Rail

leaders are making serious decisions on changing the rail route without publicly analyzing facts or figures on how the change will affect the ridership numbers....

Over the past 48-hours the mayor's policy on rail swung wildly in a display of uneven and poorly constructed leadership....

This is the third artificial rail crisis Caldwell has ginned up to push a tax hike....

...if a taking is abandoned or dismissed prior to final judgment, the condemnor is on the hook for "damages."....

"...and secure additional funding to complete the last five miles of the project to Ala Moana...."

Earlier today, Kirk Caldwell had a massive change of position on rail by admitting that the route might need to be shortened to end at Middle Street....

Yesterday, KHON's Gina Mangieri covered a story detailing HART's request to borrow a minimum of $20 million more for rail, this time on the city's credit....

“For so many things to come out at this pretty late stage is very unusual.”

“We need a leader who will stand up for the people and protect hard-working families from the out-of control costs of the rail system."

...City Council approves $6.8B cap on rail spending....

...her spouse was employed by Parsons as a Vice President and was Parsons’ principal consultant and a point of contact for 12 DOT Parsons Projects....

Hanabusa is an opportunist. She gave up her House seat to achieve something bigger and better in the Senate, but she lost....

At $2.9 billion this extra cost is nearly $3,000 for every man, woman and child in Honolulu. It is more than $8,500 per household....

...Until FTA receives and approves a revised project cost estimate, schedule, and financial plan which includes a commitment of all of the local funds needed to cover that cost estimate, FTA cannot award the FY2015 or FY2016 increments....

...and we haven't seen the half of it yet....

Forced exactions to fund our government don’t always come from taxing agencies....

"Our overall surcharge revenue is still tracking about 1.12 per cent below projections, which amounts to roughly $36 million less than projected."

“We look like potted plants.” -- Formby

...HART’s financial and operating plans are not reliable....

...your letter singled out my performance as a HART Board member and used the term "mismanagement."....

...“the nation’s largest infrastructure fiasco by far” on a per capita basis....

"Judge Nacino’s ruling doesn’t say that no problem exists, but just says that his court isn’t the one that can fix it”

...by 2028, every car sold in the state would have to be electric or hydrogen cell powered....

...Prosecutors are looking into alleged collusion between Hitachi and Finmeccanica over the price paid Finmeccanica for its 40 percent stake in Ansaldo STS....

A conversation with Dr. Keli'i Akina, president of the Grassroot Institute, about traffic congestion, Honolulu rail and Hawaii's renewable energy plans....

... Honolulu ranks 10th in US traffic time wasted ....

...“cannibalized” by rail....

OTS Handi-Van on-time performance has declined 5% over the past three years; customers experience excessive trip times....

...a dozen proposals related to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit....

...An ethics scandal called into question more than 100 votes cast by Honolulu City Council members....

...HART did not address the issue of the error....

...make lemonade with the lemons that you bought....

This is the latest picture of the first four rail cars that are “expected to arrive this Spring”....

On a per-capita basis, this will be the nation’s largest infrastructure fiasco....

The low bidder for the Kamehameha Highway Stations Group appeared to be Watts Constructors, which bid $112.7 million for the project. The job went to Nan Inc., which bid $115.8 million. Why did that happen?....

2004: Newly elected Mayor Hannemann asserts that 34 miles of rail will cost $2.7 Billion....

...another vote on Bill 23 (2015), CD1 - Relating to the Transportation Surcharge, will be required of Committee members at the Budget Committee meeting on Wednesday....

...construction cost escalation for Oahu for years 2013 and 2014 has averaged 10.3% per year....

...last week, the Hawaii Supreme Court issued a 4-1 ruling in Friends of Makakilo v. D.R. Horton-Schuler Homes, LLC....

$3.1M higher ....

"This appeal involves a long-standing issue in this state: balancing agricultural and urban land uses."

Justices ruled 4-1 that the Hoopili development can proceed....

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday December 17 at 3:30 p.m....

...rail proximity was not an independently significant predictor of auto ownership....

...the Honolulu City Council is considering an ordinance to extend the rail tax....

...we at Hawai’i Free Press tried a novel approach—actually contacting FTA spokespeople in Washington to see what they had to say about it....