 12 2008 Retrieved 2017-09-01

123 Jump up^ Council OKs ballot question on transit Honolulu Star Bulletin Retrieved 2017-09-01

124 Jump up^ Honolulu Rail The Complete Final Environmental Impact Statement June 16 2010

125 Jump up^ Tim Sakahara Concrete poured on Honolulu rail project Hawaii News Now May 16 2012

retrieved on October 29 2014

126 ^ Jump up toa b HART Recovery Plan (PDF) Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation April 28 2017 p 19 Retrieved 2017-08-31

127 Jump up^ HART cancels bids for first 9 rail stations KITV September 10 2014 Archived from the original on November 29 2014 Retrieved 2014-11-27

128 Jump up^ Year in Review 2015 Honolulus rail transit project Pacific Business Review December 15 2015 Retrieved 5 September2017

129 Jump up^ Honolulu Rail Price Estimate Jumps To $69B Civil Beat News

130 Jump up^ City audit calls HARTs finances plans outdated and unreliable khon2 April 15 2016 Retrieved 4 September2017

131 Jump up^ Audit slams Honolulu rail agency over management costs Honolulu Star Advertiser April 15 2016 Retrieved 4 September2017

132 Jump up^ Add 5 years and $1B for rail federal agency says Honolulu Star-Advertiser 2016-05-17 Retrieved 2017-12-10

External links[edit]