Rail

... the one thing we can rely on concerning the Honolulu rail project is the long list of unanswered questions ....

... HART now says it will cost $9.9 billion to not finish its rail project by 2031 ....

... Iwasa has valuable insights into the operations of the rail project because she also is a non-voting member of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation ....

... What do these three multi billion dollar failures have in common? ....

..."We submitted a Recovery Plan to the FTA, proposing to amend the Full Funding Grant Agreement" (not quite) ....

"...We submitted a Recovery Plan to the FTA, proposing to amend the Full Funding Grant Agreement to the following scope: 18.75 miles/19 stations through Downtown, to the Civic Center Station, which is 1.25 miles and 2 stations short of Ala Moana Center...."

... Mayor Blangiardi said, “Even though this was a very quick turn-around trip for me, the time I spent with the Administrator was well worth the trip" ....

"...Art’s management background at Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Workers Local Union 293 and his experience on the Planning Commission make him the perfect candidate...."

... The Honolulu Rate Commission will be taking public testimony on proposed fare policy changes affecting TheBus and TheHandi-Van at its January 24th and February 8th meetings ....

... Ethics Commission Chair Melinda Wood stated: “Mr. Harris has the right mix of public policy, litigation, and managerial experience to excel in this role." ....

... Using the Honolulu rail project as an example, the New York Times wants to know why so many infrastructure projects suffer from such large cost overruns ....

... these debates are meaningless ....

...Translation: The Legislature took the counties' share of the state TAT away but let them impose their own TAT.  I'm giving it to rail -- so, in effect, other city services have been cut to fund rail but -- like a shell game -- with so many moving parts, the public has been deceived....

... projected revenues from the tax fall short of what the project needs to cover its budget shortfalls ....

... in yet another failure of leadership, Schatz misses an opportunity to put the rail nightmare behind us ....

... Hawaii is still in a state of emergency, tourism has slowed, businesses are closing and unemployment is high. The economy will take years to recover ....

... there is a teensy disagreement over the value of the land. HART offered Hughes $13.5 million; Hughes thought it was worth “about” $100 million more ....

... The memo concludes that the State did not have the power under the Hawaii Constitution to provide for four extra HART board members.  Thus, we can basically ignore the extra folks and conduct business as if they weren’t around ....

... Honolulu rail project get a portion of the revenues? ....

... Then on August 3 came devastating confirmation from a respected FTA agent ....

...What you might not have seen is the difficulty the HART board is having making decisions....

"...For decades, infrastructure in Hawaii has suffered from a systemic lack of investment...."

... the line is costing about $15,000 per resident ....

... Aalto's movies given major funding by rail supporters ....

... In order to steer a consulting contract to its former Board Chair, Colleen Hanabusa, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART), a federally-funded rail transit project, imposed the following narrowly tailored requirements on bidders ....

... the most expensive megaproject per capita in the world ....

“...People need to know what the options are and what the costs are, and what the real future of rail looks like....”

... Blangiardi: “I had nothing to do with that contract” ....

... Marked “Confidential (Not for Distribution),” the document contains analyses of both the original plan for the rail and 27 alternatives ....

... In a special Stadium Authority Board Meeting this morning (Thursday, May 6), the Board confirmed and voted for an early demolition of the existing stadium location ....

... The document, marked “CONFIDENTIAL (NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION),” says that stopping the rail at Middle Street could lower costs, provide long-term flexibility for route changes and fleet expansion, and benefit from future driverless technologies .... 

"... Uno said he has come to the conclusion that the rail is neither a construction project nor a transportation project. Instead, it is “a political project” — one in which all concerns about costs, waste and transparency are subordinate to political goals ...."

... “This rail service began as one of those ‘shovel ready’ projects funded by the Obama-Biden stimulus program a decade ago. While never completed, it’s still digging a deeper money pit for taxpayer dollars” ....

... Joe Uno, HART Board member, speaks in his private capacity as a citizen to host Keli‘i Akina about whether a ‘Plan C’ may help salvage the troubled project ....

... it is premature to commit funding for major new rail transit projects before we have some idea of the extent of transit ridership in the first several years after nationwide vaccinations ....

... The first WWTT Award will be presented to HART for its contract with Hitachi and the wrong sized wheels that do not fit the ‘frogs’ or rail intersections of two tracks ....

"...more support for affordable housing, climate resiliency, and safer and more efficient transportation systems...."

... Jeoffrey Cudiamat, Natalie Iwasa, J. Roger Morton, Joseph O’Donnell, and Dean Uchida ....

... Morton will be tasked with leading administration and oversight for TheBus, TheHandi-Van, and the upcoming rail system, the first segment of which is projected to open in the second half of 2021 ....

... The public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District (NASED) project concludes on Feb. 8 ....

... Kealoha was selected Chief thanks in part to Michael Miske’s ‘uncle’ ....

... “Ms. Iwasa's official engagement on the Board will ensure increased accountability and transparency at HART.” ....

... The proposal documents for the P3 procurement will soon be available for review ....

... STG has Constructed 2,708 Overhead Guideway Segments to Complete the 5.2-Mile Section from Aloha Stadium to Middle Street ....

... This RFQ includes the new Aloha Stadium complemented by a mix of developments that will connect to the rail station ....  

"...the plan being discussed will include the entire project scope ... there is no desire to abandon any component of the full Project scope...."

...Two examples of the old way of thinking, both in Honolulu....

...What are the latest developments and implications for the completion of one of the most challenged public works project in the nation?....

...we found that 12 recommendations were completed, 3 were resolved, and 3 were in process....

We are feverishly trying to spend federal dollars for the common good....