# HONOLULU | Public Transport



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Honolulu-Rail-Transit-Map.png









http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/...tion-as-honolulus-rail-project-breaks-ground/

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*Hannemann returns from mainland with mass transit ideas *
29 January 2006

HONOLULU (AP) - Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said on Sunday he has new ideas on how to finance a mass transit system on Oahu after studying the Las Vegas Monorail. 

Hannemann was scheduled to return to Honolulu on Sunday after wrapping up a trip to Vancouver, Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas. 

In Las Vegas, he met with officials of Transmax Group who were in charge of the monorail's $650 million financing. 

He also met with Bombardier officials, who developed and operate the system. 

Transmax officials said the Las Vegas monorail is the only modern, rapid transit system in the United States that was privately financed without government funds. 

"The private sector participation in the system is overwhelming," Hannemann said in a news release. "I came away with ideas on how to encourage and entice public-private partnerships to finance Honolulu's mass transit system." 

The Las Vegas system received funding from hotels, casinos and other corporate sponsorship. The Nextel-Sprint wireless communications firm sponsors the monorail's station at the Convention Center. 

The firm's station has a 15,000-square-foot wireless communications center featuring retail space, concierge service and a high-tech briefing center. The sponsorship generates $2 million a year for the monorail system, according to the news release. 

The system serves as many as 50,000 passengers a day. Residents pay one dollar per ride and visitors pay five dollars. 

Hannemann began his trip on Monday in Vancouver, where he inspected that city's Skytrain. In Washington, D.C., he discussed mass transit with a number of senators. 

He spoke with Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Transportation, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development appropriations subcommittee, which will be key to Honolulu obtaining federal funding for a mass transit system.


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## micro (Mar 13, 2005)

Excellent idea to do something against the traffic jams!


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Bidders vie to build Honolulu mass transit system *
30 January 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - Eleven companies from around the world are vying to build Oahu's $5 billion mass transit system, according to a list released by the city. 

Companies from the U.S., Canada, Japan and Europe have proposed to build one of four types of transit systems being considered to alleviate the traffic mess on Oahu's roadways used by about 1 million residents, military and tourists. 

A panel of five experts, who plan to hold closed-door meetings, will select the type of system to carry residents from Kapolei to Ala Moana first, and later link with the Waikiki tourist district and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 

The proposed systems include light rail, rubber-tires on concrete, magnetic levitation and a monorail. 

Panos Prevedouros, a panelist and University of Hawaii engineering professor, said the city had limited other companies from making proposals because of the way it had written the request for information. 

"What is disturbing is there are very few really advanced bus systems being offered," he said. "The city submitted a list of specifications and they were quite limited in their scope." 

In December, the city solicited companies to submit information, such as vehicle dimensions, speed, passenger capacity and typical costs, for the panel to evaluate. 

The company will be selected later when the city solicits bids. 

"It's too premature to say whether these technologies are suitable for Honolulu," Prevedouros said. "I am concerned that we aren't going to have enough time to come up with a single recommendation." 

Proposals were submitted by Advanced Public Transport Systems, ALSTOM Transport, AnsaldoBreda, Bombadier Transportation, Siemens Transportation (two proposals), Mitsubishi-Sumitomo, Mitsubishi-Itochu, Hitachi America, Translohr, IHI Corp. and Thales. 

"Practically speaking, these are the companies that make all the transit vehicles in the world," city Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka said. 

Mayor Mufi Hannemann said he was very pleased with the response. 

"The interest being expressed by a wide variety of vehicle manufacturers ensures that this will result in a rigorous, competitive procurement process in the future," he said in a statement. "I'm confident that Honolulu is going to get the technology that best meets our needs at an extremely competitive price." 

Hannemann hopes to break ground for the project by 2009. 

The city recently released the companies who submitted information a week after two state lawmakers threatened to stop funding the project unless the city settled on a technology by June 30. 

Several council members, including Donovan Dela Cruz and Ann Kobayashi, said they were happy the process was moving forward but were concerned with the lack of transparency. 

"They are just going to come here from the mainland and tell us how to spend $5 billion then go back," Kobayashi said about the private panel. "There is no accountability or openness."


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

There is a good article describing the transit vehicle options at the following link:

http://starbulletin.com/2008/01/30/news/story04.html

The transit vehicle options are illustrated in the PDF file at the following link:

http://www.honolulutransit.org/pdfs/whats_new/technology_supplier_pictures.pdf

The options are as follows:

==========================================================
Advanced Public Transport Systems
Rubber-tire vehicles that run on concrete
» Its Phileas concept involves hybrid systems that run on rubber
tires with magnetic markers on the road.
» Their projects include systems in Eindhoven in the Netherlands,
Douai in Northern France and South Korea.








==========================================================
Alstom Transport
Steel-wheel-on-steel-rail vehicles
» Ranks second worldwide in the urban transport market, according to
its Web site, with services in more than 60 countries.
» Recently awarded a contract to supply 126 metro cars for the
Nanjing Metro Line 1 in China.








==========================================================
Ansaldobreda
Steel-wheel-on-steel-rail vehicles
» Has fleets operating in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Boston,
Cleveland, Los Angeles and San Francisco.








==========================================================
Bombardier
Steel-wheel-on-steel-rail vehicles
» Canadian manufacturer that built the subway cars in New York.
» Awarded a contract in 2003 to renew and modernize two-thirds of the
London Underground System.








==========================================================
Siemens Transportation
Rubber-tire vehicles on concrete
» Contracted in 2006 to build a system in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul,
that includes 15 two-car rubber-tired vehicles. The elevated system
spans 10.6 kilometers.








» Siemens also proposes a steel-wheel-on-steel-rail system. It built
an elevated "skytrain" in Bangkok and the Light Rail System in
Houston. It recently got a contract to expand projects in Guangzhou
and Shanghai, China.








==========================================================
Mitsubishi-Itochu
Magnetic levitation vehicles
» According to Wayne Yoshioka, Honolulu's transportation director,
the only urban magnetic-levitation system in the world is in Nagoya,
Japan, called the Limino.








==========================================================
Mitsubishi-Sumitomo
Steel-wheel-on-steel-rail vehicles
» This consortium of Mitsubishi Corp. was awarded a contract in 2005
to build a 70-kilometer long rail in Dubai on the Persian Gulf,
according to the International Herald Tribune.








==========================================================
Hitachi America
Monorail vehicles
» The Hitachi Monorail System has operations in Tokyo, Osaka, Tama
and Okinawa.








==========================================================
Translohr
Rubber-tire vehicles that run on concrete
» A rubber-tire light-rail transit that uses a single rail in the
center of the track as its guiding system.








==========================================================
IHI Corp.
Rubber-tire vehicles that run on concrete
» A Japan-based company that has manufactured light rail vehicles.








==========================================================

All of the above images are from the PDF file at the link above with the exception of the IHI system, which is from the IHI website.

For more information, see the website of the Honolulu high-capacity transit corridor project:

http://www.honolulutransit.org/


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## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

That's a pretty tough decision what transit mode they would build in Honolulu area. I think it should be light rail subway system similar to Vancouver's sky train but not with magnetic stuff on the middle of the rails (costs more).


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## jchernin (Jul 21, 2005)

all of them


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## jam5 (May 30, 2007)

Does Hawaii have an extensive ferry system, not dissimilar to that operated by Washington State in Puget Sound? This is a state that is essentially an archipelago of islands, after all...


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## Encinal (Oct 9, 2002)

I think a system similar to Vancouver's would be a good fit for Honolulu. No drivers means trains can be run more often without costing a huge amount of money.



jam5 said:


> Does Hawaii have an extensive ferry system, not dissimilar to that operated by Washington State in Puget Sound? This is a state that is essentially an archipelago of islands, after all...


You'd think... A ferry service just started (like a month or two ago). It was supposed to go between O'ahu, Maui, and Kauai; but has been REALLY controversial for reasons that never seem to be talked about in the newspapers. Right now it just goes between Honolulu and Maui.


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## Tri-ring (Apr 29, 2007)

I would suggest the maglev system for it's attraction ride elements since Honolulu's main source of income is tourism.
Tourists will probably find it amusing to ride a vehicle that glides through thin air at least once during their vist.:lol:


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## icracked (Feb 15, 2007)

As a city so far we are leaning towards Maglev because of the low emission and its quiet, great for our heavily urbanized city. 

Here's our ferry service, the Hawaii Superferry.










the inside.


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## Quente (Jan 9, 2005)

greg_christine said:


> There is a good article describing the transit vehicle options at the following link:
> 
> http://starbulletin.com/2008/01/30/news/story04.html
> 
> ...


Excellent find! Thanks for taking the time to post this.kay:

It's such a good resource that you might want to consider making it an individual thread so it can be easily accessed.

Thanks again.


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## deasine (Sep 13, 2007)

I think Vancouver SkyTrain is really expensive... Honolulu should have something similar to it: conventional train technology that is automated. Example, Vancouver's Canada Line, opening in 2009.

*Rotem/SNC-Lavin:*

From the Canada Line Docs:

















Credits to Bill Wong:


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## spongeg (May 1, 2006)

icracked said:


> As a city so far we are leaning towards Maglev because of the low emission and its quiet, great for our heavily urbanized city.
> 
> Here's our ferry service, the Hawaii Superferry.
> 
> ...


there was a special about this thing on discovery or NG the other week - it was pretty interesting

something about sealife getting caught up in it was a problem they faced when designing it


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Rail system expected to create thousands of new jobs *
17 February 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - Analysts say construction on Oahu's $3.7 billion commuter rail project could generate up to 9,100 jobs and result in an influx of workers from the Mainland. 

They say between a third and half of the jobs would be in the construction industry. 

The analysts from New York-based Parsons Brinckerhoff have a contract with the city to plan the transit system. 

They say Mainland workers would be needed for the project because of Hawaii's low unemployment rate, the scale of the construction and the specialty skills it requires. 

But the analysts note that the project also has some potential drawbacks. Its demand for building materials and workers, for example, could increase residential and commercial construction costs.


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

http://starbulletin.com/2008/02/23/news/story01.html

Panel picks steel transit system
A panel's pick, while expected, will face scrutiny as it moves into the political arena

STORY SUMMARY

The best mass transit option for Honolulu is a train system that uses steel wheels on steel rails, a city panel of transportation experts decided yesterday.

In a 4-1 vote, the panel chose that option for the $3.8 billion project, rejecting monorail, magnetic levitation and rubber tires on concrete.

The recommendation now goes to the City Council where the immediate reception was mixed. Some councilmembers said steel on steel makes the most economic sense, while others complained that the panel's selection was predetermined, rubber-stamping Mayor Mufi Hannemann's preferred choice.

Hannemann has said he wants to break ground in 2009 on a 20-mile mass transit system from West Oahu to Ala Moana Center.

The lone dissenter in yesterday's panel vote was University of Hawaii-Manoa engineering professor Panos Prevedouros, who argued that a rail system will have little impact on traffic congestion.

Panel Chairman Ron Tober said a steel-on-steel system will save the city money in the long run.

"We're not going to eliminate traffic congestion by any of these alternatives," he said. "We can do some things to reduce the growth in future traffic congestion or allow it to continue to grow at the rate that it has in the past."

WHAT'S NEXT

» The City Council will discuss selecting the fixed-rail technology at its Transportation Committee meeting Thursday morning.

» The city administration is preparing its draft environmental impact statement, hoping to include the technology pending the City Council decision, for federal review in June. The report is scheduled for public release in September. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Laurie Au

A panel of experts selected rail as the technology for the city's $3.8 billion fixed-guideway system yesterday, saying it is the most reliable and would be the least expensive long-term option for the city.

Four of the five panel members agreed steel wheel on steel rail was the best choice because it is the most commonly used mass transit system -- giving the city a competitive advantage when seeking bids -- has lower operating costs and can be more easily expanded in the future.

"If we were to select something that is widely available, it's not only competitive initially, it's competitive in the long term," said Henry Kolesar, a panelist and the group manager with the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. "Honolulu, I'm sure, will be expanding their system, and sticking with the low-risk, proven technology is in the best interest of Honolulu."

In the largest public works project in the state's history, the city would build a 20-mile elevated system from Kapolei to Ala Moana starting in late 2009 with plans to later extend it to the airport and University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann had long favored rail, but he proposed a panel of experts to consider four options -- rail, a rubber-tire bus system, monorail or magnetic levitation. The City Council, which has the final say on funding, will take up the technology selection with its own bill.

For the past week, panel members toured the island and evaluated information submitted to the city from 10 companies. In a meeting lasting about two hours yesterday at Mission Memorial Auditorium with brief comments by a handful of Oahu residents, panel members voted 4-1 to recommend rail.

Of the four technologies, the city received the most number of responses -- five companies, most of which are the largest providers in the world -- on rail. The panel did not select a company, which is done in a later procurement process. It is likely these companies would submit proposals.

Panel members rejected a monorail or magnetic levitation system, saying those technologies are not as common and have not been proved to work in other urban areas.

The other option, a rubber-tired bus on concrete, would not be appropriate for Honolulu because it has lower capacity and cannot be expanded as easily, several panel members said.

The lone dissenter, University of Hawaii-Manoa engineering professor Panos Prevedouros, proposed a bus system on managed lanes, meaning the elevated system would have its own lanes and connect to current roads. However, this was not a part of the city's four technology options and was ruled out.

Prevedouros favored his second choice, the rubber-tired bus system, because it would cut down on electricity use and be quieter than rail. This was also rejected by the other panel members.

Ron Tober, the panel's chairman and former leader of several U.S. rail transit operating systems, said initial costs to build rail are higher, but its operational costs are lower.

"I do believe steel wheel on steel rail will save you all money in the long run," said Tober, who added that the companies did not provide sufficient cost estimates for Honolulu's system.

Toru Hamayasu, the city's chief transportation planner, said rail as the chosen technology will not increase the city's costs for the project. Of the estimated $3.4 billion to $3.8 billion cost, about $200 million is budgeted for the technology. After inflation and interest, the total cost comes closer to $5 billion.

Prevedouros, long opposed to the city's preferred fixed-guideway system, questioned the need to spend billions of public money on a system he says will have low ridership and little impact on traffic congestion, which was stated in an earlier study by city consultants.

"We're not going to eliminate traffic congestion by any of these alternatives, including the managed-lanes alternative," Tober acknowledged. "We can do some things to reduce the growth in future traffic congestion or allow it to continue to grow at the rate that it has in the past."

Haunted by a decision by the 1992 City Council to block a mass transit system after federal funds were secured, several city and federal government leaders were pleased the panel moved the project forward.

"The principal thing for me is that the city needs to be committed to the full transit system," U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who has helped secure federal funds, said Thursday. "Whatever happens (with technology selection), I'm going to help make the project happen. ... Let's get going."

The earliest the City Council could approve its technology selection bill is mid-April. It would then go to Hannemann to sign into an ordinance.

"I think it's important for the public's confidence as well that their elected officials take this up and have the public hearings to make that decision," said City Councilman Todd Apo yesterday.

"That's their call," Hannemann said Thursday. "I just want them to make sure it's a timely decision so that we can factor it into our (environmental impact statement) ... and to keep us in line for competitive federal funds."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STEEL RAIL COMPANIES

Five groups submitted information to the city about the steel wheel/steel rail technology. The city's Fixed Guideway Technology Selection Panel used the information yesterday to pick the technology for Oahu's mass transit system. They are:









ALSTOM Transport: Ranks second worldwide in the urban transport market, according to its Web site, with services in more than 60 countries.









AnsaldoBreda Transportation Inc.: Created by the merger of two Italian companies, it has fleets operating in Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.









Bombardier Transportation: Canadian manufacturer that built New York's subway cars. It also built or supplies systems in England, Turkey and Portugal.









Mitsubishi-Sumitomo: A consortium of two companies, it provided part of Manila's rail system. Separately, both firms have extensive rail experience.









Siemens Transportation Systems Inc.: Built or supplied transit systems in San Diego, Boston, Houston, Denver, Bangkok and Singapore, among others.


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## Jai (Jan 5, 2003)

> In the largest public works project in the state's history, the city would build a 20-mile elevated system from Kapolei to Ala Moana starting in late 2009 with plans to later extend it to the airport and University of Hawaii at Manoa.


Wow, 2009? I heard 2012 at the earliest

Can't wait.. will save me a huge headache every day


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

Jai said:


> Wow, 2009? I heard 2012 at the earliest
> 
> Can't wait.. will save me a huge headache every day


2009 is probably the date for the start of construction. 2012 might be the earliest that actual transit service could begin.


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## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

It's all elevated for 20 miles? I thought it might be a subway in some spots, I guess not. Isn't there some dense areas that a elevated guideway can't go thru?


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080311/NEWS01/803110362/1001/NEWS01

Posted on: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 
Steel rail transit costs less, but it's noisier 

By Sean Hao
Advertiser Staff Writer

Honolulu is on track to pick the oldest, noisiest technology for a planned $3.7 billion commuter rail line connecting East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center.

Steel wheels on steel rails represents the most reliable and cost-effective means of moving masses of people in and out of urban Honolulu, but it is also the loudest, according to a city-appointed panel of experts.

Steel-on-steel technology could be a problem for some residents near the elevated tracks, where trains will pass at up to 55 mph about 400 times a day from 4 a.m. to midnight.

The biggest noise impact would be along Salt Lake Boulevard, though neighbors along Farrington and Kamehameha highways and Dillingham Boulevard also could be affected, according to a city consultant.

Much of the area near the tracks is relatively noisy, which should mitigate train noise, said Mayor Mufi Hannemann. In addition, new technologies make steel-wheeled trains quieter than in the past.

"The feeling is that by the time we start building, there will be an improved technology to mitigate that, but there's no question (noise issues) are going to exist," Hannemann said. "It comes down to choices. Do you want to go forward with this or do you want to just deal with the impacts of what we've been experiencing so far."

The increased noise pollution could also hurt the value of properties near the commuter rail line, but that could be offset by the added value of easy access to mass transit.

