State of the City: Blangiardi Announces Latest Scheme to Get Rail Money Withheld by Feds

Mayor Blangiardi’s new Honolulu rail plan would end construction shy of Ala Moana Center

SA: … If approved by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s board of directors, the City Council and the FTA, HART’s updated June 30 “recovery plan” would require only 19 stations and 18.75 miles of track, Mayor Rick Blan­giardi announced Tuesday in his State of the City address.

(Translation: FTA has been withholding $750M from HART since 2015.  This is just HART's latest gambit to get their mitts on it.)

“Facing a history of cost overruns, an inadequate budget and delayed construction timetables, including a disillusioned public, and our weary and concerned partner, the Federal Transit Administration, our first order of business was to regroup the team of city leaders and key principals overseeing the construction and ultimately the operations of the rail, a team that had all but quit working together during HART’s time spent pursuing a public-private partnership,” Blan­giardi said.

The goal then will be to find new sources of revenue to finish the 1.25-mile gap to Ala Moana Center, Lori Kahikina, HART CEO and executive director, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Tuesday.

Construction is currently estimated to cost $11.1 billion to get to Ala Moana, with a $1.3 billion deficit.

But to build to Kakaako, Kahikina said, “we believe we have the funds.” ….

(Translation: This is just a scheme to get the Feds to release the money.)

read … Mayor Blangiardi’s new Honolulu rail plan would end construction shy of Ala Moana Center

BACKGROUND: 

• 2015: Rail Funds Frozen? Feds Explain ‘Officially’ and ‘Unofficially’ What they Told Caldwell

• 2016: Will Feds Withhold a Third Year of Financing Before HART Gets Around to Writing Financial Plan?

• 2016: Full Text: FTA Statement on Rail—$8 Billion Dollars and 8 More Years

• 2016: Rail Recovery Plan? Feds Explain How Rail Systems Blow Budget

• 2019: FULL TEXT: Federal Subpoena of HART Records

• 2019: Feds subpoena Honolulu rail authority for construction documents--Federal subpoena could affect rail funding

COVERAGE: 

• SA: Mayor Blangiardi proposes ending Honolulu rail project in Kakaako, 2 stations short of Ala Moana Center

• Blangiardi Tweet (subsequently deleted) "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."  

• CB: Honolulu Mayor Proposes Trimming Rail Line, Stations To Address Budget Woes -- The plan needs approval from the Federal Transit Administration, and it’s not clear yet whether that agency will get on board.  

• HNN: The FTA has been briefed on the proposal, Blangiardi said.

• KHON: Honolulu Chair Tommy Waters, through a statement said, “This Council has collaboratively worked with the City Administration on the rail project and we look forward to reviewing the Recovery Plan the Mayor talked about today. We will give it the careful consideration it deserves when it is shared with us.”

• RELATED: Blangiardi meets with FTA to discuss Honolulu Rail Project 

• SA: Affordable housing, transportation and public safety at the forefront for Honolulu mayor