WHAT NOW FOR HONOLULU'S RAIL PROJECT?
By Ron Fisher and Jim Ryan, Honolulu Star Advertiser, September 12, 2021
<https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/09/12/editorial/island-voices/what-now-for-honolulus-rail-project/>
The Honolulu rail project has reached a point where completion of the project as originally
planned no longer appears possible without another large infusion of local or state funding.
Honolulu now faces a momentous decision on where to locate the terminus of a shorter rail
project that may be in place for many years, possibly decades. The way that decision is reached
will determine the confidence of local officials, and the trust of the public, that the modified
project will be finished successfully.
We evaluated dozens of major transit projects during our careers in the Federal Transit
Administration's Office of Planning. Honolulu's rail project clearly met the evaluation criteria set
by Congress and, consequently, received a Full Funding Grant Agreement in 2012.
We personally supported that decision because the project would be a huge improvement in
transit service for the tens of thousands of existing transit riders and others who might choose to
use it. We continue to think that is true.
The estimated $5.1 billion project cost was a concern because of Honolulu's relatively small
population and tax base. But we believed the benefits of the project justified that expenditure and
the city's financial plan indicated it was affordable.
Escalating costs and schedule delays led the FTA to require a “recovery plan” for completion of
the 20-mile project. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) prepared, and
FTA accepted, a plan that in 2019 promised completion by 2026 at a total cost of $8.9 billion,
with the additional funding coming from new local tax revenues.
Now, barely two years later, HART anticipates completion in 2031 at a total cost of $12.4 billion
but with a $3.5 billion funding shortfall — a stunning revelation that threatens any remaining
public faith in a useful project outcome.
Another “recovery plan” is clearly inappropriate for the decision at hand. The question is
no longer, “How will we finish the 20-mile project?” but rather, “What shorter project
makes most sense for our foreseeable future?” [Emphasis Supplied]
The answer to this new question requires, first, a careful and objective analysis of where the
project actually stands in terms of expenditures to date, and then, a realistic assessment of the
costs and benefits of alternative locations for a new project terminus short of Ala Moana Center.

Candidate locations would likely include several of the currently planned stations.
The analysis would have to address the design of a terminal station that could accommodate
potentially heavy volumes of arriving rail passengers; changes to the bus system needed to move
rail passengers from the terminal; impacts on street traffic near the terminal; impacts on transit
travel times and transferring; the number of potential riders who would opt out of travel by rail;
and the trade-offs among the costs, impacts, and benefits of the options.
While HART would be an essential PARTICIPANT, THE EFFORT REQUIRES
EXPERTISE THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM HART'S CONSTRUCTION-ORIENTED
MISSION. THE WORK SHOULD BE DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT TEAM WITH
OBJECTIVITY, THE NECESSARY TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, AND A
COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY. The team's [HART] only responsibility would be
to provide solid information that the people of Oahu and their elected officials can trust as
the basis for the hard decisions at hand, and not to advocate for a particular terminus
location.
The City Council or HAWAII LEGISLATURE would be the appropriate sponsor of the
analysis, ideally with TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM FTA. Having worked on the
planning of this worthy project for many years, we want it to succeed. Decisions should not
be rushed, and the necessary analysis will take some time. It is critical to get started —
soon.
[Emphasis and Clarification Supplied]
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The “iron rice bowl” is a Chinese idiom which referred to the now abolished system of
guaranteed lifetime employment
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I hope people find hope in my life story and know to never give up. People are stronger than
I hope people find hope in my life story and know to never give up. People are stronger than
they think they are. I've never seen the world stop like this. People are tired and asking when
they think they are. I've never seen the world stop like this. People are tired and asking when
this is going to stop. They must believe that anything is possible in this life and that things will
this is going to stop. They must believe that anything is possible in this life and that things will
get better. I'm living proof of that.
get better. I'm living proof of that.
JIM MORRIS – “ THE ROOKIE”
JIM MORRIS – “ THE ROOKIE”
The Guardian, Johnathan Drennan, August 30, 2020
<https://www.theguardian.com/sport/behind-the-lines/2020/aug/03/jim-morris-anything-is-possible-life-major-league-baseball>