Hawaii Topia

There is a political battle brewing on Oahu over rail. In one corner is Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann with a few select friends on the city council and in the other corner is other city council members and outspoken “anti-rail” activists. Just this month Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has pushed to allow rail to be put on the ballot for the people of Hawaii to cote this November. Today, the City Council voted 9-0 to allow the rail vote to move forward, yet it could be vetoed by Mayor Mufi Hanneman without the possibility of it being over-turned.

The subject of rail, or the proposed steel mass transit system on Oahu, Hawaii, has really heated up. City Council Woman Ann Kobayashi and Panos Prevedouros have thrown their hats into the rink to run for Mayor this November against incombant Mayor Mufi Hanneman. Having rail on the ballot really helps bring out the vote for rail and voters against Mufi.

Whether you are for or against rail coming to Oahu, expect to be bombarded by radio and TV ads leading up to the vote this November. You can read my article on the $6 billion price tag associated with building rail on Oahu to get a little more informed on the subject.

The proposed rail system that would link East Kapolei to Ala Moana is estimated to cost $4-5 billion to construct and another $1 billion to operate for the first decade. That’s $6 billion for a rail system that won’t even be fully operational until 2018. That being a government estimate I would say 2025 due to governments inability to get things done on schedule and budget. Not only that, Hawaii is famous for debating until the people get too tired or simply forget what the issue was. Even this week Governor Lingle will allow a referendum on weather or not Hawaii will get this system.

Personally, I do not know enough about the system to be for or against the system. I’m sure both sides have valid reasons to be for or against the proposed rail system. What I consider myself an expert in is H1  rush hour traffic. While the rail system would be a long-term project and solution, the Hawaii government has done very little to fix the short-term solutions to traffic jams. Recently, Honolulu was voted the worst city to drive in with the longest commutes beating out notorious cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. Honolulu has the longest commute, but is only the 38th worst city when it comes to congestion. To me that means we have uneducated, terrible drivers and that needs to be addresses before we go to rail.

There are simple government solutions to fixing Hawaii traffic issues.

1. Drivers Education - Teach Hawaii drivers what a passing lane is. Hawaii drivers spread out on H1 and drive chaotic. You are more likely to pass on the right than on the left. This is why Honolulu has the longest commute of any other city, but not the most congested.
2. Car Pool Incentives - Most Hawaii drivers drive alone in a car that is capable to fit 4-6 passengers. I see Hummers and other gas guzzlers speeding down the road with one passenger 90% of the time. It may be your right to burn fuel inefficiently, but it is this reason why gas prices are so high and our roads are so full.
3. West Oahu Development - There are thousands of drivers heading from Honolulu to the west part of the island to work and even more heading from the west part of Oahu to Honolulu to work. There needs to be incentives for people to work where they live! Trying to live on the cheap and work where the higher pay is located is causing most of the problem. Develop western Oahu more through incentives to businesses and moving much of the government there.
4. Ticket Terrible Drivers - If a car is in the car pool lane without the required number of passengers ticket them. IF drivers are driving slow in the left lanes ticket them. There needs to be a paradigm shift on Oau that terrible driving is not acceptable.

While the rail system is a long-term solution and far down the road, there are short-term solutions that the government could implement to make morning and afternoon commutes for tolerable. I’m not optimistic that the Hawaii government will act to fix anything and is the reason we are in this mess in the first place.

With gas prices on the rise (well over $4 a gallon) alternative mass-transit is a great way to travel within Oahu, Hawaii. The Boat, or the intra-island passenger Ferry, is a government sponsored program to alleviate H1 traffic and offer an alternative to rush hour traffic (much like a car pool). The Ferry transits between Kalaeloa (Barbera’s Point in Kapolei) to the Aloha Tower in downtown Honolulu. The boat operates Monday through Friday and the travel time is 1 hour each way. You can park at the Kapolei Parka and Ride and take a shuttle service to Barbera’s point. The Boat offer free WiFi internet service so bring your laptop or connect your internet capable phones!

The Boat Schedule

You can download the complete schedule with maps here.

The Boat Fares
Adult - The Boat costs $2 each way, $40 for a montly pass or $440 for an annual pass
Disabled and Seniors - The Boat costs $1 each way, $5 for a montly pass or $30 for an annual pass
Youth (6-17 years old) - The Boat costs $1 each way, $20 for a montly pass or $220 for an annual pass
U-pass- University passes vary. Check your university here.

Additional information
The Boat can carry up to 149 passengers (there are two Catamarans). It is a no smoking, no pet transit. The 72-foot long boats travel at 30-35 MPH and luggage (1 per person), strollers and bikes are allowed at no extra cost. Their is limited parking near the pier.

I have lived in Hawaii for over five years now and incompetence in the local government is pretty standard. While H1, the Hawaii system that goes east to west on southern Oahu, continues to be a nightmare with grid-lock during rush hour traffic, the city council continues to delay the needed mass-transit system. Today, Honolulu mayer was fed up with yet another delay:

Steel wheels on steel rail was the technology with the most support going into yesterday’s vote. A city-appointed expert panel in February recommended steel-wheeled trains as the most reliable and cost-effective technology.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who favors steel technology, said he would move forward with steel despite the council’s inability to reach a decision.

Hannemann “will not allow the stalled council to delay the important project,” the mayor said in a news release.

“Starting immediately, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Preliminary Engineering reports that are under way will specify steel-on-steel technology,” Hannemann’s news release said. The EIS is the next major step in the rail project.

So, the battle is over whether the $3.7 billion mass-transit system will use steel wheels, rubber tires or magnetic levitation. I’m sure each alternative has a business that is lining the city council. Here is the opposition:

The technology debate is driven in part by concerns that steel wheels could cause noise problems for neighbors of the elevated commuter rail. The noise could hurt some property values. Other properties near transit stations could increase in value.

Noise and property value concerns are acute in Salt Lake, Cachola’s district, where the commuter rail is expected to run down the middle of Salt Lake Boulevard.

Cachola said he wanted more time for his constituents to explore noise and property value issues.

Like typical useless government official, they want “more studies” to be conducted. Yes, lets spend even more tax payer money of studies (likely paid to friends of these council men) so we can further ride up the cost of this system while we delay. People that live in Hawaii are fed up with mass-transit talk that has gone on for years and will go on for many more.