"There's both positive and negative (effects) ranging from noise intrusion into existing residential areas to convenience and retail opportunities at transit stops," said James Hallstrom, president of Honolulu appraisal firm The Hallstrom Group Inc.

Hannemann hopes to break ground on the project next year, with the first segment starting service between East Kapolei and Leeward Community College in 2012. The city's plan calls for adding service to Ala Moana Center by 2017.

TRAFFIC ALTERNATIVE

The transit system is expected to give commuters an alternative to increasingly congested highways and reduce urban sprawl. The project won't prevent traffic along the busy H-1 commuter corridor from worsening.

An expert panel decided last month to recommend steel wheels on steel track instead of quieter technologies such as monorail and magnetic levitation. They concluded steel was the best option based on reliability, safety, ride quality and cost.

How noise from the trains will affect neighbors along their 20-mile route will depend on a variety of factors, including existing noise levels, proximity of homes to the track and the type of train used.

The train is expected to generate no more than 75 decibels of noise at a distance of 50 feet, according to the city. In Salt Lake, the elevated train's route is expected to pass no closer than 100 feet from homes, though the distance could be closer in other communities. The city did not specify what the noise level will be at 100 feet.

Generally, 75 decibels equates to the noise made by a vacuum cleaner at 5 feet, or a jet flying 5,000 feet overhead, said Todd Beiler, an acoustical consultant at D.L. Adams Associates Inc. in Kailua. Under Federal Highway Administration rules, traffic noise next to homes should not exceed 67 decibels, he said. A city bus when accelerating generates 83 decibels within 50 feet, the city says.

Existing noise levels, primarily from street traffic, along Salt Lake Boulevard range from 59 to 69 decibels, according to New York-based project consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff.

That relatively high level of existing noise could mask train noise, Beiler said.

"If the existing ambient noise level is already at that noise level or maybe slightly above that when the rail goes by, you're not really going to hear it so much because the ambient noise masks the rail noise," he said. "If the train is going to emit the same noise through a quiet neighborhood, then there will be a bigger impact."

The steel-rail train would cause "severe" noise at 55 locations, all in Salt Lake, and "moderate" noise at 397 other locations in Salt Lake and along Farrington and Kamehameha highways, according to a May 2007 report prepared by Parsons Brinckerhoff.

ANNOYANCE FACTOR

The introduction of new noise into a community is considered severe if a significant percentage of people would be highly annoyed, according to the Federal Transit Administration, which oversees such projects. A moderate noise impact would be noticeable to most people, but may not cause strong, adverse community reaction, according to the agency.

Monorail technology would generate no "severe" noise along the proposed route and "moderate" noise at 282 locations, primarily in Salt Lake, according to the Parsons Brinckerhoff report. Magnetically levitated vehicles, which float above their track, would have no noise impact, the report said. The report did not cover the potential noise impact of rubber-tired bus technology.

The city-appointed panel that recommended steel was made up of five transit system experts who spent a week weighing proposals from 10 different vendors representing steel on steel, rubber tires on concrete, magnetic levitation and monorail technology. Four of the panelists rated steel technology the noisiest, though still within acceptable levels. One panel member rated rubber tire technology the noisiest.

Both magnetic levitation and monorail technologies were ruled out because of cost, capacity and technology concerns.

Apart from the type of technology used, other ways to ease train noise include: lubricating rails, using vibration absorbers and properly maintaining tracks and wheels to reduce squealing, according to the Federal Transit Administration.

Noise impacts could also be limited by building a 3- to 5-foot wall along the sides of the nearly 30-foot-high track, according to Parsons Brinckerhoff.

The city-appointed panelists said their recommendation was based on limited information about the costs of the different technologies. They went with steel in part because there are at least five potential vehicle vendors for steel, which are more vendors than any of the other alternatives, and will make the bidding more competitive.

The city's Committee on Transportation and Public Works voted 4-1 on Feb. 28 to accept the recommendation of the expert panel in favor of steel wheels.

The City Council is expected to vote on the issue three more times before its decision is final.

The lack of detailed cost information raised concern among some council members.

"By their own admission (panelists) did not get any information on costs from most of the respondents to the (request for information)," said council Chairwoman Barbara Marshall, during a recent hearing. "I think that's critical.

"The whole idea here was that we were supposed to select a system based on cost efficiency."

Council member Romy Cachola, who represents the Salt Lake/airport area, agreed the council needs more information about costs and noise of various technologies.

"Listening to the people in my district, that's what they want to know," he said. "How much does this technology cost compared to the others? I cannot answer because there's no detail as to that."

AIRPORT ROUTE

Another alternative to ease the noise impact would be to skip Salt Lake in favor of a route that runs by Honolulu International Airport along the H-1 viaduct. That route would generate no noise impact, according to Parsons Brinckerhoff. Hannemann prefers the airport route.

The Salt Lake route was selected over the airport route because Cachola threatened to vote against the project unless it was routed through Salt Lake.

Hannemann said, "I used to live in Salt Lake (so) I know how narrow that boulevard is. I think once (Salt Lake residents) see it, touch it, (and) see it coming, they may give Romy some push back."

Reach Sean Hao at [email protected].

========================================================









The Bombardier train is an example of the type of steel-on-steel technology proposed for the Honolulu rail system. While the loudest of the systems, it is also the most reliable and cost-effective.

Bombardier Transportation 

========================================================
SOURCES OF STEEL TRAIN NOISE

Wheel/guideway interaction

Propulsion system

Brakes

Auxiliary equipment

Wheel squeal

Cooling fans

In general, noise increases with speed and train length
Source: Federal Transit Administration

========================================================
WHAT'S NEXT

The next City Council meeting where transit technology may be discussed is at 10 a.m. March 19 at Honolulu Hale.

The city is also hosting transit system briefings in various neighborhoods:

Thursday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Alvah Scott Elementary School cafeteria, 98-1230 Moanalua Road.

March 17 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Waipahu Elementary cafeteria, 94-1211 Farrington Highway.

March 18 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Farrington High School library, 1564 North King St. 

========================================================


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## adrimm (Dec 17, 2006)

If they go with skytrain type vehicles, it would be great to see it partly below grade with a screened top in traditional residential areas.

Skytrain is fast, reasonably quiet, great for alot of areas, even high-rise, but the infrastructure is very invasive in existing traditional neighbourhoods - You've either got these massive pillars where it is elevated, or if it is at grade, massive fences becuase the tracks are dangerous.... takes all the gloss out of the system real fast.


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## Electrify (Mar 19, 2007)

> Panel members rejected a monorail or magnetic levitation system, saying those technologies are not as common and have not been proved to work in other urban areas.


Won't speak for Maglev since its strengths really are in long distance commuting, but monorail IS proven at being just as efficient as rail, all while being much safer. It would have been an excellent choice too since the system is planned to be elevated for virtually its entire run.

To hell with the noise, I'd be more concerned with how much sky the elevated light rail lines will block out...


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

Electrify said:


> Won't speak for Maglev since its strengths really are in long distance commuting, but monorail IS proven at being just as efficient as rail, all while being much safer. It would have been an excellent choice too since the system is planned to be elevated for virtually its entire run.
> 
> To hell with the noise, I'd be more concerned with how much sky the elevated light rail lines will block out...


The whole panel of experts process seems to have been a joke given that the panel made a recommendation based on cost yet they didn't have any actual cost data. The following is a snip from the Honolulu Advertiser article < http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080311/NEWS01/803110362/1001/NEWS01 > :

"...

The lack of detailed cost information raised concern among some council members.

"By their own admission (panelists) did not get any information on costs from most of the respondents to the (request for information)," said council Chairwoman Barbara Marshall, during a recent hearing. "I think that's critical.

"The whole idea here was that we were supposed to select a system based on cost efficiency."

..."


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/a.../20080319/BREAKING01/80319093/1001/BREAKING01

Updated at 10:42 p.m., Wednesday, March 19, 2008 
Council revives non-steel transit options 

By Sean Hao
Advertiser Staff Writer

The City Council decided tonight to reconsider whether Honolulu's planned $3.7 billion mass transit system will use rubber wheels, steel wheels or no wheels.

The move comes about a month after a council committee had endorsed steel wheels on steel rail as the preferred technology.

The City Council voted unanimously to consider magnetic levitation, rubber on concrete and steel technology for the project.

The change follows concern that steel technology could cause noise problems for neighbors of the elevated commuter rail and possibly hurt property values. 

By keeping the other technology options alive, "We will be able to look further (into) the implication of this technology," said Councilman Romy Cachola. "What it does is (allow us to see if) there is a better technology that works to address noise better, or (that's) not going to negatively impact property values."

Mayor Mufi Hannemann said while he was pleased the council voted 9-0 to advance the project, he was disappointed that it has not settled on a single technology.

"Tonight's vote means that rail is still moving forward," he said in a news release. "But it is a shame that the council could not support the process it voted to create." Hannemann said he is confident steel technology will ultimately be chosen, and pointed out that 56 of 62 federally funded major transit projects since 1992 use steel wheels on steel tracks.

Steel wheel and rail was recommended by a council-appointed panel for its reliability, capability, cost and rider comfort. However, four of five panelists who made the recommendation in February also rated steel technology as the noisiest alternative compared with rubber on concrete, magnetic levitation and monorail technologies.

Reach Sean Hao at [email protected].


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Transit option: back to steel-on-steel *
4 April 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - The Honolulu City Council is once again focused on a steel-on-steel mass transit system. 

The council's Transportation Committee has reversed an earlier decision to keep other options alive. 

Members voted 4-1 on Thursday to eliminate rubber tire or magnetic levitation systems from consideration. 

The new decision supports the conclusions of an independent panel that a steel rail system would be the best for the rapid transit system that will carry passengers from Kapolei to Ala Moana. 

The full city council is expected to vote on the proposal April 16. 

Mayor Mufi Hannemann supports the idea of steel rail and has stressed the need to settle on a system right away.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Planes, Trains and Automobiles to Merge at Honolulu Airport *
Updated: May 24, 2008 03:40 PM

HONOLULU (KHNL) -- The City and County of Honolulu's rail plan makes a pit stop at one of the busiest places on Oahu. The 20-mile route from East Kapolei all the way down to Ala Moana Center would now extend its service to Honolulu International Airport. That's something many people said they wanted all along.

The extension would begin at Middle Street and go to the airport. It has a price tag of $350 million, but the mayor says it's a necessary stop that would be used by those who live here and those who visit Oahu.

Seeing a light rail system at the airport could be as common as seeing planes, if Mayor Mufi Hannemann has his way.

"It's a no brainer when you consider 7,000 people are employed at the airport," said Hannemann. "It's a no brainer when 2,500 people ride the bus daily. It's a no brainer when you consider 58,000 people either arrive or depart from the airport daily."

Friday morning, Hannemann announced plans to expand the mass transit route to include the airport.

The new stop will start at Kamehameha Highway and Middle Street, and run 2.1 miles to the airport stopping at the current lei stand location.

"It would make sense," said Morgan Hill, a Wailua Bay resident. "I think it's pretty obvious that most people would want to go to the airport to get in and out especially with traffic in the morning hours and late afternoon hours. It makes perfect sense to me."

Hill is picking up graduation lei today. If the mayor's plan succeeds, that's all he may end up picking up at the airport.

"It just seems to me it's obvious it would alleviate traffic all around all the major arteries like Middle Street merge, H-1/H-2 merge, all the way out to the west side," said Hill. "I can't see any down side to it personally."

But critics say light rail is too expensive and not practical for Honolulu. The mayor says time is running out.

"The easiest thing to say is, 'No, no, no, no. Grumble, grumble, grumble. Moku, moku, moku. Complain, complain, complain," said Hannemann. "Come up with an alternative. If you got a better alternative that's not going to cost much money, I want to hear it."

The cost for the airport stop is about $350 million.

More money, and more debate in the mass transit saga.

Funding has not been secured for this addition, but the mayor says there's still time, and he's hoping the money comes from the state's airport fund or a percentage of the general excise tax.

He hopes to break ground by 2009.


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## officedweller (Mar 21, 2003)

icracked said:


> Here's our ferry service, the Hawaii Superferry.


Honolulu also has a commuter ferry called "The Boat":

http://www.trytheboat.com/


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## Slartibartfas (Aug 15, 2006)

Luckily they chose the real deal, real rail. 
I think it offers the best combination of capacity, and reasonable running costs.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Fight over planned rail service takes a new turn *
3 July 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - Another citizens group has joined the fray over the city's planned $3.7 billion elevated commuter rail system.

Go Rail Go, which favors the project advocated by Mayor Mufi Hannemann, on Wednesday criticized Stop Rail Now, accusing the anti-rail group of spreading deceptive statements.

"They're putting out a lot of misleading, distorting information," Go Rail Go officer Ken Wong said.

For its part, Stop Rail Now made a similar accusation against taxpayer-funded radio ads supporting the project.

"I found there's a whole lot of misinformation, deceptive information, and it's being paid for at taxpayers expense," John Carroll, Stop Rail Now's lead attorney, said Wednesday.

Carroll's group demanded Hannemann pull the ads in 48 hours or it would seek a temporary restraining order and file a lawsuit claiming fraud for false statements.

Elisa Yadao, a spokeswoman for Hannemann, defended the ads, saying they are factual and accurate.

Maeda Timson, president of Go Rail Go, said there is widespread grass-roots support for the rail transit project.

"Here we are in 2008, gas prices are sky high, traffic is out of control and our last best chance for a better transportation system is this rail project," Timson said. "I'm here today as part of the silent majority to stand up and say we support rail transit."

Meanwhile, Stop Rail Now said it has collected 35,000 signatures for a ballot initiative that would ask voters whether the city should exclude trains from Honolulu mass transit options. The group needs about 5,000 more signatures by Aug. 1 to get the measure on the November ballot.


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## dwdwone (May 7, 2004)

Why elevated? Is there something about the volcanic soil that would make tunneling prohibitively expensive? Or, why not 'at grade'?

With land at such a premium on the islands, it would seem a true subway might not be a bad idea.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*New polls released on rail transit *
28 July 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - More results have been released from two separate polls on Oahu's mass transit system.

One poll finds most residents don't expect to use a new rail system but still support it. The other shows most residents approve of Mayor Mufi Hannemann's handling of the proposed $4 bill mass transit system.

According to The Honolulu Advertiser-KGMB survey, 47 percent say they are very unlikely to regularly ride the train. Only 16 percent say they are very likely to ride the train.

The poll surveyed 510 residents and has a 6.2 margin of error.

The poll taken for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and KITV also showed 81 percent of those surveyed said they drive alone to work

The survey polled 402 Oahu residents and has a margin error of 4.8 percent.


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## micro (Mar 13, 2005)

hkskyline said:


> Only 16 percent say they are very likely to ride the train.


I suppose that would increase as soon as the system proves to be reliable and people get used to it.


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## en (Sep 30, 2004)

Its about time they started building a rail-based mass transit system. The geography of the city is perfectly suited for it. 

It makes MUCH more sense than that wide "interstate" highway that cuts through the city.


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## Jai (Jan 5, 2003)

It took me 3 @$%@$# hours to get from Punchbowl to Makakilo today. %@# this traffic. I say hurry up and build the damn thing. Thank God for the north shore. Don't have to deal with this crap every day. I'd go friggin postal


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## icracked (Feb 15, 2007)

^^Luckily I live in the city, I bike my way around town. I can't imagine using the H1/H2 on a daily basis during rush hour, I would go nuts.


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## Jai (Jan 5, 2003)

I'm usually not one to advocate road rage, but I saw a fiat almost ram some jackass line-cutter in a pickup into the viaduct, and I swear I was so close to gwan up and finish the job.

I can only embrace the aloha spirt for so long in hours of gridlocked traffic before I go all tora tora tora on someones ass


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## bayviews (Mar 3, 2006)

After decades of starts & stops, Honolulu is long overdue for a rail transit system. Although the city's population is modest, its quite densely populated & concentrated along a long narrow corrider along the Oahu oceafront that's ideally served by rail. 

As for technology options, Vancouver's rail system would be an ideal choice. It has proven cost-effective, both in terms of operating & capital costs, & has been continually expanded & has proven itself.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Honolulu city clerk rejects anti-rail petition *
5 August 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - Honolulu City Clerk Denise De Costa has refused to accept a petition seeking to have general election voters decide the fate of Oahu's planned $4 billion rail transit system.

De Costa on Monday reiterated her contention that the group Stop Rail Now had missed the deadline for submitting the petition with its estimated 49,000 signatures.

Stop Rail Now attorney Earle Partington says he will file a lawsuit in an effort to force De Costa to accept the petition.

The Honolulu City Council is considering other ways to get the issue before voters in November, including several proposals for charter amendments.

Council members agree some kind of transit measure should be on the ballot. They just haven't decided on the language of the questions.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Judge sides with anti-rail group *
14 August 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - A judge on Thursday ordered City Clerk Denise De Costa to accept a petition to put an anti-rail measure on the November ballot.

The group Stop Rail Now had filed suit after De Costa refused to accept the petition, saying it had been submitted too late. She based her decision on an interpretation of the City Charter.

"The public interest is quite clear," Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto said in siding with Stop Rail Now. "The voice of the people cannot be suffocated by the erroneous reading of the law by its own government."

"We're delighted," said Dennis Callan, co-chairman of Stop Rail Now. "The city clerk was completely out of line for denying us on the ballot and it was proven today."

Following the ruling, De Costa said she will process the petition, which the group says contains the signatures of 49,041 registered voters. De Costa has indicated 44,535 of the signatures must be valid to get the measure on the ballot.

Stop Rail Now attorney Earle Partington said the group is confident it will have enough validated signatures to ensure the measure will go to the voters.

Stop Rail Now is seeking to halt city plans to build a $4 billion rail transit system. Its proposed ordinance reads: "Honolulu mass transit shall not include trains or rail."

Meanwhile, the City Council is considering resolving the transit issue through possibly amending the City Charter.

Councilman Charles Djou has proposes separate charter amendments. One would ask voters if they want a rail system. The other calls for the creation of a transit authority to oversee design, construction and operation of the 20-mile system linking East Kapolei and Ala Moana. Councilman Todd Apo has submitted his version of a charter amendment that combines the two proposals.

