The Nightmare of Rail Will Continue Forever

As reported in the news media on Tuesday (Feb. 18), the legal case against Honolulu's fixed rail project came to an end after two federal courts ruled in favor of the City's $6 billion + rail project. Rail opponents have exhausted all legal avenues to stop the costly project.

I will always be forever against rail. It will cost us too much money. Taxes will continue to rise and we will be priced out of this city and possibly the state.

A sad day indeed this is, and nearly all of it can be traced back to former Governor Linda Lingle's decision on July 11, 2005 to allow the GE Tax bill to fund rail pass without her signature. That decision is one that will forever taint the Lingle administration's place in history as Honolulu is paved over with this costly, ugly, impractical project.

Photo: Republican Governor Linda Lingle was among Democrat rail supporters on July 11, 2005 announcing that she would let HB 1309 become law without her signature. This is the bill that enabled the half percent surcharge on the general excise tax to fund the building of rail. Photos by Mel.

KITV's Report on the Rail Decision



Additional Links

HonoluluTraffic.com

Governor's Informational Briefing on Rail - January 18

Governor Linda Lingle is having a public meeting on Monday, January 18 to discuss concerns about the elevated rail and to hear the AIA presentation for ground level rail.

This meeting will be held in the Capitol Auditorium (parking level) of the Capitol Building .

January is Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday.

Mark your calendars to come and bring someone with you.

THE GOVERNOR’S INFORMATIONAL MEETING ON RAIL TRANSIT

• Monday, January 18
• 9:00am to 11:00am.
• State Capitol Auditorium

You can enter the parking stru cture from Punchbowl Street by the Education Building .

Since it is a holiday, there will be street parking available.

I'll be there. Will you?

Honolulu Rail Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Got this press release from the SBH Foundation:

Release of a Honolulu Rail
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis

Tuesday, December 8, 2009


The Small Business Hawaii Entrepreneurial Education Foundation (SBH Foundation) will hold a press conference on the steps of Honolulu Hale, City Hall, Tuesday, December 8, 11:00 am to release a newly commissioned study, "Honolulu Rail Transit Greenhouse Gas Emissions," by Wendell Cox.

Cox, is a principal of Wendell Cox Consultancy (Demographia), an international public policy firm that specializes in urban policy, transport and demographics. Cox has provided consulting assistance to the United States Department of Transportation and was certified by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration as an "expert" during the Public-Private Transportation Network program (1986-93). Cox has consulted for numerous public authorities in the United States and abroad.

Present at Tuesday's press conference to discuss the rail study in detail and its impact on Honolulu's environment, will be Dr. Panos Prevedourous, University of Hawaii Professor of Engineering, and Sam Slom, President, SBH Foundation.

The Honolulu rail DEIS contains no estimate of the proposed rail line's impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The SBH/Demographia report corrects this oversight and analyzes the future production of electricity, best and worst case scenarios of gas emissions in Honolulu's proposed rail, and costs per ton of any reduced greenhouse production.

Rail Blight Says Outdoor Circle

In an editorial that appears in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin today, The Outdoor Circle has finally come out to say in essence that Honolulu's fixed rail project will be ugly! Quote:

"In the end we are left with the conclusion that in its nearly 100-year history, The Outdoor Circle knows of no other proposal that holds the potential to degrade the landscape of Oahu and change the character of our communities as greatly as the Honolulu transit project. We believe it will be the most visually disruptive project in the history of Hawaii. While its ability to ease traffic problems on Oahu is debatable, its negative impact on the visual environment is not even denied in the project's own environmental impact statement."

The Outdoor Circle are heavy hitters when it comes to how things look around our island. Rail which is a very expensive $7 billion proposal, will be the ugliest public works project to ever be built on Oahu. The elevated tracks will divide neighborhoods and communities. The elevated structures for the trains will tower 60 to 120 feet high in several locations. Views will be blocked. The structures will be magnets for graffiti and poor, dirty homeless people. Urban blight will be part of Honolulu's landscape if rail is to proceed. Time to stop rail is now.

• HonoluluTraffic.com

Photo: Proposed elevated train-way near the corner of University and King Streets. Ugly, ugly, ugly.

Where Will Rail's Funds Come From

Not too long ago, City Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz grilled City Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka on where funding for the $6.4 billion rail project will come from. After dodging the question several times, the director finally says the funding source will be from your property taxes.

Folks, Honolulu cannot pay for rail through higher property taxes. This is what will happen if rail is allowed to be built. Your property taxes will all increase to pay for rail. Some people have speculated that property taxes could be increased to an amount as high as 40% over what is paid today. This will make it very expensive for not only home owners, but also businesses, industry and even renters.

Watch the video. The time to stop the train is now.