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1. RECLAMA TO HAWAII SENATOR BRIAN SCHATZ
RE: TRUNCATING FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR THE HONOLULU RAIL PROJECT
Senator Schatz is an advocate in the U.S. Senate for Hawai`i's critical transportation needs.
As a member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant
Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security, one of his top priorities has been to guarantee full
federal funding for Honolulu rail transit. He has worked with the Secretary of Transportation,
Federal Transit Administrator, and the Senate Appropriations Committee to secure
commitments that Honolulu rail will have the federal funds promised in order to provide the
people of Hawai`i with more transportation options, stimulate our economy, and protect the
environment. Source: <https://www.schatz.senate.gov/issues/transportation>
ANOTHER $800M FOR RAIL? DON’T COUNT ON IT, SCHATZ SAYS
Hawaii's senior senator says there's little appetite in Washington to appropriate more federal funds for
Honolulu's troubled and overbudget rail
By Nick Grube, Honolulu Civil Beat, April 14, 2021
<https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/04/another-800m-for-rail-dont-count-on-it-schatz-says/>
_____________________________________________________________________
AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH
1. RATIONALE FOR RECLAMA
Given the length of time and complexity of the Congressional Budget Process carving out
the Honolulu Rail Project will foreclose all timely, reasonable and realistically achievable
options. Source: <https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/federal-budget-process/budgetprocess.pdf>
2. RECOMENDATION
Reexamination, revaluation of the FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT (FFA)
between The United States Department Of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration
and The City and County of Honolulu through its Honolulu Authority for Rapid
Transportation
Source: FFA. <http://hartdocs.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-16914/20121219-full-funding-grant-agreement.pdf>
3. AREAS OF FOCUS – REDEFINING THE QUIXOTIC MINDSET
A. PROJECT DEFINITION
“The City and County of Honolulu through its Honolulu Authority for Rapid
Transportation have determined through the local planning process that construction of a
20-mile, elevated fixed guideway rail system from EAST KAPOLEI TO THE ALA
MOANA CENTER (PROJECT), would effectively and efficiently serve the transportation
needs of the City and County of Honolulu. Source: FFA, page 5
“U.S. REP. ED CASE told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in an email, “The current Full
Funding Grant Agreement between the FTA and the City and County of Hono lulu states that
failure to complete the entirety of the project to Ala Moana would constitute a default under
the agreement, giving the FTA a claim against the City for return of federal funds advanced
under the FTA to date.”

2. Source: “HI: Honolulu rail's future tied to questions of federal obligation. The issue of how to
proceed—or whether to even complete the 20-mile, 21-station project all the way to Ala
Moana Center—comes during another period of crises for rail” By Dan Nakaso, The Honolulu
Star-Advertiser (TNS), March 30, 2021 <https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/news/21216386/hi-honolulu-rails-
future-tied-to-questions-of-federal-obligation>
__________________________
ALA MOANA OR BUST!
OPERATIONAL SCHEDULE – IS ALA MOANA REALISTICALLY ACHIEVABLE?
When will the Honolulu Rail be finished?
HART Honolulu says that the first 10 miles of the rail will be open in the first half of 2021 –
from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium – and will run at limited times.
The second opening of the Honolulu Rail will be to the Middle Street Transit Center, which
is expected no later than 2023. This second opening will include stops at Pearl Harbor and
the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
HART officials say the entire 20-mile system is planned to be open no later than 2026. By
then, the rail is expected to run from Ala Moana Center to Kapolei. However, former Mayor
Kirk Caldwell said the full rail might not actually open until 2033 – a delay of 13 years from
what was promised to the federal government.
As of January 2021, construction of the Honolulu Rail continued near the airport. Stations
near the Ewa end of the rail were being completed, and utilities were being relocated for the
rail through Kalihi, downtown, and in the Ala Moana area. However, relocating utility lines
along Dillingham Boulevard for the last 4 miles of the rail proved difficult in 2020, as traffic
and permitting issues along with limited space underground have caused various issues.
Source: Real Hawaii <https://realhawaii.co/blog/honolulu-rail-transit-status>
B. REVENUE SERVICE DATE AND LEVELS OF SERVICE
The City and County of Honolulu through its Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation
have agreed and promised to achieve revenue operations of the Project on or before January
31, 2020, the Revenue Service Date, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the FFA.
Source: FFA, page 10
__________________________
THE HART DRIVERLESS TRAIN
CONFIRMED HIGH CAPITAL COSTS
DUBIOUS FINANCIAL RETURNS
HART officials said Thursday that the new cost estimate for the troubled rail project is $12.4
billion and it will take another decade to finish.

3. The new cost projection is $3 billion more than the amount of revenue HART expects to collect
from excise and hotel taxes, some borrowing and the federal government.
Interim HART CEO Lori Kahikina and her staff said the new estimates were based on what they
learned from bidding failures, including a failed effort to use a public-private partnership to build
the final segment and acceptance of higher costs for construction in the urban core.
HART staff explained that the new estimated cost includes financing and a start of revenue
service with passengers in March 2031.
Kahikina also said that the interim opening of the system's first half – from Kapolei to Aloha
Stadium – would be delayed a year because of faults in the crossover track sections where trains
move from one track to another.
She also said it is unclear whether HART or the contractors will end up responsible for the cost
of fixing these flaws because HART and the operations contractor, Hitachi Rail, are in a dispute
over who is to blame.
Source: “HART puts the new price tag for rail at $12.4B, but some suggest that's overly
pessimistic” By Hawaii News Now Staff, March 18, 2021, Updated March 19, 2021
<https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/03/19/cost-rail-rises-b-passengers-may-be-able-board-march/>
The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it
Niccolo Machiavelli
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