For his part, Djou said Thursday that Sakamoto's ruling should bring an end to council efforts to decide the issue through amending the charter.

"I think today's court decision should effectively kill further City Council deliberations on a charter amendment regarding rail as well as a transit authority," he said.

Proposed charter amendments must be approved by the council before Sept. 5 to go on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.


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## Overground (Apr 11, 2005)

I find it shocking that a group of petition goers, who most probably have a very small grasp of what modern rail technology is, can be opposed to an environmentally clean mode of public transport. Instead they would rather have hundreds of exhaust spewing buses? A ROW LRT would work very well in Honolulu and wouldn't have to cost that much.

A metro like Vancouver's would cost a lot if Honolulu wanted to do tunnels and an elevated guideway might not turn on taxpayers. But a grade level ROW LRT would fit the bill. Though, does Honolulu even do rapid buses yet? This might be an alternative and then move onto lrt/tram after.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

I wonder if people can sue residents for using cars due to environmental factors .. turn the tables around.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Oahu rail misses deadlines *
31 August 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - Honolulu's proposed rail transit system is on schedule to break ground in December 2009 despite already missing two key dates.

A draft environmental impact statement and an engineering application were scheduled to be finished in the spring, but they've been pushed back to this fall.

But Mike Scheibe, deputy project manager for Parson Brinckerhoff, says the overall outlook for the launch of the $4 billion project remains the same.

The plan for the rail system calls for it to start partial operations by the end of 2012.

Delays could increase the cost of the project and affect the federal government's contribution.

It will take about a decade to finish the full 20-mile elevated commuter line.

------

Information from: The Honolulu Advertiser


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## LondonBVE (Jul 19, 2007)

I seriously do not understand what is the problem with those people in "No Rail Group". Either they are mentally not alright or just being stupid, trains has proven to be the fastest way to get from one place to another if it is built efficiently with good management yet there is these group of people who prefers to be wake up early like a zombie and stuck in a jam for hours before reaching their destination. Yes driving can be a pleasure but it is never a pleasure to stuck in a traffic jam, I was stuck in a heavy traffic just now because it is weekend and here in Singapore, there is this very special plate which is only allowed to drive on weekdays (after 7pm) and weekends (all day) which jam up the whole expressway and filling with all these plates. Also trains is environment-friendly and cost only a dollar. Unless you are a millionaire, I believe normal Americans have problem coping with rising oil prices so I think the best solution is a fully connected public transport. The poll may be very unpleasing but the same thing happens with all public transport, just like our public transport, if not because our government install a lot of electronic toll gantry (ERP) and the increased fuel price, I don't think the rail user will break record every year.

Anyway 55 MPH is not a really good speed to compete with cars since the cars on interstate travel faster than that. I think 60 - 70 MPH can be a good speed, not too fast but higher or equal to average interstate speed.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Well, it's America, and car is king. The fastest way is always by car, and trying to convince people a rail line will rumble through their neighborhoods can be a challenge. You have to understand the mindset is very different. People drive everywhere.


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## city_thing (May 25, 2006)

Have there been any decisions made regarding which mode of transport will be constructed? I looked through the earlier pages, and many of the articles simply discussed the Government there trying to decide which system to use - now on this page they're talking about the construction.

Have they decided on a metro...or? Are there any maps/renders/designs...?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

city_thing said:


> Have there been any decisions made regarding which mode of transport will be constructed? I looked through the earlier pages, and many of the articles simply discussed the Government there trying to decide which system to use - now on this page they're talking about the construction.
> 
> Have they decided on a metro...or? Are there any maps/renders/designs...?


http://www.honolulutransit.org/overview/

Looks like rail.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Island showdown: Pro-rail Honolulu mayor to face anti-rail councilwoman in runoff election *
21 September 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - Setting up a November election showdown over a commuter rail line, pro-rail Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann on Saturday was forced into a runoff with a city councilwoman opposed to the project.

Hannemann fell a hair short of winning re-election outright, taking 49.4 percent of the vote when he needed a majority. Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi got 30 percent, and a second rail opponent, Panos Prevedouros, picked up 18 percent.

Hannemann was once considered a sure bet for outright re-election, but contenders emerged to give a voice to those who believe a steel-rail commuter train would be an eyesore on the tropical isles, which attract 7 million tourists a year -- six times the permanent population.

"Now it's one-on-one," Hannemann said. "We're just delaying the inevitable. Yes, we'll have to campaign, and we'll do that."

The first-term mayor wants to build the $5 billion, 20-mile rail line to relieve pressure on the only highway from the suburbs to the city, which would give commuters an alternative to an increasingly crowded island bus system.

Kobayashi jumped into the race as an anti-rail candidate, favoring alternatives such as more rubber-tire buses, possibly on a new fixed guideway.

"I've been concerned about this rail project, how it affects our economy and people's property taxes, and the visual impact on the city," she said.

Without a decisive win, the anti-rail movement can claim momentum in the six weeks before the Nov. 4 election.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Oahu Voters decide to build rail line and re-elect Mayor Hannemann *
5 November 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - The train has left the station.

Honolulu voters on Tuesday approved the city's pricey steel-wheeled rail system, a 20-mile line meant to relieve heavy rush-hour commutes and provide an alternative to the island's only highway from the suburbs into town.

Voters also re-elected the rail system's biggest supporter, Mayor Mufi Hannemann, to a second term. He defeated anti-rail Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi.

"We need rail. We've tried all the alternatives, and we're maxed out," said 33-year-old Renee Hartenstein, who remembers taking BART trains in the San Francisco Bay Area as a child. "We're one of the only major metropolitan areas without a rail system."

The city has estimated it could cost up to $6.5 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars over the project's 10-year construction timetable.

Kobayashi and opponents of the rail line campaigned hard against it because they said it wouldn't do enough to reduce traffic. They claimed it was too noisy, too expensive and too much of a burden on taxpayers.

"I don't think it will alleviate traffic," said 37-year-old community college teacher Salvador Keahi. "I don't think it will be placed in the areas where we need it."

With all precincts reporting, voters gave the go-ahead for the city to build the rail system with 53 percent of the vote. Hannemann defeated Kobayashi with 58 percent of the vote.

The election was a major test for the rail system, which likely wouldn't have been built despite years of planning if voters had rejected it or if they had picked Kobayashi.

In other votes across Hawaii, residents rejected holding a constitutional convention, which a staunch advertising campaign turned away because of concerns over its multimillion-dollar cost and its potential to alter union protections.

Voters also selected former mayoral assistant Billy Kenoi mayor of the Big Island and county parks director Bernard Carvalho for Kauai, both by wide margins.


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## dwdwone (May 7, 2004)

Can anyone explain why they are insisting on an elevated system as opposed to an underground?


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## jamesinclair (Mar 21, 2006)

dwdwone said:


> Can anyone explain why they are insisting on an elevated system as opposed to an underground?


Knowing very little about hawaii....

Water issues? Earthquake issues?


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## BoulderGrad (Jun 29, 2005)

^^ I would imagine train tunnels would make great lava tubes.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Apo, Djou want to abandon Salt Lake rail route in favor of airport, Pearl Harbor*
6 November 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - Honolulu City Councilmen Todd Apo and Charles Djou want to change the route of Oahu's planned multibillion-dollar rapid transit system.

The rail system is to link Kapolei with Ala Moana, with a portion running through Salt Lake.

The lawmakers have introduced a bill that would abandon Salt Lake in favor of having the route run to Honolulu International Airport and Pearl Harbor.

Councilman Romy Cachola was the swing vote when the council approved the project in 2007. He had threatened to vote against rail unless it was routed through Salt Lake, which he represents.

However, Cachola's support is no longer needed, because Djou has switched from anti- to pro-rail.

In Tuesday's general election, Oahu voters approved the steel-wheeled rail system.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Shift of rail transit line to airport delayed *
21 November 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - Efforts to change the route of a proposed Oahu rail transit system so it stops at Honolulu International Airport will await the new year.

A city council committee on Thursday deferred action to allow more time for residents to voice their opinions on the issue.

A vote is expected Jan. 8.

Currently, the 20-mile route is slated to run from Kapolei to Ala Moana, and includes one or more stops in Salt Lake. But proponents want to shift the line from Salt Lake to the airport. They argue that would result in more riders.

City Council Chairman Todd Apo and Councilman Charles Djou, who introduced the change, had hoped to move the bill quickly through the City Council for approval to minimize any delay or cost impact.

But city transportation officials said waiting until January would do no significant harm to its plans.

Nestor Garcia, chair of the council's Transportation and Public Works Committee, said the delay will allow residents more time to voice their opinions on which route the train from East Kapolei to Ala Moana should take.

The city plans to start work on the rail line late next year. Limited service between West Loch and Waipahu would start in late 2013, and full service to Ala Moana would begin by the end of 2018.

Changing the route would break a commitment by the city to the Salt Lake community, which successfully lobbied for the current train route last year. That's when City Councilman Romy Cachola, who represents Salt Lake, cast a swing vote to keep the rail project alive if it went through Salt Lake rather than the airport.

A commuter rail system that runs past Pearl Harbor and the airport would cost more to build and maintain, but carry more passengers and alleviate more traffic, according to the city's recent draft environmental study. The change would add about $220 million to the project's $4.28 billion price tag.

Five people testified in favor of a Salt Lake route at a hearing Thursday. No one spoke out in support of the airport route. Several said they felt betrayed by the effort to switch.

"I voted for rail because it was passing through Salt Lake and now we shouldn't even be having this discussion here today about passing it through the airport," said Salt Lake resident Tony Soon Fah.


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## nouveau.ukiyo (Sep 20, 2007)

dwdwone said:


> Can anyone explain why they are insisting on an elevated system as opposed to an underground?


I think it's a cost issue? Also, keep in mind that elevated tracks are part of the reason why some people are opposed to this project. Another reason is that they feel there is no need for the project, mostly because Honolulu lacks the density, already has an excellent bus system and the money could be spent elsewhere. Please keep issues like this in mind; it's not always about "I don't like trains, so let's not build a rail line."

Personally, I think an airport extension should have been part of the original plan.


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## hoosier (Apr 11, 2007)

hkskyline said:


> Well, it's America, and car is king. The fastest way is always by car, and trying to convince people a rail line will rumble through their neighborhoods can be a challenge. You have to understand the mindset is very different. People drive everywhere.


Try getting around New York by car. It takes forever to get across a big city in the car. Traffic jams are horrific.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

hoosier said:


> Try getting around New York by car. It takes forever to get across a big city in the car. Traffic jams are horrific.


But the vast majority of America is nothing like New York. Even in LA the traffic is insane yet people still prefer car over transit.


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## hoosier (Apr 11, 2007)

hkskyline said:


> But the vast majority of America is nothing like New York. Even in LA the traffic is insane yet people still prefer car over transit.


THe New York metro area has nearly 20 million people, or 7% of the country's population. And considering LA's freeway system dwarves its rail system, taking the car is the only choice for a lot of people. But LA has seen steady growth in its rail ridership and is building new lines to shift more travel to rail.


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## BoulderGrad (Jun 29, 2005)

hkskyline said:


> But the vast majority of America is nothing like New York. Even in LA the traffic is insane yet people still prefer car over transit.


Thats the point. People still drive, even in insane traffic, because in many cases there isnt an effective alternative. So far, most new rail systems have either meet or vastly exceed their projected ridership. But usually its just a small starter line, so the dent it makes in traffic is negligible. Once cities start to complete more comprehensive systems (like LA, or Honolulu, or Seattle, or Houston, or San Jose, or Denver, etc, etc, etc) You will begin to see very rapid increases in the number of people dropping the car from their commutes.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Council OKs new rail route *
28 January 2009

HONOLULU (AP) - The City Council on Wednesday gave final approval to changing the route of the $5.5 billion rail transit system from Salt Lake Boulevard to Honolulu International Airport and Pearl Harbor.

The vote was 6-2, with Councilmen Romy Cachola, who represents the Salt Lake area, and Duke Bainum dissenting.

The change, which was introduced by Councilmen Charles Djou and Todd Apo, will cost the city an additional $220 million.

"If Honolulu does rail, we must do it right," Djou said in a news release. "Switching the rail route from Salt Lake Boulevard to the airport and Pearl Harbor is the first of several steps needed to correct numerous problems with the proposed Honolulu rail system.

"Linking the airport, the entry point for virtually all tourists affecting Hawaii's largest industry, and Pearl Harbor, one of Oahu's largest employment centers affecting Hawaii's second largest industry, is simple common sense," he said.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann wants construction to begin late this year, with parts of the 20-mile line running from Kapolei to Ala Moana opening in phases between 2013 and 2019.

Meanwhile, federal officials concerned about the security of the Honolulu federal building are asking for another change in the planned route of the mass transit system.

They don't want the commuter train passing too close to the Prince Kuhio Federal Building out of concern over a terrorist attack and the security of federal courts.

Federal Judge Helen Gillmor and U.S. District Marshall Mark Hanohano signed a letter to the City Council expressing concern.

The letter said the current planned route along Ala Moana Boulevard runs past three judges chambers.

Gillmor also pointed to the 1995 attack on the Oklahoma City federal building and the 2004 bombing of a Madrid commuter train as examples of the dangers the Prince Kuhio Federal Building might face.


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## city_thing (May 25, 2006)

Will this line be underground, or elevated? They have decided on a real metro, yeah? Not just a light rail line?

There doesn't seem to be much information available on this project.


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## icracked (Feb 15, 2007)

city_thing said:


> Will this line be underground, or elevated? They have decided on a real metro, yeah? Not just a light rail line?
> 
> There doesn't seem to be much information available on this project.


^^ This project was never "light rail" to begin with. The city of Honolulu used the term "light rail" because its more appealing to the voters (mainly the undecided) than "heavy rail." There's constant updates on this project in our local newspapers and here is the government's site for the project. Everything will be elevated.









http://www.honolulutransit.org/


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## city_thing (May 25, 2006)

^^ Please feel free to post more information then. Not all of us are within the vicinity to receive Honolulu's local media.


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## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

That superferry is amazing! I'm really jealous.... 

By the way, make sure rail is here to stay, prepare logistics lines so that even truckers get off the roads.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Tax surcharge raises $300 million for mass transit *
27 January 2009

HONOLULU (AP) - Collections of the tax to support mass transit on Oahu are approaching $300 million.

State tax records show collections of the half-cent charge on all goods and services rose nearly 11 percent last year to just over $162 million.

Despite that, Honolulu city officials say the monthly take is falling short of expectations.

The money is for Honolulu's $5 billion steel rail transit system between Kapolei and Ala Moana.

Gov. Linda Lingle has called for some of the funds to be used to ease the state's growing deficit. Supporters of that idea say the tax surcharge could be extend beyond the planned 2022 expiration to make up for any shortfall.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann and other city officials argue that any other use of the funds would be risky to the transit project.


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## Ganis (Jan 3, 2009)

spent my summer in Honolulu and THEY NEED a light rail system for that Island.


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## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

Awesome idea... Here in Puerto Rico they just built it with loans, so there is considerable debt since ridership level didn't go as high as planned. Stupid car mentality.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Honolulu rail won't come with much parking *
30 March 2009

HONOLULU (AP) - Honolulu's planned rail stations will have only limited parking spaces for commuters.

The city predicts that nine out of every 10 trips on the rail line will be by people arriving at train stations by bus, bicycle or foot.

But that still leaves about 11,000 daily rail rides coming from those who drive to train stations, and it's unclear where they will be able to park.

The city plans to provide parking for 4,100 cars at four train station park-and-rides located between East Kapolei and Aloha Stadium.

City transportation director Wayne Yoshioka says it's not economically feasible for the city to provide parking around stations in urban Honolulu.

------

Information from: The Honolulu Advertiser


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## Overground (Apr 11, 2005)

I'm wondering what the odds are that they will use a system like Vancouver's multi-grade Skytrain(also Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing). It seems a no-brainer at this point and I'd be surprised if they didn't. Elevated, automated, and not light rail but also not a standard metro. 

I also wonder if and when an extension into Waikiki would be underground. It's density and high-rise architecture is very similar to Vancouver's downtown peninsula as 2 metro lines run underground there due to space at grade and above.


....and thank god they decided to go by Honolulu airport instead.


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## Bremas (Jul 8, 2009)

3 bidding for Oahu rail
Two train suppliers now say they won't submit bids
Monday, July 6, 2009

Two major train suppliers have pulled out of the running to provide vehicles and systems for Honolulu's planned rapid transit system.

That leaves three companies competing for the estimated $230 million city contract scheduled to be awarded next year. The vehicles and systems contract is a small part of the $5.4 billion rail project. However, the style of the rail cars chosen will determine much of the system's overall character.

Two companies that won't be providing the trains are Paris-based Alstom and Sacramento, Calif.-based Siemens Transportation Systems Inc. Both companies confirmed last week that they won't be bidding on Honolulu's project.

That probably makes the world's No. 1 train supplier, Bombardier Transportation, a favorite for the deal. So far Berlin-based Bombardier Transportation; Genoa, Italy-based Ansaldo STS and a consortium led by New York City-based Sumitomo Corporation of America are the only other competitors that have announced interest in the contract.

Siemens, which calls itself the nation's No. 1 maker of light rail vehicles, did not explain why it's not interested in the project. Alstom, which says it is No. 1 in the high- and very-high-speed train sector, said it decided not to bid on Honolulu's project based on the level of competition and the size of the city's contract.

"We took a look at this one and said, 'Yeah there's three real good competitors,' " said Charles Wo- chele, an Alstom vice president for marketing and business development. "We know them well, we compete with them. If our car fit better with the specifications and we had something that was a little closer fit, we'd go after it. But we're chasing some big projects in the Mainland right now and you can't chase them all."


----------



## mr.x (Jul 30, 2004)

^ yay! Proud to be Canadian, home to the world's number 1 train supplier.


Would Bombardier to proposing to use ART technology for Honolulu?


