Rail shortage

[UnBiasFan]

Someone please explain to me how we are 700-900 million dollars short for this rail project?

Linda Lingle commissioned a study that predicted this before she left office. Nobody will talk about that now. You will never find a political hack admitting they were wrong. It just will never happen. They are never wrong under any circumstance. They blame everything on something else or someone else.

[808Hawaii]

Someone please explain to me how we are 700-900 million dollars short for this rail project?

Linda Lingle commissioned a study that predicted this before she left office. Nobody will talk about that now. You will never find a political hack admitting they were wrong. It just will never happen. They are never wrong under any circumstance. They blame everything on something else or someone else.

Lingle must have foreseen the Slater/Cayetano/Prevedouros/Uechi delays.

[UnBiasFan]

... Lingle must have foreseen the Slater/Cayetano/Prevedouros/Uechi delays.

Those folks are not our "Guardians of the Galaxy" But, I do give them a C+ for effort.

If you take the Lingle study seriously, you can add an extra billion to the few hundred million caused by delays.

On a positive note, after months of doing what appeared to be next to nothing --- the handful of guys on the front line of the project appear to be cranking it out right now.

[808Hawaii]

... Lingle must have foreseen the Slater/Cayetano/Prevedouros/Uechi delays.

Those folks are not our "Guardians of the Galaxy" But, I do give them a C+ for effort.

If you take the Lingle study seriously, you can add an extra billion to the few hundred million caused by delays.

On a positive note, after months of doing what appeared to be next to nothing --- the handful of guys on the front line of the project appear to be cranking it out right now.

They were relocating existing utilities.

[Condor4542]

Does anyone here support this, think it won't bleed the state dry, and won't become obsolete five year after it's finished?

[UnBiasFan]

Does anyone here support this, think it won't bleed the state dry, and won't become obsolete five year after it's finished?

It could actually work.

For the math to work out, there will be thousands and thousands of million dollar homes added to the tax base. Oahu will begin to look like Orange County, CA.

This is all that we have been hoping for and it is what we are all dreaming about.

In fact, they need not include us ever in their planning. They should just assume that we hate old Hawaii and we love urban California. And then they could deliver us some soylent green to eat while they are at it.

[Irse]

Does anyone here support this, think it won't bleed the state dry, and won't become obsolete five year after it's finished?

I'm sure some people here supports it and I guess enough people on Oahu supported it because they voted the guy as mayor who wanted it. Problem is that people in Hawaii aren't good as voters. They either vote for name recognition without looking for what they stand for or they don't vote.

[UnBiasFan]

Does anyone here support this, think it won't bleed the state dry, and won't become obsolete five year after it's finished?

I'm sure some people here supports it and I guess enough people on Oahu supported it because they voted the guy as mayor who wanted it. Problem is that people in Hawaii aren't good as voters. They either vote for name recognition without looking for what they stand for or they don't vote.

This is a good reason to stay far clear of politics. Who wants to play a sport where you win based on fan sentiment? Fans are never good at making tactical decisions for a team.

[808Hawaii]

Does anyone here support this, think it won't bleed the state dry, and won't become obsolete five year after it's finished?

Five years after rail is completed to Ala Moana, people going be asking to expand to Manoa and west Kapolei.

[808Hawaii]

Does anyone here support this, think it won't bleed the state dry, and won't become obsolete five year after it's finished?

I'm sure some people here supports it and I guess enough people on Oahu supported it because they voted the guy as mayor who wanted it. Problem is that people in Hawaii aren't good as voters. They either vote for name recognition without looking for what they stand for or they don't vote.

The voters voted for rail twice.

[Irse]

Does anyone here support this, think it won't bleed the state dry, and won't become obsolete five year after it's finished?

Five years after rail is completed to Ala Moana, people going be asking to expand to Manoa and west Kapolei.

I would be more supportive of rail if it was planned initially to go to UH and west Kapolei, even if it costs twice as much. Don't support it as it is planned now, where they may add UH later.

[808Hawaii]

Does anyone here support this, think it won't bleed the state dry, and won't become obsolete five year after it's finished?

Five years after rail is completed to Ala Moana, people going be asking to expand to Manoa and west Kapolei.

I would be more supportive of rail if it was planned initially to go to UH and west Kapolei, even if it costs twice as much. Don't support it as it is planned now, where they may add UH later.

