Back in April 2009, the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects held a panel discussion at which a mainland transit consultant predicted Honolulu’s rail EIS could be “in trouble”.
As I wrote at the time, the problem is “the city failed to deliver an environmental impact study that fulfilled what was promised in the official notice published in the Federal Register.”
Consultant Phil Craig told a gathering of architects that the Federal Register notice for the transit Environmental Impact Study committed the city to providing an analysis of alternatives, including “light” rail at grade as well as the “heavy” rail system favored by the city administration. But Craig said the available alternatives were never explored adequately or seriously considered, a flaw which he said could open the EIS to challenge.
What wasn’t clear at the times is that Craig was in Hawaii on a project funded by Kamehameha Schools to develop an alternative transit proposal to compete with the city’s proposed all-elevated system.
Today’s Honolulu Advertiser reports on Craig’s study, which has the potential to shave $1.7 billion off the transit price tag and also make the rail far more user and community friendly as it passes through Honolulu’s urban core.
Although the Advertiser says that the study has been in the hands of the Hannemann adminstration since “last month”.
What isn’t at all clear is whether Kamehameha made the study available to the Advertiser or is still trying to remain behind the scenes in the highly political jockeying for position.
Kamehameha is perhaps the only entity with the clout and deep pockets to force the city to seriously consider reasonable changes to its plan. I would imagine any signals that Kamehameha might back a legal challenge to the adequacy of the city’s environmental impact statement and its lack of consideration of alternatives could put the Hannemann administration in the position of having to either significantly delay until a legal ruling or make design concessions to placate critics.
I’m hoping Mayor Hannemann can actually show some real leadership and make the decision that there would be significant public benefits to the Kamehameha plan, both in cost savings and rider experience. The mayor’s leadership could demonstrate that he can do more than exhibit stubborn resolve, but can actually change direction when the evidence mounts up. That’s the sign of a good leader, and there’s always a chance that, facing a possible legal challenge with direct or tacit support from players like Kamehameha Schools, the mayor will see his way to a win-win resolution. He gets to deliver a rail transit system, as promised, and the public gets a less expensive, less intrusive, and more user-friendly design.
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This plan is D.O.A. if it does not account for the interference to *Cross-Track* traffic from the trains. During peak hours, the Honolulu Light Rail Transit will operate 34 trains an hour. Each time, crossing gates will consume at least 50 seconds while each train passes; U.S. standard practice is to lower the gates 30 seconds before the train arrives. Therefore, busy streets like Kalihi, Alekea, and Piikioi will be unable to carry enough traffic. You can “hop” each busy intersection with a rail line viaduct, but everytime you do, the ramps cut off cross-traffic for about 1/2 mile on either side of the intersection. Also, the cost goes up so much, you might as well just stay elevated throughout the section.
Hannah Miyamoto, B.S.C.E., J.D., M.S., B.A.
Graduate Studies, UH-Manoa
Without actually seeing the plan, or any response to it, maybe it’s a little premature to conclude that it would produce significant public benefits, etc. And maybe there’s a little more going on here. What, exactly, would Kamehameha get out of this?
Sorry, I have to post this one anonymously.
Mufi made as surprise appearance at an Architects meeting on Saturday morning. If he is contemplating compromising, he certainly did not give away his hand. His message was typically on point – the time for discussion is past, move one and accept the wisdom of your superiors, you should have raised your concerns earlier, if your whining causes delays the plan may get scrapped completely and then it will be all your fault, we have a 53% mandate so shut up and do what I say, etc. The usual.
I’m paraphrasing, but I suppose you figured that out.
Anyway, he did make some funny point about the nature of compromising. He mentioned that compromise to accept the city 10% cut of the GET tax and compromising to allow the rail to go through Salt Lake area instead of the airport. In both cases he clearly said “compromising” meant agreeing to these things with these items as a way to move the project forward, but that he had no intention to honor these agreements, and when the time and the opportunity presented it self, he would renegotiate the 10% with the city, and get the route changed to the airport(which he already accomplished by getting Djou to vote yes which enabled him to throw Romy under the bus..or do I mean train…) Anyway, he seemed to be bragging about this, it was really creepy..to him there is no compromise only strategic retreats, which will be revisited, later…
Hannah,
It looks like none of your degrees are in math. Your numbers are nonsense. Please provide some sort of substantive back up.
Almost a minute for a 4 car train to pass an intersection ? Is it being pushed by menehunes at 3 miles per hour ?
1/2 mile for an overpass ? So a flyver on Kalihi street @ niimtz would need to go to king street? Sorry, don’t think so.
1.7 billion dollers to build some overpasses on dillingham or nimitz. ? Guess again.
What’s your agenda ?
The L.A. Metro runs on surface streets through busy Pasadena and elsewhere. Traffic is stopped for the trains on major thoroughfares. People get used to it; they have to stop for red lights anyway. I highly recommend people try riding the line from downtown LA to Pasadena next time they go to LA to see how a surface system works. Some of the line is elevated beside freeways, then it drops down to street level. It doesn’t seem that hard to manage.