----------



## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

^^I believe Bombardier is proposing ART for Honolulu. The Vancouver Mark II trains have been featured prominently in publicity for the project. I will be rooting for Bombardier for this project.


----------



## mr.x (Jul 30, 2004)

greg_christine said:


> ^^I believe Bombardier is proposing ART for Honolulu. The Vancouver Mark II trains have been featured prominently in publicity for the project. I will be rooting for Bombardier for this project.


You've probably only seen the first generation Mark II SkyTrain cars we have. 

Vancouver is getting the second generation Mark II cars this year, 48 of them. The trains are much more quieter than even the first generation Mark II's, and they also have a faster acceleration. We also have a new seating arrangement, which rearranges the seats to make the interior more space efficient.


Notice a new "destination" LED sign at the front/ends of the train:











New LED live system map, showing the direction of the train's movement and the next station it is heading towards with blinking lights:


----------



## deasine (Sep 13, 2007)

My vote would also be for Bombardier, but Ansaldo STS does some pretty amazing projects too, like the Coppenhaggen Metro.









Source: Railway-Technology


----------



## mr.x (Jul 30, 2004)

^ definitely Bombardier, so we can add one more to the worldwide ALRT list! woot!


----------



## deasine (Sep 13, 2007)

mr.x said:


> ^ definitely Bombardier, so we can add one more to the worldwide ALRT list! woot!


Hate to take over the thread, but this just totally proves SkyTrain technology is a great alternative considered by many transit agencies. If Bombardier gets chosen, stupid zweisystem, LRT advocate for a line in Vancouver, will be proven wrong yet again.


----------



## mr.x (Jul 30, 2004)

deasine said:


> Hate to take over the thread, but this just totally proves SkyTrain technology is a great alternative considered by many transit agencies. If Bombardier gets chosen, stupid zweisystem, LRT advocate for a line in Vancouver, will be proven wrong yet again.


I wonder what excuse he'll come up with...


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## JustinB (Aug 12, 2008)

How many LRT systems are there compared to ART? How many are built yearly compared to ART? The evergreen line is even in danger of being cut

Bombardier sells more LRV's than ART. That has to say something. 

ART will always been a niche technology catering to a select few demands.


----------



## Bremas (Jul 8, 2009)




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## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

^^^^ Thanks alot!


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## deasine (Sep 13, 2007)

JustinB said:


> How many LRT systems are there compared to ART? How many are built yearly compared to ART? The evergreen line is even in danger of being cut


That's just bull shit from the transit agency so that they can get more funding. They aren't in charge of building the Evergreen Line, the Provincial Government is. Besides, the project is already under Environmental Studies and the detailed design of the project is generally complete, with public consultations occurring later this year.



JustinB said:


> Bombardier sells more LRV's than ART. Thaat has to say something.


We don't question Light Rail technology... which obviously has it advantages over ART. It's more like the type of technology chosen should be studied in a case by case basis. The Broadway corridor must be built SkyTrain period.



JustinB said:


> ART will always been a niche technology catering to a select few demands.


Sure. Either way though, for the Honolulu project, ART might be worth taking a good look at because they want an automated, attractive, fully segregated system and it seems that Oahu planners are favoring ART.


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## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

I don't know how Honolulu is financing their project, but I hope they're careful with what they choose to do. 

San Juan failed miserably because the system was never finished and so it never reached critical areas. *Avoid lawsuits*, especially if you're using federal money. Try to have everything built on-time. Some contractors took too long to build stations and lawsuits ensued. 

Another failure of the San Juan metro was it didn't attract ridership. Expansion to the airport never happened so, potential tourists never rode it. SUV-loving residents well, love their cars and 6-lane highways make moving around by car smooth. 

Also, recommended for success, make a unified payment system for all transportation options in Oahu. 

As soon as this is built, I'm getting on a plane to Hawaii. As always I hope y'all succeed. It's critical for Hawaii to develop the train culture. 

Also, if someone could clarify how they plan on getting financing...


----------



## desertpunk (Oct 12, 2009)

*City Says Construction on Controversial Rail Project May Restart as Early as September*












> Friday, August 30th, 2013
> 
> A year after a Hawaii State Supreme Court ruling halted construction on Honolulu's controversial $5.2 billion elevated steel on steel rail project, construction will likely resume in a matter of weeks, according to a statement issued Friday by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.
> 
> ...



*~ Work has resumed:* http://www.khon2.com/news/work-resumes-for-oahus-rail-transit-project


----------



## dwdwone (May 7, 2004)

Perhaps they should have expanded on the existing subway.


----------



## jam5 (May 30, 2007)

*New Engineer Takes Over Honolulu Rail Project*

_By Nick Grube 
11/26/2013_

A new contractor is taking over some of the oversight on Honolulu’s $5.26 billion rail project, and will be paid nearly $50 million to do so.

On Tuesday, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation awarded a contract to CH2M Hill, an international engineering firm, to replace Parsons Brinckerhoff.

CH2M Hill’s contract is expected to run through the end of construction of the 20-mile rail line, which is slated to be fully operational by 2019.

The company, whose headquarters are in Englewood, Colo., beat out Parsons Brinckerhoff and several other companies to win the $46.1 million contract with HART.

Parsons Brinckerhoff has signed nearly $500 million in engineering contracts with HART that dealt with major components of the rail project, including helping to develop the plan that allowed the city to bring in $1.55 billion in federal grant funds for rail. The company's current contract will end when the agreed-upon funding dries up, likely early next year.


----------



## BoulderGrad (Jun 29, 2005)

dwdwone said:


> Perhaps they should have expanded on the existing subway.


sarcasm?


----------



## Bobdreamz (Sep 12, 2002)

Nice to see this project back on track!


----------



## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

Rail Agency alters train design [Subscription Req]



> When local transit officials started planning Oahu's elevated rail project, they envisioned a flexible system that could run trains of two, three and four cars from the instant the rail line started operating — a way to adjust to growing ridership and periods of greater demand.
> However, after awarding a $1.4 billion contract in 2011 to Ansaldo Honolulu JV to design, build, operate and maintain that system, the local agency overseeing the rail project realized that's not what Oahu would get.
> 
> 
> ...


Not sure what to think of this. On one hand, they have increased individual train capacity. On the other, headways are doubled (though still pretty frequent by most standards). Not to mention the anti-rail critics will just get louder whatever happens.


----------



## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

Longer trains for Honolulu's Rail Transit Line, huh? Not only would frequency be increased (from 3 minutes to between 5 and 6 minutes), but the proposed stations' platforms would have to be extended to accommodate the longer trains.


----------



## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

^^ Actually, the stations were designed for 4-car trains since the inception of the project with ~240ft platforms, though what were (and still are) major criticisms are the elevated guideway and automation of the vehicles. The latter being a noted factor in the train-length debate with Ansaldo.


----------



## desertpunk (Oct 12, 2009)

Honolulu Rail by Civil Beat, on Flickr


----------



## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

Nexarc said:


> ^^ Actually, the stations were designed for 4-car trains since the inception of the project with ~240ft platforms, though what were (and still are) major criticisms are the elevated guideway and automation of the vehicles. The latter being a noted factor in the train-length debate with Ansaldo.


Some more about those longer trains for the Honolulu Rail Transit Line:

The line was initially going to be served by trains with a length of 128 ft (39 m) and a capacity of 390 passengers w/ 72 seats. Now the trains will have a length of 256 ft (78 m) and a capacity of 780 passengers w/ 144 seats. This is based on the fact that each car has a length of 64 ft (20 m) long and has a total capacity of 195 people w/ 36 seats. I think the stations' platforms should have a length of 262 ft (80 m).


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## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

I understand what you are saying and somewhat agree. On the other hand the requirement HART gave was that the vehicle can open all doors onto the platform, regardless of the actual vehicle length. If my math is right, there is about 3.5m from the coupler to the edge of the first door according to this old thing (assuming that the body itself hasn't changed significantly). The 71m of a 4-car consist is still kinda pushing it for a 73m platform, but doable with today's automatic control.


----------



## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

*Federal Courts Clear the Way for Completion of Rail Transit Project
*

In separate decisions announced today, two federal courts ruled that the Honolulu Rail Transit Project had done everything necessary to comply with applicable federal laws and is allowed to move forward.
A panel from the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Oahu's elevated rail project complies with environmental, historic preservation, and other laws. And at the trial court level in the same case, Judge A. Wallace Tashima ruled that the project had looked at all alternatives regarding the rail route. Tashima also ruled that the project had properly considered and rejected a route involving an underground tunnel and ending at the University of Hawaii's Manoa campus, as an alternative to the selected elevated route ending at Ala Moana Center.
Tashima also lifted an order blocking construction and most property acquisition activities in the City Center section of the project, which extends from Kalihi to Ala Moana Center.
HART CEO Dan Grabauskas stated, "We are pleased that both the Ninth Circuit panel and Judge Tashima ruled in our favor. These rulings reaffirm that we properly complied with the environmental process and studied all prudent alternatives. This is a great day not only for HART, but also for taxpayers of the City and County of Honolulu, who will be relieved to know we have finally come to the end of this costly legal battle."
Grabauskas added, "These rulings were essential to keeping the project moving so that we can complete all the necessary work, studies and property acquisitions in the City Center area. This will allow us to bring this project in, as promised, on time and on budget."

Related Documents:
 Intermediate Court of Appeals Opinion (.pdf)
 Distrct Court Ruling (.pdf)


Source: Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit (HART)


----------



## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

On the 5th March, FTA announced list of 32 favorable transit projects for funding for 2015. Region's favored matched in red:


image by dimlys46, on Flickr


----------



## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

If the Waikiki Extension and/or the U of H @ Manoa Extension should ever happen, would parts of the Ala Moana Shopping Mall be demolished to make way for the elevated tracks?


----------



## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

Jim856796 said:


> If the Waikiki Extension and/or the U of H @ Manoa Extension should ever happen, would parts of the Ala Moana Shopping Mall be demolished to make way for the elevated tracks?


The original idea was that such extensions would be from a future second platform level and viaduct over the existing Neiman Marcus wing.


----------



## xeror (Aug 21, 2004)

Why would adding more cars later result in weeks of shutdown? There are numerous examples in the world of adding more cars without any interruption to the system.


----------



## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

The line wouldn't completely shut down, but I'm guessing the fact that the nature of the semi-permanent coupling plus fully automatic operation requires both cars temporarily out of service and moderate reprogramming during the integration phase which would result in some service disruption.


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## xeror (Aug 21, 2004)

> Under what the firm had proposed, "you might have to shut the line down for some time" to convert those trains to greater lengths, HART Deputy Director for Systems Rainer Hombach said Friday, although he said he didn't have an estimate on how much time.


Here they said the line may have to be shut down for some time. Decoupling trains does not take too long. And system can be prepared in advance for the upgrade. Seems like they are too lazy to think for a better solution.


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

This whole thing makes no sense. The article in Post #141 includes the following:

_The four-car trains would actually see 11 percent fewer new riders than if the system ran the two-car trains, said Mike Bogonovich, a systems engineer with HDR/InfraConsult.

Recently conducted ridership models from outgoing rail consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff show that 104,300 daily riders would use rail with a four-car train design in its opening year — compared to 117,000 daily riders on a two-car train design, according to several of Bogonovich's email exchanges with Parsons Brinckerhoff employees.

In 2030, the system would have 119,600 daily riders on four-car trains and 133,800 in two-car trains, those emails show."_

Operating shorter trains at shorter headways is a major advantage permitted by automated operation. Making up four-car trains by coupling two two-car trains would allow for quickly adjusting capacity to meet demand without having to do a switching operation to allow cars to be added at the middle of the trains. There doesn't seem to be any good reason to switch to four-car trains for the initial opening.


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## ajw373 (Oct 24, 2007)

greg_christine said:


> Operating shorter trains at shorter headways is a major advantage permitted by automated operation. Making up four-car trains by coupling two two-car trains would allow for quickly adjusting capacity to meet demand without having to do a switching operation to allow cars to be added at the middle of the trains. There doesn't seem to be any good reason to switch to four-car trains for the initial opening.


Assuming the plan isn't to operate 4 cars at half the frequency. But what would be the point in an automatic system?


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

DEL


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

I would like to mention that I would like to include Star Advertiser articles in to the mix, but most require a subscription to view them and that the articles urls under subscriptions are not fully displayed so I cant link to them either.


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Deadline for crucial legislation approaches*
> Decisions remain on Hawaii's public hospitals and Honolulu rail project​
> Published 10:54 AM HST Mar 08, 2015
> 
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.kitv.com/news/deadline-for-crucial-legislation-approaches/31684134

------------------------------​
A few days later...


> *House and Senate pass bills to extend rail tax*​Posted: Mar 10, 2015 6:41 PM HST
> Updated: Mar 10, 2015 8:39 PM HST
> By Lisa Kubota
> 
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/28368564/house-and-senate-pass-bills-to-extend-rail-tax

------------------------------​


> *Bills to Extend Honolulu’s Rail Tax Clear House, Senate*
> Hundreds of bills, from pot to pesticides, crossed over to the other chamber ahead of Thursday's deadline.​
> MARCH 10, 2015
> By NATHAN EAGLE
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/03/bills-to-extend-honolulus-rail-tax-clear-house-senate/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *HART terminates $63 million rail contract, could cost taxpayers*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read full article here: http://khon2.com/2015/03/11/hart-terminates-63-million-rail-contract-could-cost-taxpayers/

------------------------------​


> *Honolulu HART cancels URS contract​*Monday, March 16, 2015
> Written by Douglas John Bowen
> 
> *Mindful of a potential conflict of interest, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) has canceled a $63 million contract previously awarded to URS Corp. in a consultant role.*
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/rapid-transit/honolulu-hart-cancels-urs-contract.html


----------



## Silly_Walks (Aug 23, 2010)

"$6 billion rail system"

Why is it that expensive?


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Currently, the city council is grilling HART for that reason at the moment, which I will get to once I try to finish the rest of March. I'm crazy just trying to do this. :nuts:

------------------------------​


> *Honolulu Rail Tax: How Long Will It Go?*
> An extension of the GET surcharge is still alive after a Senate hearing Thursday, but it's way too soon to know what a final version will look like.​
> MARCH 19, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/03/honolulu-rail-tax-how-long-will-it-go/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Pearl City closures, traffic trigger up to two-hour bus delays*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read full article here: http://khon2.com/2015/03/24/pearl-city-closures-traffic-trigger-up-to-two-hour-bus-delays/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Council report shows little wiggle room when it comes to rail*​
> UPDATED 7:23 PM HST Mar 25, 2015
> By Andrew Pereira
> 
> ...


Read full article and watch video here: http://www.kitv.com/news/Council-report-shows-little-wiggle-room-when-it-comes-to-rail/32020560


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Frequent Fliers: Nearly $500K Spent on Rail Travel to Date*
> Travel is a necessity when it comes to building Honolulu's first ever commuter rail line, and taxpayers are on the hook.​
> MARCH 25, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/03/frequent-fliers-nearly-500k-spent-on-rail-travel-to-date/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *House committee approves audit of rail project*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.kitv.com/news/House-committee-approves-audit-of-rail-project/32016604

----------------------------------​EDIT:


> *House to HART: Open Up Your Books*​Hawaii lawmakers want to audit the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation while officials there questions whether the added scrutiny is necessary.​MARCH 25, 2015·By NICK GRUBE
> 
> Hawaii lawmakers, who are considering the extension of a tax hike to pay for Honolulu’s $6 billion rail project, want more assurances before they sign off.
> 
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/03/house-to-hart-open-up-your-books/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Honolulu Rail: Big Questions Demand a Legislative Special Session*
> Recent surprises including cost overruns, revenue shortfalls and a lack of transparency around subcontractors deserve undivided legislative attention.​
> MARCH 30, 2015
> By THE CIVIL BEAT EDITORIAL BOARD
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/03/honolulu-rail-big-questions-demand-a-legislative-special-session/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

EDIT:


> *Rail community town hall set for Monday evening*
> Meeting at Washington Middle School starting at 5:30 p.m.​
> Published 11:33 AM HST Mar 30, 2015
> By Clayton Wakida, KITV Digital Media Manager
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.kitv.com/news/rail-community-town-hall-set-for-monday-evening/32094400

-----------------------------------------​


> *Rail Town Hall Meeting heats up residents*​UPDATED 11:00 PM HST Mar 30, 2015
> By Kenny Choi
> 
> A recent projected deficit of $910 million for the Honolulu rail project has both lawmakers and residents concerned. Tensions mounted as officials tried to explain the future of rail finances to a crowd ready to tear it down.
> ...


Video here: http://www.kitv.com/news/rail-town-hall-meeting-heats-up-residents/32103214


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Railing Against Honolulu’s $6 Billion Rail Project*
> More than 100 people showed up to a town hall meeting to question city and HART officials about the controversial project.​
> MARCH 30, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/03/railing-against-honolulus-6-billion-rail-project/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Don't know if this should be here...