Well, since you brought this part up, rail was initially planned to go from west Kapolei (to Kapolei Commons) to UH Manoa. But the cost was too high. The Feds were not going to help fund such a big project. The Feds said to cut cost, meaning, cut scope.

[Irse]

I would be more supportive of rail if it was planned initially to go to UH and west Kapolei, even if it costs twice as much. Don't support it as it is planned now, where they may add UH later.

Well, since you brought this part up, rail was initially planned to go from west Kapolei (to Kapolei Commons) to UH Manoa. But the cost was too high. The Feds were not going to help fund such a big project. The Feds said to cut cost, meaning, cut scope.

I wish we could do it the right way. If Kapolei to Ala Moana is not what they wanted, then they should have scrapped it. to me, the only way the rail makes sense is for it to go to Manoa. As it stands right now, it's not. Yes, they want it to go to UH, but no guarantees. Besides some people who work downtown, I don't know who the rail really helps especially considering that there will not be much parking at the stations. Who wants to catch a bus to catch the train then reverse the situation coming home?

[808Hawaii]

I wish we could do it the right way. If Kapolei to Ala Moana is not what they wanted, then they should have scrapped it. to me, the only way the rail makes sense is for it to go to Manoa. As it stands right now, it's not. Yes, they want it to go to UH, but no guarantees. Besides some people who work downtown, I don't know who the rail really helps especially considering that there will not be much parking at the stations. Who wants to catch a bus to catch the train then reverse the situation coming home?

This truly was the last chance for rail in Honolulu. If not now, not ever. The Feds will never fund such a startup elevated light rail project again. We're getting a bargain compared to how much it would cost ten years from now, and all on our own. The first extension may take it to Manoa.

$5.26B. remember how much it would have cost when Mansho voted it down? $0.8B!

Can either drive or take the bus to rail, rail, then bus. The bus system will support rail. One transit pass.

[My3Cats]

I wish we could do it the right way. If Kapolei to Ala Moana is not what they wanted, then they should have scrapped it. to me, the only way the rail makes sense is for it to go to Manoa. As it stands right now, it's not. Yes, they want it to go to UH, but no guarantees. Besides some people who work downtown, I don't know who the rail really helps especially considering that there will not be much parking at the stations. Who wants to catch a bus to catch the train then reverse the situation coming home?

This truly was the last chance for rail in Honolulu. If not now, not ever. The Feds will never fund such a startup elevated light rail project again. We're getting a bargain compared to how much it would cost ten years from now, and all on our own. The first extension may take it to Manoa.

$5.26B. remember how much it would have cost when Mansho voted it down? $0.8B!

Can either drive or take the bus to rail, rail, then bus. The bus system will support rail. One transit pass.

All comes down to funding - Federal and City. If you take a quick look at BART, they only had runs from Daly City to Concord and Richmond to Fremont when it was first built. Over the years the rail was continued to be built out and now extends past Daly City to San Francisco International Airport and Millbrae, past Concord to Pittsburg/Bay Point, and a new line out to Dublin/Pleasanton. When I had to work a month out in Livermore a few years ago there was talk of extending the Dublin/Pleasanton line out to Livermore and further east. BART works and continues to grow, despite many years of opposition. I rode it on a Sunday from Dublin/Pleasanton to San Fran and back on a Sunday. Empty cars with plenty of seats, and as fast as if I drove a car, with no fees for parking. Even the park and ride facility is free on the weekends. Everyone knows that paid parking in San Francisco costs an arm and a leg, plus parts of other appendages. The only crappy thing was I wanted to go to Chinatown and the damn cable cars had super long lines because of the gazillion tourists. Ended up walking up and down the hills. Don't know if they had buses or not, but I would have taken them instead. In addition, vehicle traffic during the weekdays in morning and afternoon rush hour was horrendous on the freeway between Oakland and Livermore. I can't imagine how bad it was in the other Bay Area communities.

Anyone who lives out in Oahu's Westside or Central can plainly see how ugly traffic is right now. Imagine as all the proposed new homes keep coming up how much worse it will get. Rail will not be the complete answer. Nothing will. But rail will be an alternative to driving for those who don't want to drive. People who still cherish their personal chariots or have to use their cars because of need will still have their own option.