> *ZipperLane open to westbound drivers as traffic at standstill*​By Star-Advertiser staff
> POSTED: 10:46 a.m. HST, Mar 31, 2015
> LAST UPDATED: 05:32 p.m. HST, Apr 01, 2015
> 
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/...ecause_of_computer_problems.html?id=298202631

------------------------------------​


> *ZipMobile repaired a day after it broke down*​UPDATED 6:59 AM HST Apr 02, 2015
> By Clayton Wakida, KITV Digital Media Manager
> 
> HONOLULU —The state Department of Transportation is notifying motorists that repairs on the ZipMobile near the Honolulu International Airport has been successful Wednesday afternoon.
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.kitv.com/news/zip-mobile-stalled-in-waikele-area/32116028


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Lawmaker Frustration Leads to New Call for Rail Audit*
> Honolulu City Council Ernie Martin wants more scrutiny of the $6 billion project, and is suggesting teaming up with the state to probe spending and financial oversight.​
> APRIL 1, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/lawmaker-frustration-leads-to-more-calls-for-rail-audits/

-------------------------------------​


> *Tension Bubbles Between Honolulu City Council and HART*
> They passed two pro-rail measures but council members are concerned they're still not getting the full picture on the rail project.​
> APRIL 1, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/tension-bubbles-between-honolulu-city-council-and-hart/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Rail transit CEO asks to forgo bonus amid financial woes*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read full article here: http://khon2.com/2015/04/02/rail-transit-ceo-asks-to-forgo-bonus-amid-financial-woes/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Department of Transportation vows to get better*​
> Posted: Apr 03, 2015 3:59 PM HST
> Updated: Apr 03, 2015 3:59 PM HST
> By Chris Tanaka
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/28719163/department-of-transportation-vows-to-get-better


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Is Ige On Board With Extending Honolulu Rail Tax?*
> The Hawaii governor is skeptical about extending the General Excise Tax, but he believes the 20-mile project should move forward as planned.​
> APRIL 6, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/is-ige-on-board-with-extending-honolulu-rail-tax/


----------



## desertpunk (Oct 12, 2009)

*Construction progress 3/15*


Rail by hawaii, on Flickr


Rail by hawaii, on Flickr


Rail by hawaii, on Flickr


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

*Construction back in Aug-28-14 LCC Depot*


Aug-28-14 LCC Depot (3) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Aug-28-14 LCC Depot (7) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Aug-28-14 LCC Depot (8) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Aug-28-14 LCC Depot (9) by akiosan7, on Flickr


----------



## lkstrknb (Jan 14, 2009)

Maybe I think it is noisy because of the electrical pickup shoe scraping along the third rail? It has just always been my impression.

The Chicago CTA might just have some really noisy trains. It is noisy running on the elevated tracks (even the concrete structures on the Orange Line), surface running, and subway.


----------



## Silly_Walks (Aug 23, 2010)

If it is the electrical pickup shoe scraping along the third rail that's making a metro noisy, then either something is broken, or you have very quiet metro.


----------



## Bori427 (Jan 6, 2007)

lkstrknb said:


> I don't mean to stir things up, but isn't third rail systems noisier than catenary systems. Maybe I'm equating third rail to NYC subway and Chicago El, both very noisy trains in my opinion.


This is in San Juan, Puerto Rico


----------



## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

Regarding extension to Waikiki. Here's the planned extension (including UH Manoa).
20080815-Visual and Aesthetic Resources Technical Report-3 by miniviews, on Flickr

Based on City Council discussions (www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLKy5S0hN5I), extension to Waikiki (and perhaps University of Hawaii Manoa) is a single track vice double track configuration.

Kapolei extension:
20080815-Visual and Aesthetic Resources Technical Report-1 by miniviews, on Flickr

Salt lake extension:
20080815-Visual and Aesthetic Resources Technical Report-2 by miniviews, on Flickr

There were studies for a rail transit system between Pearl City and Hawaii Kai in 1982. No time to load or read EIS: http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared D...82-04-OA-FEIS-HONOLULU-RAIL-RAPID-TRANSIT.pdf

I believe the Waikiki extension was not considered during initial line due to politics (against rail are private operators such as Taxi and the multiple Trolley companies). Unsure why the UH Manoa extension was not considered.


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Secret Subcontractors: What Honolulu Rail Officials Aren’t Telling You*
> HART officials insist they don't have the authority to know how much subcontractors are being paid, but contract documents suggest otherwise.​
> APRIL 13, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE AND BOB PORTERFIELD
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/se...at-honolulu-rail-officials-arent-telling-you/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

I'm wondering, after a recent storm of events, is honolulu's recent predicaments common or is this one of those unusual cases compared to other transit projects.


----------



## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Maybe like in 30 years the rail will reach all major population centers on Oahu island, even North Shore.


----------



## phoenixboi08 (Dec 6, 2009)

lkstrknb said:


> Maybe I think it is noisy because of the electrical pickup shoe scraping along the third rail? It has just always been my impression.
> 
> The Chicago CTA might just have some really noisy trains. It is noisy running on the elevated tracks (even the concrete structures on the Orange Line), surface running, and subway.


I think they're noisy because the rolling stock is extremely heavy.


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Senate votes 22-3 to extend Oahu's rail tax​*Slom, Thielen, Riviere vote against measure​
> UPDATED 1:55 PM HST Apr 14, 2015
> By Andrew Pereira
> 
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.kitv.com/news/senate-votes-223-to-extend-oahus-rail-tax/32368130


----------



## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Suburbanist said:


> Maybe like in 30 years the rail will reach all major population centers on Oahu island, even North Shore.


Doubt it considering that the North Shore is extremely rural with very little "buildable" land.


----------



## swimmer_spe (Aug 15, 2013)

diablo234 said:


> Doubt it considering that the North Shore is extremely rural with very little "buildable" land.


They can build on the mountains. They could build towers where the houses are.

Remember, Waikiki was a swamp.


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

swimmer_spe said:


> They can build on the mountains. They could build towers where the houses are.
> 
> Remember, Waikiki was a swamp.


True, but there is also the fact that a lot of the residents in the North shore side are heavily against any type of large scale development, since its the only side that has escaped from large developers, so there really isn't a whole lot of "buildable" land.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Senate votes to extend rail tax*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read *related* article here: http://www.kitv.com/news/senate-votes-223-to-extend-oahus-rail-tax/32368130


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## swimmer_spe (Aug 15, 2013)

Maksima said:


> True, but there is also the fact that a lot of the residents in the North shore side are heavily against any type of large scale development, since its the only side that has escaped from large developers, so there really isn't a whole lot of "buildable" land.


And a swamp is buildable?

Give the north shore 10-30 years and the "right people" will buy up land and build high rises. When they do that, a line along the shore will be possible.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Oahu can grow a lot, I think a second high-rise cluster is due, though not on North Shore, but Kanehoe.


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## swimmer_spe (Aug 15, 2013)

Expect that where there is a station, there will be highrises. If there are already high rises, expect even higher high rises.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

swimmer_spe said:


> Expect that where there is a station, there will be highrises. If there are already high rises, expect even higher high rises.


What are the development plans for Kapolei, other than the UH-West campus?


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

swimmer_spe said:


> And a swamp is buildable?
> 
> Give the north shore 10-30 years and the "right people" will buy up land and build high rises. When they do that, a line along the shore will be possible.


I guess time will tell, but remember North Shore is a major tourist destination and its not because its like Waikiki.



swimmer_spe said:


> Expect that where there is a station, there will be highrises. If there are already high rises, expect even higher high rises.


Then you may want to read up on the transit oriented development site that the city and county set up here : http://www.honolulu.gov/tod.html



Suburbanist said:


> What are the development plans for Kapolei, other than the UH-West campus?


Kapolei's long range master plan is here: http://kapolei.com/pages/long-range-master-plan

The only other major developments currently in Kapolei are the new mall complex, Ka Makana Ali'i, and just more houses along Kapolei Pkwy.

Note the large swath of residential land northeast of UH-West is the development of Ho'opili, which is currently going through opposition. It's also the area where the Ho'opili Station is suppose to be.

Kapolei has a strict design plan that was laid out back in the 1980s-90s and many of the developers have gone along with it so far. Most projects currently have been low rise residential houses and townhouses with varying degrees of density. The tallest occupied building so far is only five stories.

Kapolei Design Plan here: http://kapolei.com/pages/kapolei-urban-design-plan


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

*April 14, 2015*
_The future entrance of the Waipahu Transit Center Station_


Apr-14-15 Waipahu Transit Center (1) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-14-15 Waipahu Transit Center (2) by akiosan7, on Flickr

------------------------------------------------
*April 15, 2015*


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (1) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (2) by akiosan7, on Flickr
_Taking down telephone and power lines across the intersection. At Pupukahi St. and Farrington Hwy._


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (3) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (4) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (5) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (6) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (7) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (8) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (9) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (10) by akiosan7, on Flickr
_rail construction equipment_


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (13) by akiosan7, on Flickr
_Work on one of the bored holes near Don Quijote. Looks like a pile driver._


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (14) by akiosan7, on Flickr
_Rebar for one of the columns._


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (15) by akiosan7, on Flickr
_The plot of land with the yellow containers is currently storage for Kiewit, but is also the future Waipahu station._


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (16) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (17) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (18) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (19) by akiosan7, on Flickr


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (20) by akiosan7, on Flickr
_One of the pillars that need repair work._


Apr-15-15 Waipahu (21) by akiosan7, on Flickr

Photo descriptions are by akiosan7


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Issue of the Week:


> *HART to replace rail segment after large crack in concrete*​
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read full article here:http://khon2.com/2015/04/16/hart-to-replace-rail-segment-after-large-crack-in-concrete/



> *Large cracks develop along rail line*​
> Posted: Apr 16, 2015 8:21 PM HST
> Updated: Apr 17, 2015 12:21 PM HST
> By Rick Dayso
> ...


Read full article here:http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/28827333/rail-cracks-develop


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Now You Can Watch HART Meetings In Your Pajamas*
> After urging from Honolulu City Councilman Trevor Ozawa, the rail agency struck a deal with Olelo Community Media to broadcast live meetings.
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/now-you-can-watch-hart-meetings-in-your-pajamas/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

This article is from January, but it might be an interesting to read...


> *What Can We Do About the Rail? Nothing. Tackle Traffic Congestion!*
> Given Hawaii's political and decision-making reality, there's no point fighting rail. But we should fight for traffic congestion solutions.​
> JANUARY 29, 2015
> By PANOS PREVEDOUROS
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/01/what-can-we-do-about-the-rail-nothing-tackle-traffic-congestion/

One of the documents is a slideshow created by Panos that the article links to. It talks about his own ideas about how the city should tackle the traffic problem. I may not agree with them, but its interesting overall.
Here: http://www4.eng.hawaii.edu/~panos/20.Minutes.pdf


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

I've been a long time rail supporter but this really bothers me to see cracks appearing in the guideway. 

I guess its good they are discovering this early on, but if it turns out that most of the current guideway currently built was done in a shoddy manner, it could be a deathblow to the entire project. This sort of stuff shows that the local workers don't have the proper skill set to build a project of this magnitude. If they can't even properly build the guideway then I wonder how successful they will be at the thermite welding process when it comes to joining the rails. 

Stories like this give so much ammunition to the opposition. I'm beginning to wonder if this project will ever be finished in my lifetime(I'm only 27).


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## Tom 958 (Apr 24, 2007)

Damn, just watched that video. The crack is only part of the problem: the cracked segment is out of square by what looks like several inches, too. It looks as though one segment was so badly misfabricated that it cracked under stress, and the crack continued into the adjacent segment.

Don't they have, you know... inspectors?


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## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

Crack for span 17 was identified by HART in HART March 2015 Monthly Report, which is available to the public and news reporters. Per report, cause of damage is "During the erection process of Span 17, segments 17‐1, 17‐2, 17‐11 and 17‐12 were damaged due to unbalanced support from the temporary bearings.". Cause of crack appears to be due to temporary equipment vice quality of material.

Note span 67, which was damaged last year due to similar temporary equipment problem, was recently de-stressed, segments replaced, re-stressed and jacked back in place (based on observations from afar and falsework).

It appears news report is just for sensation

Dated March 13, 2015:

20150313_152201 by miniviews, on Flickr


Dated April 3, 2015:

20150403_145343 by miniviews, on Flickr


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## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

20150417_133824 by miniviews, on Flickr

20150417_133808 by miniviews, on Flickr

20150414_110949 by miniviews, on Flickr

20150410_151815 by miniviews, on Flickr


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## Tom 958 (Apr 24, 2007)

miniviews said:


> It appears news report is just for sensation


The bottom of the segment to the right of the column is several inches/centimeters lower than the one to the left, and the trackbed is so out of level that the noise barrier ended up as a parallelogram instead of a rectangle as on the adjacent and nearby segments. Even that wasn't enough to keep the width of the joint at the noise barrier from becoming visibly wider at the top. To me, this looks as ****ed up as a football bat, even if there wasn't a crack. Can people seriously not see anything wrong here? 

I'm no engineer, but as badly misfabricated as that segment was, it's no freaking wonder that it cracked.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

^^
Well, at least none of the other spans are like that currently, so hopefully they'll fix it once they finish the replacements.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

just hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

:gaah:


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## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

The span on the left is offset by temporary bearings. Both spans has temporary bearings. The span on the right is a transition segment for a wider guideway to house the rails crossover. Some of the spans adjacent to North-South road has permanent bearings installed. Example of temporary bearings are the straddle bent and c-bent columns along Old Farrington Hwy to allow underslung trusses clearance over column structure. 

My question: Was it cost effective for Kiewit, the primary contractor, to move the underslung trusses as oppose to replacing the various segments with an approximately 2 weeks delay for guideway span installation, or repair via falsework similar to Span 67 as guideway span installation moves forward.


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## Klausenburg (Jul 25, 2007)

The trackbed must be higher on the outer edge of the curve, and lower inside the curve, to allow a higher speed and less noise. One metro line designed without this provision is Canada line in Vancouver, which is making way more noise and is less comfortable in curves then the other two line. 

So basically, trackbed in curves level aligned is bad design, while trackbed inclined towards interior of the curve is good design.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Today on CivilBeat:


> *Civil Beat Poll: Most Voters Oppose Honolulu Rail Tax Extension​*A majority of Oahu voters also opposes the $6 billion project in general, but support is greater on the neighbor islands.​
> APRIL 22, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> 
> ...


Read full article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/civil-beat-poll-most-voters-oppose-honolulu-rail-tax-extension/

Don't know how reliable this poll is.


----------



## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Can't they use some Real Estate taxes or Tourism revenue to fund the Project?


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## Tom 958 (Apr 24, 2007)

miniviews said:


> The span on the left is offset by temporary bearings. Both spans has temporary bearings. The span on the right is a transition segment for a wider guideway to house the rails crossover.


My bad, then, I guess, though it still doesn't look right. 



> My question: Was it cost effective for Kiewit, the primary contractor, to move the underslung trusses as oppose to replacing the various segments with an approximately 2 weeks delay for guideway span installation, or repair via falsework similar to Span 67 as guideway span installation moves forward.


I'm sure there was some debate over that. :cheers:



Klausenburg said:


> The trackbed must be higher on the outer edge of the curve, and lower inside the curve, to allow a higher speed and less noise. One metro line designed without this provision is Canada line in Vancouver, which is making way more noise and is less comfortable in curves then the other two line.
> 
> So basically, trackbed in curves level aligned is bad design, while trackbed inclined towards interior of the curve is good design.


Uh, back in the '80's I worked on MARTA, including installing the _track pads_ that allow the railbed to be superelevated without superelevating the entire structure. The technology is extremely mature.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Honolulu rail agency collects $65M in tax revenue in Q1, 16% more than expected*​
> Apr 23, 2015, 2:33pm HST
> Jason Ubay
> Reporter - Pacific Business News
> ...


Read article here: http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/...-rail-agency-collects-65m-in-tax-revenue.html



> *Rail project receives $65 million in excise tax revenue for construction*​
> By Web Staff
> Published: April 23, 2015, 1:33 pm
> Updated: April 23, 2015, 1:34 pm
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/04/23/rail-project-receives-65-million-in-excise-tax-revenue-for-construction/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Work on Rail Tax Compromise Moves Behind Closed Doors*
> State lawmakers must craft a deal during conference committee to extend the GET surcharge for rail if the $6 billion project is to continue as planned.​
> APRIL 23, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> ...


Read article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/work-on-rail-tax-compromise-moves-behind-closed-doors/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Rail contract award protest creates delays*​By Kristine Uyeno
> Published: April 23, 2015, 7:26 pm
> Updated: April 23, 2015, 9:20 pm
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/04/23/rail-contract-award-protest-creates-delays/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Extent of Rail's Influence a Mystery*
> The mayor has received thousands of dollars in donations from rail subcontractors, whose spending on the project in mostly untracked​
> By Marcel Honoré and Dana Williams
> Sunday 4/26/15
> ...


https://www.google.com/url?q=http:/...ds-cse&usg=AFQjCNERjVc4pcvrTSJ7sM4sdSmmolrojQ


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Pearl Kai businesses voice concern about rail construction*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here: http://khon2.com/2015/04/27/pearl-kai-businesses-voice-concern-about-rail-construction/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Today on Civil Beat:


> *Making a Deal on Rail Without All the Answers*
> Voters are opposed, big questions remain unanswered, but lawmakers move ever closer to a compromise funding rail for years into the future. Time to hit the brakes.​
> APRIL 27, 2015
> By THE CIVIL BEAT EDITORIAL BOARD
> ...


Read article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/making-a-deal-on-rail-without-all-the-answers/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Curt Sanburn: Rail Project Still has Other Options*
> A reporter looks back a few years to an article called “Railroaded” and the critical differences between heavy rail and light rail technologies.​
> APRIL 27, 2015
> By CURT SANBURN
> ...


Read article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/curt-sanburn-rail-project-still-has-other-options/


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

The civil beat is so anti rail it makes it hard to read. They are classic example of modern day "muckrakers" except they hardly do thorough investigative journalism. I'm surprised with how many anti rail articles they have on their site that only 1 or 2 articles even mentions the FFGA. All these people talking about making changes to rail as if they were experts yet any changes would void the FFGA and require a new EIS. It would also require the city to pay back the federal funds and would expose the city to multiple lawsuits.

Its funny how people out think Oahu will never change and grow larger in population. If building more freeways and adding more lanes would help traffic then why does LA and Houston have such terrible congestion despite all the additions in capacity.


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## swimmer_spe (Aug 15, 2013)

floor23 said:


> The civil beat is so anti rail it makes it hard to read. They are classic example of modern day "muckrakers" except they hardly do thorough investigative journalism. I'm surprised with how many anti rail articles they have on their site that only 1 or 2 articles even mentions the FFGA. All these people talking about making changes to rail as if they were experts yet any changes would void the FFGA and require a new EIS. It would also require the city to pay back the federal funds and would expose the city to multiple lawsuits.
> 
> Its funny how people out think Oahu will never change and grow larger in population. If building more freeways and adding more lanes would help traffic then why does LA and Houston have such terrible congestion despite all the additions in capacity.


Whoa... That is so anti car.

I would love to be able to take a train around all the islands.

What is being done now is a great start to a great network.

Look at cities like Boston, LA, NY and Chicago, does any of them regret building their systems?


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

I don't know what to do about star-advertiser articles. Should I post snippets even if its under subscription or should I just not post them at all?
--------------------------​


floor23 said:


> All these people talking about making changes to rail as if they were experts yet any changes would void the FFGA and require a new EIS. It would also require the city to pay back the federal funds and would expose the city to multiple lawsuits.


Yeah this always bothers me every time when people around here talk about it. It also bothers me when others just want it to stop altogether.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Rail to temporarily shut down shopping center entrance*
> Westbound left turn lane into Pearl Kai to close for 6 months
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.kitv.com/news/rail-to-temporarily-shut-down-shopping-center-entrance/32607772



> *Pearl Kai merchants dread rail closure*​
> Posted: Apr 27, 2015 1:04 PM HST
> Updated: Apr 27, 2015 3:30 PM HST
> By Jim Mendoza
> ...


Read article here:http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/28912288/pearl-kai-merchants-dread-rail-closure


> *Pearl Kai businesses concerned about rail construction*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/04/27/pearl-kai-businesses-concerned-about-rail-construction/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Roads for Rail? Hawaii Senators Pitch New Tax Idea*
> A new proposal comes out of House and Senate conference committee negotiations, but it highlights just how far apart they are on rail tax.​
> APRIL 27, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> ...


Read article here:http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/roads-for-rail-hawaii-senators-pitch-new-tax-idea/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *ZipMobile Trouble Illustrates the Need for Rail*
> Unless we are to have double-decker highways, endless road construction or big development on Windward Oahu, rail is the only option to address our transit needs.​
> APRIL 28, 2015
> By KARL RHOADS AND BREENE HARIMOTO
> ...


Read article here:http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/zipmobile-trouble-illustrates-the-need-for-rail/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Study compares cost of rail surcharge to property taxes*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.kitv.com/news/Study-compares-cost-of-rail-surcharge-to-property-taxes/32654494


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *After years of delays, work begins on traffic center*​Posted: Apr 29, 2015 5:13 PM HST
> Updated: Apr 29, 2015 5:24 PM HST
> By Keoki Kerr
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/28936808/after-years-of-delays-work-begins-on-traffic-center


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

This is going to be very interesting:


> *Deal on Honolulu Rail Tax Remains Up in the Air*
> State lawmakers can't agree on how best to help the city shore up a $910 million shortfall using General Excise Tax dollars, and they only have until Friday to figure it out.​
> APRIL 29, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> ...


Read article here:http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/04/deal-on-honolulu-rail-tax-remains-up-in-the-air/\

Now for the waiting game


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

I wouldn't be surprised if they put it off until next year >(

Hopefully the legislature choose the Senate version over the House's. The house bill will only make the project more expensive and make building the line take even longer. Cutting the GET could potentially void the FFGA as well, due to changes being made in the financing of the project. The Senate bill might be kicking the can down the road but in 2027 when they debate over extending the GET again, I highly doubt anyone will care as much when the first line is fully constructed and operating.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

More coal for the fire... hno:


> *Will lawmakers fix ‘unconstitutional’ skim off rail tax?*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/04/30/will-lawmakers-fix-unconstitutional-skim-off-rail-tax/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Decision made, but not final yet...


> *Rail tax extended with state’s lucrative ‘administrative fee’ intact*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/05/01/rail-tax-extended-with-states-lucrative-administrative-fee-intact/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Coverage on decision


> *Honolulu Rail Tax Lives Another Day, Heads For Floor Vote*
> A conference committee approves a five-year extension of the GET surcharge for rail, adding a provision that the state retains "air rights" for future development.​
> MAY 1, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> ...


Read article here:http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/05/honolulu-rail-tax-lives-another-day-heads-for-floor-vote/



> *Conferees agree to 5-year rail tax extension*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.kitv.com/news/Conferees-agree-to-5-year-rail-tax-extension/32755646



> *Rail tax extension advances out of conference committee*​
> Posted: May 01, 2015 7:29 PM HST
> Updated: May 01, 2015 7:49 PM HST
> By Lisa Kubota
> ...


Read article here:http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/28958894/rail-tax-extension-advances-out-of-conference-committee

----------------------
It will still needs to pass a session where both the House and Senate are together and by the city council. There also MIGHT be an issue about the states share of the tax and that someone might challenge it as being unconstitutional.


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Woman claims car hit by debris from rail construction*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/05/01/woman-claims-car-hit-by-debris-from-rail-construction/


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Is there any talk in Hawaii about some new fast ferries between the islands?

Do they have a plan on how "The Bus" service will be reorganized after Honolulu rail opens?


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Suburbanist said:


> Is there any talk in Hawaii about some new fast ferries between the islands?


There was earlier in April, here...



> *Senate wants state DOT to explore ferry system*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/04/10/senate-wants-state-to-explore-ferry-system/

Whether it will work again or not is a big mystery. A lot of people are still against another try, while others have tried to push for a down sized version. If they do go with a passenger only option, I would like to see something similar to the cruise ferry systems seen across Europe. It would be similar to the cruise ships that already dock at Hawaii harbors only downsized and, maybe, a little faster.



Suburbanist said:


> Do they have a plan on how "The Bus" service will be reorganized after Honolulu rail opens?


Not that I know of. Currently, people have been asking HART to release a detailed plan on how the system is going to be maintained and at what cost, even before any of the construction is finish.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Lawmakers send bills on rail tax, Turtle Bay, Alii Place for final floor vote*​By Web Staff
> Published: May 2, 2015, 9:14 am
> Updated: May 2, 2015, 10:40 am
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/05/02/lawmake...x-turtle-bay-alii-place-for-final-floor-vote/


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Yikes , its like a never ending Negative Train..


----------



## Silly_Walks (Aug 23, 2010)

Maksima said:


> There was earlier in April, here...
> 
> 
> Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/04/10/senate-wants-state-to-explore-ferry-system/
> ...




Would a Hong Kong-Macau type ferry not work for Hawaii?


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## swimmer_spe (Aug 15, 2013)

Nexis said:


> Yikes , its like a never ending Negative Train..



Some people are so stuck in their car that they cannot see the value of this.

I think the plan is great. It is about time that Honolulu gets with the times.Hopefully, next time I visit, it will be built and be a great way to get around.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Silly_Walks said:


> Would a Hong Kong-Macau type ferry not work for Hawaii?


Depends on a lot of things, but I would think they could work here too. I chose cruise ferries more for the tourist factor.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

swimmer_spe said:


> Some people are so stuck in their car that they cannot see the value of this.
> 
> I think the plan is great. It is about time that Honolulu gets with the times.Hopefully, next time I visit, it will be built and be a great way to get around.


But its an Island , you would think they would realize that there is only so much road and highway you can build. hno:


----------



## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

The problem with Oahu and Hawaii in general is that there isn't much going on out here that is news worthy. A project of this scale is going to be covered by the press non stop. The local media always makes stories a lot bigger than they are.

There are a lot of people out here that are for this project but since its being built they aren't being vocal about it. On the other hand the people that are against it are going to make as much noise as possible. 

To me this project is much like the building of BART in the bay area. People in SF were very against BART being built in the beginning and many claimed they didn't need it. After it was completed they fell in love with it and now they act like they invented the concept of public transit :lol:. Oahu will be the same way, once its completed people will love it and want it to expand. It seems our leaders in both the state and county realize this thus they are willing to extend the tax surcharge despite all the negative publicity that comes with it.


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## phoenixboi08 (Dec 6, 2009)

Nexis said:


> But its an Island , you would think they would realize that there is only so much road and highway you can build. hno:


Then again, people likely see this as further enabling population growth, which I think is the real reason they're against it and why a lot of the discussion revolves around leaving land untouched/undeveloped. They're certainly aware of the kind of development that will occur alongside this project.

Obviously, this will be better in the long run than the status quo, or trying to expand road capacity, but people are generally self-interested. 

From what I know about the place, many people simply don't want anyone else to move there...doesn't make sense, but it's a common sentiment around the country.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

phoenixboi08 said:


> Then again, people likely see this as further enabling population growth, which I think is the real reason they're against it and why a lot of the discussion revolves around leaving land untouched/undeveloped. They're certainly aware of the kind of development that will occur alongside this project.
> 
> Obviously, this will be better in the long run than the status quo, or trying to expand road capacity, but people are generally self-interested.
> 
> From what I know about the place, many people simply don't want anyone else to move there...doesn't make sense, but it's a common sentiment around the country.


But that area is densely developed already. It is better to have a metro rail line and development along it than develop all small valleys upward, isn't it?


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## phoenixboi08 (Dec 6, 2009)

Suburbanist said:


> But that area is densely developed already. It is better to have a metro rail line and development along it than develop all small valleys upward, isn't it?


Of course.

What I'm getting at, is that a lot of people see these kinds of large transportation projects as being the _cause_ of housing issues and other things that result from high population growth, not solutions to those problems.

This phenomenon is similar to people in places like SF who equate high rises with causing steep increases in the cost of housing and so fight it tooth-and-nail, even though most recognize that the real problem is an actual under supply...

Obviously, a lot of people (like most here, I would guess) understand that that's not really the case, but they're not the ones who fight/scream the loudest.


----------



## swimmer_spe (Aug 15, 2013)

Nexis said:


> But its an Island , you would think they would realize that there is only so much road and highway you can build. hno:


Common sense is not allowed when arguing with people.



phoenixboi08 said:


> From what I know about the place, many people simply don't want anyone else to move there...doesn't make sense, but it's a common sentiment around the country.


I always find it funny when people who come from immigrants or people who are immigrants do not want people to immigrate to where they are.

So, unless you are descendants of the original people of Hawaii, before it became part of the USA, you are an immigrant.



phoenixboi08 said:


> Of course.
> 
> What I'm getting at, is that a lot of people see these kinds of large transportation projects as being the _cause_ of housing issues and other things that result from high population growth, not solutions to those problems.
> 
> ...


Economical housing shortages are everywhere. They are less prevelent the further north you go, where you freeze to death with no housing.


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## phoenixboi08 (Dec 6, 2009)

swimmer_spe said:


> Common sense is not allowed when arguing with people.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You're preaching to the choir.
I'm just sharing some limited knowledge about what makes those people tick...


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

I was wondering how systems like Vancouver skytrain fair at street level? And how efficient are the Ansaldo Breda driverless systems, especially in Copenhagen.


----------



## dwdwone (May 7, 2004)

Maksima said:


> I was wondering how systems like Vancouver skytrain fair at street level? And how efficient are the Ansaldo Breda driverless systems, especially in Copenhagen.


I don't believe the sky train runs at street level. However, I've only ridden the original Expo Line, not ay of the new ones.


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## swimmer_spe (Aug 15, 2013)

dwdwone said:


> I don't believe the sky train runs at street level. However, I've only ridden the original Expo Line, not ay of the new ones.


The Sjytrain is either above the ground or below the ground in tunnels.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Sorry I meant how is the environment under the skytrain spans. That's kind of what I meant at street level.


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## swimmer_spe (Aug 15, 2013)

Maksima said:


> Sorry I meant how is the environment under the skytrain spans. That's kind of what I meant at street level.


They have either made them parks or parking lots. Some spots, it runs the median of the roadway.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Honolulu did it right with automated trains. It allows frequent service even off-peak, as labor costs are much lower, without a large group of operators to balance on contracts, schedules etc.

It is a pity, though, that Honolulu decided to make it into permanently 4-car sets, instead of working on the original flexible plan to have 2-car trains that could be joined to form 4-car sets.

This means the headway will be 4m15sec instead of the 2min8sec originally planned (the idea was to buy more trains as demand increased and then join them into 4-car units, right).

Still, a 4min headway will instantly put Honolulu rail as one of the services offering the most frequent services in the country,.


----------



## towerpower123 (Feb 12, 2013)

*95% of Voters Oppose Honolulu Rail Project*



> I just finished a survey of a large group of concerned Honolulu Voters at a bar and they almost all oppose the project. The survey was completely impartial, performed as a series of multiple choice questions on paper. It did seem like there were a lot of yellow flags with snakes on them displayed in the bar, and there was a large collection of motorcycles outside decorated with similar flags or flags with an odd red, white, and blue "X" design...


I depends of who you ask. :lol:


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Council Chair: No ‘Easy Sell’ for Honolulu Rail Tax*
> Honolulu City Council Chairman Ernie Martin says better project oversight and more transparency will be needed if city is to approve a GET extension.​
> MAY 5, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> ...


Read article here:http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/05/council-chair-no-easy-sell-for-honolulu-rail-tax/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Why So Little Information About City Meeting With Feds About Rail?*
> Who knows what happened when Honolulu City Council members met with Federal Transit Administration officials? Not the taxpayers.​MAY 5, 2015
> By NATALIE IWASA
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/05/why-so-little-information-about-city-meeting-with-feds-about-rail/


----------



## swimmer_spe (Aug 15, 2013)

Maksima said:


> Read article here:http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/05/why-so-little-information-about-city-meeting-with-feds-about-rail/



Maksima, Do you or have you ever taken The Bus?


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

swimmer_spe said:


> Maksima, Do you or have you ever taken The Bus?


I use it almost everyday, why do you ask?


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Reality of Rail: Dan Grabauskas of HART discusses rail construction, tax issues*​
> [Most content in linked video] --> http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/clip/1...n-grabauskas-of-hart-takes-facebook-questions
> 
> Posted: May 28, 2015 12:09 PM HST
> ...


Article here: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...f-hart-discusses-rail-construction-tax-issues


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Earlier this week...


> *Colleen Hanabusa will help oversee Oahu's rail mass-transit system*​
> Jun 2, 2015, 7:06am HST
> 
> Former congresswoman and state Senate president Colleen Hanabusa will join the board of directors that is overseeing the construction and operation of Oahu's 20-mile, elevated-rail mass-transit system.
> ...


Read article here: http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/...nabusa-will-help-oversee-oahus-rail-mass.html


> *Mayor appoints Colleen Hanabusa to rail project board*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here: http://khon2.com/2015/06/01/mayor-appoints-colleen-hanabusa-to-rail-project-board/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Then last week this issue came about...


> *Former councilman to pay fine over illegal gifts*​
> Posted: May 28, 2015 7:18 AM HST
> Updated: May 28, 2015 7:18 AM HST
> 
> ...


Read article here: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/29180690/former-councilman-to-pay-fine-over-illegal-gifts

+++++++++++

Hawaii Reporter seems to expands on this....



> *Former Council Chair Nestor Garcia Fined $6,500 - Largest Fine in City's History - for Failure to Disclose Conflicts of Interest on Rail Project*
> 
> “He (Honolulu Council Member Nestor Garcia) failed to file conflict of interest disclosures for 38 rail transit bills and resolutions and for 14 other matters such as rezoning from agriculture to commercial and residential uses around Kapolei.” - Honolulu Ethics Commission, July 2, 2012​
> *BY MALIA ZIMMERMAN* - Honolulu City Council Member Nestor Garcia at one time had considerable power and influence over the 9-member Honolulu City Council, a legislative body that makes key decisions impacting Oahu’s 1.2 million people.
> ...


Read article here: http://www.hawaiireporter.com/forme...isclose-conflicts-of-interest-on-rail-project

+++++++++

It's getting hard for me to post these. I have this habit of reading the comment sections and it's just depressing.


----------



## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

^^ I understand. But if those are indeed facts, we just need to accept the fact that some politicians just have that mindset of "more $$ for me at the expense of my constituents", a sad reality of being in power. I mean, I am pleased that Honolulu will build an elevated rail system, which will bring the city into the 21st century in terms of mobility, and I am looking forward to following this project.


----------



## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

fieldsofdreams said:


> ^^ I understand. But if those are indeed facts, we just need to accept the fact that some politicians just have that mindset of "more $$ for me at the expense of my constituents", a sad reality of being in power. I mean, I am pleased that Honolulu will build an elevated rail system, which will bring the city into the 21st century in terms of mobility, and I am looking forward to following this project.


They really only gave him a slap on the wrist. If they came down too hard on him they would have to do the same to a lot of other city officials. Even with the fines he still made over $100,000. This isn't a big deal and its just something to fill the 24 hours news cycle. The overall history of Hawaii is one filled with corruption. I'm not saying what he did was right but people have done far worse and gotten away with it out here.

All the decisions he made concerning zoning and rail I agree with and would have occurred regardless of whether he held office or not. 

The rail project is getting built quite quickly for Hawaii standards and it seems a lot of the anti rail crowd has accepted the fact this project is happening. It's hard to find many stories about rail once the legislative session ended.


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Hawaiian Dredging wins contract to build three rail stations in Waipahu*​By Web Staff
> Published: June 10, 2015, 4:59 pm
> Updated: June 10, 2015, 5:03 pm
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/06/10/hawaiian-dredging-wins-contract-to-build-three-rail-stations-in-waipahu/


> *HART awards construction contract for Waipahu rail stations*​Posted: Jun 10, 2015 10:35 AM HST
> Updated: Jun 10, 2015 10:39 AM HST
> By HNN Staff
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...nstruction-contract-for-waipahu-rail-stations


> *Hawaiian Dredging Construction awarded $79M contract to build Honolulu rail stations*​Jun 10, 2015, 4:53pm HST
> Duane Shimogawa
> Pacific Business News
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2015/06/10/hawaiian-dredging-construction-awarded-79m.html


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Progress made on rail guideway over H-1 Freeway, but work continues*​Posted: Jun 15, 2015 9:03 AM HST
> Updated: Jun 15, 2015 9:54 AM HST
> 
> PEARL CITY, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Honolulu rail crews have connected two major sections of the concrete guideway over the H-1 Freeway near the H-1 / H-2 split.
> ...


Read article here:http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...l-guideway-over-h1-freeway-but-work-continues


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *HART opens bids for West Oahu station group construction contract*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/06/16/hart-opens-bids-for-west-oahu-station-group-construction-contract/


> *New bids for rail stations come in below estimates*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/...ns_comes_in_below_estimates.html?id=307742811


> *HART unveils latest station bids*​
> Posted: Jun 16, 2015 7:19 PM HST
> Updated: Jun 16, 2015 7:38 PM HST
> By Rick Daysog
> ...


Read article here:http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/29338209/hart-unveils-latest-station-bids


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *A Ray of Hope for Honolulu Rail?​*For the first time in quite awhile, bids came in lower than estimated, a welcome sign for officials building the largest public works project in Hawaii’s history.​JUNE 16, 2015
> By NICK GRUBE
> 
> Honolulu’s $6 billion rail project received a slight dose of positive news Tuesday when officials opened bids for construction of three stations on the west side of Oahu.
> ...


Read article here:http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/06/a-ray-of-hope-for-honolulu-rail/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Council member wants public, private employers to help ease rail traffic​*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here: http://www.kitv.com/news/council-me...-employers-to-help-ease-rail-traffic/33644848


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Civil Beats Latest:


> *Rail’s Deep Black Hole: Digging Out One Shovelful at a Time*
> The need for enormous, ongoing subsidies for rail is daunting, but new bids for three rail stations show that HART can cut costs when it tries.​
> JUNE 19, 2015
> By THE CIVIL BEAT EDITORIAL BOARD
> ...


Read article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/06/rails-deep-black-hole-digging-out-one-shovelful-at-a-time/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *HART reports rail-related jobs, local hires continue to increase*​By Web Staff
> Published: June 17, 2015, 1:38 pm
> Updated: June 17, 2015, 1:41 pm
> 
> ...


Read article here: http://khon2.com/2015/06/17/hart-reports-rail-related-jobs-local-hires-continue-to-increase/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Hopfully this will be good news...


> *Japan’s Hitachi will move to final phase of Ansaldo acquisition this fall*​
> Jun 22, 2015, 7:18am HST
> 
> Japan’s Hitachi expects to move into the final phase by the end of October on its acquisition of the Italian rail car maker Ansaldo, which has a $1.4 billion contract to build and operate the driverless cars for Honolulu’s rail transit system.
> ...


Read article here: http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/...an-s-hitachi-will-move-to-final-phase-of.html


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Old Honolulu buses get a makeover for homeless*​
> UPDATED 7:21 PM HST Jun 11, 2015
> By Ann Sterling
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.kitv.com/news/old-honolulu-buses-get-a-makeover-for-homeless/33537892


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Jun-8-2015 Waipahu (1) by Akioka, on Flickr


Jun-8-2015 Waipahu (2) by Akioka, on Flickr


Jun-8-2015 Waipahu (3) by Akioka, on Flickr


Jun-8-2015 Waipahu (4) by Akioka, on Flickr


Jun-8-2015 Waipahu (5) by Akioka, on Flickr


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *HART, city celebrate rail milestone*
> Fort Weaver overpass to be closed starting Sunday​
> UPDATED 6:42 PM HST Jun 23, 2015
> By Mike Cherry
> ...


Read article here: http://www.kitv.com/news/hart-city-celebrate-rail-milestone/33740070

With rail being built their seems to be very little positive attitude towards the project and many don't even care that it's being built. It's hard to really talk about it when you realize that there's a lot more vocal opponents then supporters.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *New phase of rail construction will greatly impact Waipahu residents, businesses​*


--------------


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Ft. Weaver Rd. overpass to close as rail construction reaches 3-mile mark​*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/06/22/ft-weaver-rd-overpass-to-close-as-rail-construction-reaches-3-mile-mark/


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## |Businessman| (Apr 15, 2015)

good news


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Thank you*

Thanks for all of you who post and give me an update on what happening to Honolulu's Rail. I will hope to add my own photos soon.


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Hawaii News Now just did a very small piece on the recent Vancouver incident. Stoking the fire as they say...



> *Other city's rail problems prompt HART officials to plan ahead*​Posted: Jun 24, 2015 6:31 PM HST
> Updated: Jun 24, 2015 7:10 PM HST
> By Allyson Blair
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...-problems-prompt-hart-officials-to-plan-ahead


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## HARTride 2012 (Apr 1, 2007)

Two words...BACKUP PLANS...it's crucial that this is formulated now than later.

Definitely look to what other cities with automated transit lines have, i.e. RATP with its automated subway systems.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Today on Civil Beat: Finances (As if they haven't gone over this enough.)


> *Can We Trust the Honolulu Rail Numbers?*
> Recent stories about the Honolulu rail project’s finances have raised concerns that officials may be fudging the numbers for political purposes.​
> JUNE 29, 2015
> By NATALIE IWASA
> ...


Read article here:http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/06/can-we-trust-the-honolulu-rail-numbers/


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *HART adjusts rail work schedule after Waipahu residents complain*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here: http://khon2.com/2015/06/29/hart-adjusts-rail-work-schedule-after-waipahu-residents-complain/


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Trying to load photos from flickr*

















I think I need help.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

creativenative said:


> I think I need help.


To post photos from flickr to SSC you need to press on the BBcode tab, which is what the forum uses, and copy the text and paste it in the message box.

Happy posting


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Thanks Maksima*

Testing








2015-06-29 rail reaches the start at Kapolei by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr[/IMG]


----------



## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Ok I got it! Posting more photos shortly*

trying it again

The first station of Honolulu's rail line at the new second city of Kapolei than I will head east in location order of the rail route. Here the workers just reached the end but they have to lay another guide way going the other direction as part of this major park and ride station.
2015-06-29 rail reaches the start at Kapolei by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*More rail photos from Monday*

Rail guide way starting to go over Ft. Weaver Rd. which is a major multi-lane road
2015-06-29 rail going over Fort Weaver Rd by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Another angle
2015-06-29 other side of rail going over Fort Weaver Rd by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

From other side of Ft. Weaver Rd. into the greater Honolulu suburban town of Waipahu, one can see new rail columns built and ready to receive their tops - the cement guide way. 
2015-06-29 13 rail columns on other side of Fort Weaver Rd. 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

The reverse of the last photo, looking back towards Ft. Weaver Rd.
2015-06-29 opposite side of rail going over Fort Weaver Rd 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Continuing east again, one can see more columns rising into Waipahu but at their normal heights
2015-06-29 little down Farrington in Waipahu w normal height rail columns by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

To be continued:


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Monday photos contined 6/29/2015*

More column prep work in Waipahu
2015-06-29 rail colum work on the other east side of Waipahi by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail columns on the far east side of Waipahu, fronting local High School and looking back west
2015-06-29 12.34.33 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Reverse of above looking east again as rail crossing over to side of road and column heights are almost ground level
2015-06-29 rail colums lower ending to maintainence yard by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Just beyond the last photo note large retaining wall built at north end zone of local HS football field. Rail now heads to the maintenance yard, above right or continues on to Pearl City
2015-06-29 12.31.52 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Heading into Pearl City or more specifically Pearl Highlands. Note working end of large rail bridge overpass above that just crossed the H-1 freeway
2015-06-29 rail bridge over H-1 freeway heading to Pearl City by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

On right tall columns erected at the future Pearl Highlands Station
2015-06-29 comming down the freeway overpass into the Pearl Highland future station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Looking back west at the construction progress of the huge rail bridge over the H-1 freeway
2015-06-29 Rail bridge completed over H-1 freeway now headed in both directions by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Column prep work in just past Pearl Highlands
2015-06-29 prep work in Pearl City by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Prepping for rail columns that will hop over the H-1 freeway again in central Pearl City
2015-06-29 drilling future rail columns to go over H-I freeway at Pearl City by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr 

More column prep work in Pearl City central
2015-06-29 more prep work in Pearl City by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Road widening and improvements at far east end of Pearl City to help make room for rail columns in the mediums and heading to Aloha Stadium
2015-06-29 at Pearlridge area road improvements and widening for rail future columns by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

End of Phase 1 where we see some prep work at the Aloha Stadium Station
2015-06-29 work at Aloha Statium station. End of line for phase 1 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Just beyond the stadium there is prep work or storage for columns in phase 2 of rail which heads to the airport
2015-06-29 Already column prep work or storage beyond Aloha Statium in Phase 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Utility prep work on Kamehameha Hwy across from Pearl Harbor. Here they are moving and improving utility lines to make way for future rail columns
2015-06-29 Utility work on Kam Hwy to prepare for future rail columns in phase 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Lastly more utility prep work further down Kamehameha Hwy heading southeast towards the airport
2015-06-29 more utility work on Kam Hwy to prepare for future rail columns in phase 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Don’t Let Caldwell Off the Hook When it Comes to Rail Financial Information*
> Some state lawmakers say the mayor didn’t give key facts in his rail testimony. The Honolulu City Council needs to make sure that rail finances get the scrutiny they deserve.​
> JULY 7, 2015
> By THE CIVIL BEAT EDITORIAL BOARD
> ...


Read article here: http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/07/do...-when-it-comes-to-rail-financial-information/


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Navy adopts final EIS in support of Honolulu rail project*​
> Jul 9, 2015, 6:51am HST
> Duane Shimogawa
> Pacific Business News
> ...


Read article here:http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/...ts-final-eis-in-support-of-honolulu-rail.html


----------



## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Rail property buy up faces time, cost challenges*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


read article here:http://khon2.com/2015/07/09/rail-property-buy-up-faces-time-cost-challenges/

-------------

I might be taking a break from updating for a while.
i'll be taking a mental break from rail stuff.
I might mass update at a later date.


----------



## [atomic] (Oct 12, 2013)

So how serious are the financial problems? Or is this just overblown by the media to get views/klicks and politicians trying to make a name for themselves?


----------



## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

The initial project cost was estimated to be $5.1 billion, with an authorized budget of $5.3B. Recent estimates rose by 600M+ to $5.7B, or about a 11% increase.

I guess how serious the issue is would depend on how positively or negatively you see the project and its management.

On the optimistic side, while cost increases must still must be monitored and addressed, the increase is relatively low compared to other projects of similar scope where there can be anywhere from a 30% increase to over double the original estimates.

On the pessimistic side, the delay issues combined with cultural and legal challenges give some people the idea the project not worth the costs and should be canceled.


----------



## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Quick update on where the rail action is-Waipahu town*

Today 7-11-15

2015-07-11 Rail over Fort Weaver Road overpass looking south by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2015-07-11 Rail over Fort Weaver Road overpass looking south on Ft Weaver Rd by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2015-07-11 rail guide past Fort Weaver Rd heading East into Waipahu town - camera looking north by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2015-07-11 rail guide past Fort Weaver Rd heading East into Waipahu town unto the rail post ready to receive the guideway tops by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2015-07-11 looking East into Waipahu town on many rail posts ready to receive the guideway tops by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2015-07-11 still looking east in Waipahu at the beginings of the West Locke station, the of first of 2 stations in Waipahu, the posts continue east by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*One the far east end of rail line - City clearing lots*

Reply title should say "On the far east end of rail line - City clearing lots". I don't know how to edit titles.

Google Map of area where the rail line (in red) has to jump the block before end of the line to Kona St. But with a gradual bend of track, property has to be bought (within blue lines).

HART bought property in blue - rail line in red demolition now by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2015-07-13 Front fenced and prepped for demolition on Waimanu Street near the end of line at Ala Moana by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2015-07-13 Backside of demo from Kona Street by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2015-07-13 Aready cleared lot last week across the street on east side of Pensacola and Kona just two blocks from end of line by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

The before shot of cleared property courtesy of Google street view map. Note new Waihonua Tower now in background.
Google street view of before shot of older restaurant of cleared corner by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


----------



## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/.../honolulu-awards-metro-stations-contract.html
> 
> *Honolulu awards metro stations contract*
> 17 Jul 2015
> ...


----------



## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*More updated demolition photos*

Again from the far east of the rail line in midtown Honolulu (near Ala Moana Shopping Center)

First photo taken 7-13-15 as comparison (looking south)
2015-07-13 Backside of demo from Kona Street by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Taken 7-17-15
2015-07-17 Photo of back of block where two more buildings were cleared w appartently four more will go dowm for rail by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Taken 7-21-15 inside the block and turning right to the west 
2015-07-21 More demolition of other end of rail near Ala Moana Center looking south by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
2015-07-21 More demolition of other end of rail near Ala Moana Center by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
From other side, looking down and wide towards the northeast
2015-07-21 More demolition of other end of rail near Ala Moana Center looking northeast high & wide by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Tighter on the demo beast
2015-07-21 More demolition of other end of rail near Ala Moana Center looking northeast by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Compare photos from 7-13 to 7-21-15
2015-07-13 Front fenced and prepped for demolition on Waimanu Street near the end of line at Ala Moana by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
2015-07-21 More demolition of other end of rail near Ala Moana Center looking northeast wide by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Now, they will probably put those ugly power lines underground before the rail comes in. Important indirect benefits of rail construction are while moving utilities that are underground, the new lines are updated and a current utility map is drawn, in this case moving lines underground from above is a visual benefit for all and demolishing old unsightly buildings is a plus, especially for those viewing that direction from all those new lux condos across the street. This all makes the city of Honolulu a cleaner and more beautiful place to live and visit.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Rail photos from 7-21-15*

Maintenance crew building which will house crew and special rail vehicles for rail maintenance and repair. This is part of the larger rail maintenance yard on the east end of Waipahu
2015-07-21 Close on rail Maintenance Building by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

In the rail guide way yard where each unique cement guide way is manufactured. This yard is found in Kapolei industrial Park.
2015-07-21 Shot of rail guideway section manufacturing yard by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
2015-07-21 Shot of rail guideway section manufacturing yard w lots of sections already formed by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Bridge over H-1 freeway looking west
2015-07-21 rail bridge over H-1 freeway by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
From back of bridge looking east at the north end of bridge
2015-07-21 14.51.16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail line over Fort Weaver Road with itself is an overpass. An overpass over an overpass.
2015-07-21 Rail over Fort Weaver Road from Ft Weaver Rd heading south by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Compare rail going into Waipahu from 7-11 to 7-21-15
2015-07-11 rail guide past Fort Weaver Rd heading East into Waipahu town unto the rail post ready to receive the guideway tops by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
2015-07-21 update on rail over Fort Weaver Road into Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail columns moving down another block in Waipahu. Looking back west.
2015-07-21 this section of rail columns reached Pupukahi St. by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Huge retaining wall progress at far east end of Waipahu. Compare photos from 6-29 to 7-21-15
2015-06-29 12.31.52 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
2015-07-21 Update of huge retaining wall before the maintenance yard on far east end of Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Also lots of busy work up and down Pearl City and on Kamehameha Highway on the way to the airport (phase 2).


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Rail vehicle update*

Photos and news from the official Ansaldo Honolulu website:
http://www.ansaldohonolulurail.com/

First couple rail cars left Italy in early July to California for final assembly by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Hearing these first cars should arrive sometime in 2016 for tests. Scuttlebutt is early 2016 but don't quote me on that.

Also noticed, on this website that a couple of tract maintenance vehicles are complete and ready to ship direct to Hawai'i and those rail and road trucks can test and adjust the steel tracts way before the rail cars get here. When the cars get here they will test the cars themselves and the driverless system. Here is a photo from the same site:
Rail tract maintenance vehicles for Honolulu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

^^I think, Copenhagen metro car version is better than Honolulu


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

I agree, so why would Ansaldo build newer rail cars that aren't as nice looking as their older models?


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## mrmoopt (Nov 14, 2004)

creativenative said:


> I agree, so why would Ansaldo build newer rail cars that aren't as nice looking as their older models?


The answer is always to suit American crash protection standards/custoner request.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

cal_t said:


> The answer is always to suit American crash protection standards/custoner request.


Those Crash standards only apply to Railroads...


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

First Quarter 2015 Daily Ridership numbers for Honolulu 

Source : http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2015-q1-ridership-APTA.pdf

*Bus Ridership*
Honolulu / City & Cnty of Honolulu DOTS - 217,600 (2015)


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

cal_t said:


> The answer is always to suit American crash protection standards/custoner request.


This makes no sense, Honolulu RAil is entirely segregated not only from other railroads but also for any other vehicular traffic, with no at-grade crossings.


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## Silly_Walks (Aug 23, 2010)

cal_t said:


> The answer is always to suit American crash protection standards/custoner request.



No, the answer is: AnsaldoBreda.


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## Dooie_Amsterdammert (Feb 14, 2014)

Nexis said:


> Those Crash standards only apply to Railroads...


Thats not entirely true, older rollingstock in chicago & nyc are quite sturdy.

Wouldn't surprise me one bit if current eu rollingstock has a lower impact capacity than north-american metro/subway material.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

At this point we don't really know the reason behind a lot of decisions in this project. 
I just think the design was based on the usual committee stuff, but I do like default design used in every other system.


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## icracked (Feb 15, 2007)

dimlys1994 said:


> ^^I think, Copenhagen metro car version is better than Honolulu


 Your thoughts are your opinion. In my opinion, the Copenhagen Metro looks bad... Hopefully the Honolulu train will look better once it starts coming together.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

What color will the Honolulu trains be?


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Kind of hard to judge how it will look when we haven't even seen the finished product. My guess is the Honolulu C&C probably chose the cheapest/easiest design to save money.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Nexis said:


> What color will the Honolulu trains be?


Nobody really knows quite yet. There are multiple renderings showing different color schemes. Most likely HART goes with the current colors that they use on the bus which are white, black, orange, and yellow.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*being hopeful*

I'm hoping HART uses the same (yellow gradients) as the city buses because it's important for the public to know the bus and rail is or should be a truly integrated system. Or the rail cars can be a green if it follows the same gradient hues as the bus or the blues of the handi-van service as long as the striping matches all three city transportation services.

The Bus
The Ext Bus by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
TheBus by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
The Handi-Van
The Handi-Van by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
The Rail Classic yellow and green variant
The Rail yellow by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
The Rail green by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Finally a recent photo of guide way work on the start of the current rail project at the East Kapolei station. Here one can see two single but separated guide ways to form the station
Two single but separate rail guide ways at Kapolei East station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Kapolei should become a cluster of high-rises with the train reaching there... something like Waikiki, but focused more on business/residence than hotels.


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## BoulderGrad (Jun 29, 2005)

Nexis said:


> Those Crash standards only apply to Railroads...


They apply to any rail that crosses vehicle paths. Light rail vehicles are typically more stout that heavy rail vehicles because they have street crossings.


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## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

HART's Honolulu on the Move September 2015 show has a model of train set (front motor train and center train). I can't find photos of close up other than this video. I assume the location for surfboard storage is also the same storage for bikes. Expected deliver and arrival of train set is Spring 2016 per various reports.

Model of Honolulu rail train set (2 of 4) shown in this video at the 4:40 minute mark


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Not bad , i'm abit relieved now...


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Photos from today 9-14-15*

The curvature of the rail guideway can now be seen as the rail line arrives at the Pearl Highlands station site. by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Guideway work finished on the Kapolei end. After last section sets the big rig we be moved to Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail heading into Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Art shot of rail guideway over Fort Weaver Road overpass by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Rail update photos 9-18-15*

Heavy Steel rig removed at the start of rail at East Kapolei station 9-18-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Big steel rail guideway rig moved to east Waipahu to work west to meet up with other rig on other end of Waipahu, heading east. by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail columns continuing again on west end of Waipahu 9-18-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail guideways heading east at west end of Waipahu 9-18-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail maintenance facilities coming along near Leeward Community College 9-18-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


Wide shot of cantilever bridges over H-1 freeway 9-18-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
South end of cantilever bridges just ten feet away from end 9-18-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Other end of cantilever bridges (south end) heading into Pearl Highland station at Pearl City 9-18-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

The project is really coming together :banana:

It's surprising how fast they are building this compared to past projects in Hawaii.


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## Bobdreamz (Sep 12, 2002)

creativenative thank you for the updated pics!


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## I(L)WTC (Jan 30, 2010)

This is the first metro in Oceania?


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

As the project continues, it's being hit with more news. I've been gone for a while, so there is a good number of articles and I really don't want to do mass posting like the last time. So i'll post a few that appeared this month.



> *Lawsuit filed to invalidate rail vote*
> Abigail Kawananakoa sues city over undisclosed conflicts of interest
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.kitv.com/news/lawsuit-filed-to-invalidate-rail-vote/35165202

---------------​


> *Honolulu rail crews complete 4 miles of elevated guideway*​
> Posted: Sep 09, 2015 1:32 PM HST
> Updated: Sep 09, 2015 1:32 PM HST
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...l-crews-complete-4-miles-of-elevated-guideway

---------------​


> *Rapid transit system changes design despite previous funding*​
> Posted: Sep 14, 2015 1:33 AM HST
> Updated: Sep 14, 2015 1:33 AM HST
> 
> ...


Read article here: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...ystem-changes-design-despite-previous-funding

---------------​


> *Honolulu looking to buy land for Pearlridge rail station bus facility*​Sep 15, 2015, 2:55pm HST
> by Duane Shimogawa
> Reporter - Pacific Business News
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/...-looking-to-buy-land-for-pearlridge-rail.html

---------------​


> *Rail project’s federal grant in jeopardy because of delay*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://www.kitv.com/news/Rail-project-s-federal-grant-in-jeopardy-because-of-delay/35317862


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## Dan78 (Nov 17, 2009)

floor23 said:


> The project is really coming together :banana:
> 
> It's surprising how fast they are building this compared to past projects in Hawaii.


This project has a lot of enemies, I wouldn't be surprised if part of the motivation to finish it quickly is to head off the still-happening "11th hour" calls to scuttle the whole thing.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Dan78 said:


> This project has a lot of enemies, I wouldn't be surprised if part of the motivation to finish it quickly is to head off the still-happening "11th hour" calls to scuttle the whole thing.


The anti-rail crowd has lost every fight in stopping the rail project. They've lost every vote(08 ballot and 2012 mayoral election) and every case in court. They are like the black knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail... they just never give up. They will continue to make noise until the project is completed.

Despite this noise, there is a 0% chance rail will be stopped. I work in the commercial real estate industry out here and every lawyer I've discussed this project with has shot down the possibility of the rail construction being stopped. The FFGA is a binding contract between the Honolulu C&C and Federal Government. If the city doesn't complete the project to the specifications stated in the FFGA then they have to pay the feds back immediately(within 60 days to 1 year on average). I don't think there has ever been a case of an infrastructure project being cancelled in the middle of construction when it is has federal financing.

The best the anti-rail crowd can do is post comments on local news sites and facebook which doesn't really equate to getting anything done in the real world.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Some rail updates from today 10-10-15*

Rail guideway starts on east end of Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Rail guideway starts on east end of Waipahu wider by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Also on east end of Waipahu complex rail columns being formed so tracks can go over roadway as it heads to Pearl City via the maintenance yard by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Wider by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

New rail columns heading west to central Waipahu. by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Wider by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Many rail columns waiting to receive guideway in west Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Wider by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Even wider by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail guideway going over Fort Weaver Road, here one can see the guideway level out in far background by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

I(L)WTC said:


> This is the first metro in Oceania?


Sydney has a Metro under construction ...so it wouldn't be the first...


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

creativenative said:


> Rail guideway starts on east end of Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
> Rail guideway starts on east end of Waipahu wider by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


How much of the line has been built so far?


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Nexis said:


> How much of the line has been built so far?


maybe only 20% at most is done. They haven't even acquired all the land and none of the stations have been constructed. I'm guessing that they finish somewhere between 2021 - 2023


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## Yeezus2 (Aug 26, 2015)

floor23 said:


> maybe only 20% at most is done. They haven't even acquired all the land and none of the stations have been constructed. I'm guessing that they finish somewhere between 2021 - 2023


Would it really be that long? That's 6 years! Although, I'm curious if construction projects of this magnitude take longer on Hawaii because of its geographical nature. Do they import most of the construction materials?


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

The Guide way itself is the easiest part of the project...the stations are the complex part.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Yeezus2 said:


> Would it really be that long? That's 6 years! Although, I'm curious if construction projects of this magnitude take longer on Hawaii because of its geographical nature. Do they import most of the construction materials?


100% of all construction materials for any type of development are imported. The only things Hawaii doesn't import is water and air... even Waikiki Beach has sand imported from Australia :lol:

If they finish in 6 years it would be amazing. However, finishing in 2022 or 2023 is more likely but that could just be me being an optimist. It wouldn't be surprising if construction took longer.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*More lots acquired and cleared for future Lagoon Dr. Station*

On this Google map the reds lines indicate the lots the city had purchased and recently cleared. Blue line shows east to west rail path.
Lagoon Dr cleared lots for future station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Lot cleared for future rail station on Lagoon Drive near airport by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Another lot cleared by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Does Honolulu have any bus lanes?


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## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

^^ There are a few short bus lanes that are remnants of the city's BRT pilot program from a decade ago, mostly in the Waikiki and downtown areas. However, they are relatively short, block-long segments that aren't strictly enforced.

The HOV "zipper" lane on the H1 freeway was part of the pilot program and is still used by the occasional bus, but is now open to other road traffic.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Why did they scrap the BRT project?


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## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

OahuTrans2K as it was known back then was an attempt to bring BRT to Hawaii in the new millenium. Certain stops received greater curb heights and new shelter designs for the transition. A movable barrier system plus associated equipment were bought for the future bus contraflow lanes on the H1. Even GPS tracking and a smart fare card trial was being implemented. The color scheme changed so that buses get a full rainbow livery rather than the older yellow-orange bands.

However, people were of course hostile to the conversion of road space to bus lanes and there was no real dedicated funding source. Coupled with some now-familiar local critics and the issues with the fare card pilot led the city to cancel the project around 2004-2005. The current limited-stop express services was all that was left of the program. All new bus purchases then returned the classic yellow band design.

However, some influences are being brought back in conjunction with the rail project, such as retrying a universal smart fare card. The full rainbow band livery will be reused by the city to define dedicated rapid transit service (also explaining why the rail cars will include a rainbow along their graphics).


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

I'm honestly surprised at how powerful the anti-transit critics are on Oahu... Its not like you have unlimited space to sprawl and build massive highways... Its a small island...


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## jam5 (May 30, 2007)

Are the anti-transit critics largely from the older generations? If so, it would explain a lot.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Old and new photos of Honolulu rail*

I was lucky enough to drive by as the first section of the rail guideway was lifted and placed in this first photo. In following two picts one can see the early progress of the guideway heading in both directions, Kapolei to the right and Waipahu to the left.
IMAG0718 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
IMAG0821 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
IMAG0881 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Next two shots are current photos of rail heading into Kapolei and below that rail heading into Waipahu
Shot of rail heading into Kapolei by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Rail shot of guideway heading into Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Stitched photo of the ever growing multi cantilever bridges over H-1 freeway
Cantilever Bridge 10-28-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Rail columns heading into Pearl City
New Columns heading east in Pearl City 10-28-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Last tall column for the Pearl Highlands Station
Last of the tall columns going up at the Pearl Highlands station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Special tall columns in the middle of Pearl City getting ready to cross over H-1 freeway once again
Heavy duty columns preparing to go over freeway at Pearl City 10-28-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## Bobdreamz (Sep 12, 2002)

Great updates & pics! Thanks for posting!


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Nexis said:


> I'm honestly surprised at how powerful the anti-transit critics are on Oahu... Its not like you have unlimited space to sprawl and build massive highways... Its a small island...





jam5 said:


> Are the anti-transit critics largely from the older generations? If so, it would explain a lot.


I would say most anti-rail people aren’t against it because they are anti-transit but are against it because they are fiscally conservative. Honolulu almost has 1 million residents and there are concerns that a rail project like this would be too expensive for the community to support. When people voted for the project it was supposed to cost under $4 billion, now the project cost is $6.5 billion and growing. 

As for BRT, it fails in so many places because it takes lanes up lanes on the roadways. I believe that’s one of the reasons HART decided to go fully elevated, so that it didn’t end up competing with drivers for road space.
As I’ve said in previous posts, It really doesn’t matter how opposed people are to this project because it is backed by an FFGA. I lived through the battle in Seattle over Sound Transit where opposition to the project was way more and there was 10x as much litigation over the project. However, despite the opposition the Washington State Supreme Court ruled in favor of Sound Transit because it has an FFGA behind it. The FFGA is a binding agreement that states that any local government that takes funding from the Feds must exhaust all options to finish the project, even if the feds don’t live up to their end of the deal. You could equate it to signing a pact with the devil if you are opposed to the project. For the City and County of Honolulu not to live up to its commitments stated in the FFGA, it could result in a default on its bonds, and also result in Grant funding being held back from not just the City and County but also the State as well because the FTA which issued them is an agency of the DOT. The only thing Anti-Transit folks can do is yell loudly and complain and it’s a lot of fun to watch.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

*Camera Feed of Rail Construction*

If anyone is interested in watching progress on the rail, you can go to http://goakamai.org/icx/pages/cameras.aspx

If you want to see where current construction is I would check the camera feed from Waipahu, Farrington Highway, and Kamehameha Highway(Aiea/Pearl City)


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Night shots and double columns*

Thanks floor23 for the camera link. I just checked out some cool live night shots. Coincidentally I was about to post some night shots I took earlier this evening.
Night work rail guideway heading west in east Waipahu 11-4-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Night work guideway heading east in central Waipahu 11-4-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Night work section of rail guide prepares to go up in central Waipahu 11-4-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Night work another rail guideway gets placed in central Waipahu 11-4-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Night work Guideway heading east at the western end of Pearl City 11-4-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Also wanted to check out shots (old and new) of the double column supports under some of the cantilever bridges connecting Waipahu and Pearl City...
Night shot of double columns supports for the rail cantilever bridges over Honolulu freeway 11-4-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Double column for cantilever bridge heading into Pearl Highlands station in August. 2015 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Double column used on cantilever bridge work July 31, 2015 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

...and compare them to these double columns going up in central Pearl City which appear to be supports for the rail guideway going over the freeway there. It appears to be the same as to conclude that the Rail will build a cantilever bridge in Central Pearl City also but just a single and simple expanse. Below is the double columns support in central Pearl City and I notice the foundations of another double column support on the other side of the freeway but couldn't take a good picture of it.
Double rail guideway columns in Pearl City looking like double cantilever columns in a earlier freeway crossing 11-4-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

It will be a long expanse with around 12 lanes to cross.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Has the project reached that point where it is no longer a question of whether it will be actually built, just when?


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Suburbanist said:


> Has the project reached that point where it is no longer a question of whether it will be actually built, just when?


Huh , it is clearly under construction.... :nuts:


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Nexis said:


> Huh , it is clearly under construction.... :nuts:


My worries is that someone (politician etc) would scream for the project to be stopped east of the Ala Moana end. 

I never understood why they gave up on UH campus end anyway, would be a major trip generator.


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## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

> I never understood why they gave up on UH campus end anyway, would be a major trip generator.


From my understanding, it was more of media confusion rather than the city-council / HART not living up to their "promise". Up until the draft EIS was even published, there was rather wild speculation in the news on what the project actually was going to accomplish. The only guarantee the planners gave was that it would follow the east-west urban corridor that _eventually_ services UH Manoa and W Kapolei after being fully built out through extensions.

Even the supposed cost "increase" from $3-billion to $5-billion was the media/public not recognizing a difference between an initial estimate vs year-of-expenditure estimate.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Suburbanist said:


> My worries is that someone (politician etc) would scream for the project to be stopped east of the Ala Moana end.
> 
> I never understood why they gave up on UH campus end anyway, would be a major trip generator.


They never did give up on the UH Manoa campus. Part of getting Federal funding for transit projects requires the project connects to the main local university. In 2012 there was a debate in Federal Court that they would build a tunnel from downtown via king street to UH manoa instead of going through Kakaako and Ala Moana. The Federal Judge eventually ruled in favor of the original route but with the agreement that the City and County of Honolulu would build to UH Manoa after they completed the first phase to Ala Moana. 

Just like Sound Transit in Seattle is connecting the Link Light Rail to UW, HART will have to eventually connect the line to UH Manoa as required by federal law.

I wouldn't read too much local news when it comes to Honolulu Rail because they have shown their ineptitude when talking about the project. The only person/group with the authority to halt an infrastructure project midway in construction would be a Federal Judge which has 0% chance of happening. Hawaii politicians can yell all they want but they really don't have much power when it comes to this thing. The city may fund this project, but the FFGA is a binding contract that dictates the rail project. 

I don't know how many times I have to say it on this thread, but Rail is a done deal. The Feds/FTA aren't going to let Hawaii use federal grant money and not finish the project. There has never been a project in the U.S. backed by an FFGA that hasn't been finished.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Second Quarter 2015 Daily Ridership numbers for Honolulu 

*Bus Ridership*
Honolulu / City & Cnty of Honolulu DOTS - 207,500 (2015) : -3.01%


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## dwdwone (May 7, 2004)

floor23 said:


> In 2012 there was a debate in Federal Court that they would build a tunnel from downtown via king street to UH manoa instead of going through Kakaako and Ala Moana. The Federal Judge eventually ruled in favor of the original route but with the agreement that the City and County of Honolulu would build to UH Manoa after they completed the first phase to Ala Moana.


So are you saying that the extension will have a subway section?


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

dwdwone said:


> So are you saying that the extension will have a subway section?



That was one of the suggested alternatives where they built a tunnel section in the downtown area. Diving before and resurfacing after downtown along King St.
But I don't think that was what they ultimately choose in the end.
It would make the land purchases near Ala Moana pointless


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

dwdwone said:


> So are you saying that the extension will have a subway section?


Sorry for the confusion, I must have explained it incorrectly. It was a suggested alternative by the federal judge. Picture below to give you a visual. 










The route that was agreed upon will continue along Kona St. (cutting through part of the ala moana mall's parking structure), then follow along Kapiolani Blvd, then turn on to University Ave heading towards the UH Manoa Campus.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Has a route through Waikiki been considered from the beggining?


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Suburbanist said:


> Has a route through Waikiki been considered from the beggining?


Yes, the city plans show it going down kalakaua (connecting from kapiolani) and then running along Kuhio Ave. I'm guessing HART will try to package the UH/Waikiki Extenstion together and fund both at the same time. However, I wouldn't be surprised if there is an incredibly strong push by the Taxi's drivers unions and other groups in Waikiki to keep it out entirely or push the rail route along the Ala Wai Canal.

Edit - I think a rail line along the Ala Wai Canal would be great, because it would open up the potential for residential/commercial development on the Ala Wai Golf Course.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

floor23 said:


> Edit - I think a rail line along the Ala Wai Canal would be great, because it would open up the potential for residential/commercial development on the Ala Wai Golf Course.



It's not out of the realm of possibility, but highly improbable at the moment.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

IT would be very interesting if they had plans to extend the line to Waialae.

I


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Suburbanist said:


> IT would be very interesting if they had plans to extend the line to Waialae.



I can never see that happening, unless they do some kind of subway section.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Maksima said:


> It's not out of the realm of possibility, but highly improbable at the moment.


I 100% agree with you that it won't happen anytime soon, but maybe 20, 40, to 50 years from now. A lot less tourists go to the Ala Wai Golf course and due to the price increases a lot less locals as well.

Just to get the entitlements on the ala wai golf course will take at least a decade lol


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

- dmca


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

- dmca


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

- dmca


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*12-10-15 updates*

Bridge tower over H-1 freeway in mid Pearl City by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Unpealing cement casings to reveal rail column 12-10-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Large square columns probably to cantilever over a turning lane 12-10-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


Third rail guideway layer machine coming out of Pearl Highlands station area into Pearl City 12-10-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail guideway heading back west into Waipahu 12-10-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Work on Waipahu east station with guideway heading towards it from both direction 12-10-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail guideway heading east in Waipahu 12-10-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

More of a finished look with new curbings as rail enters Waipahu 12-10-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

when I lived in Hawaii, the H-1 pearl city area and the nearby Kam Highway was hella packed in rush hour, especially from 4-8pm. It must be horrible with all those lane closures.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Station updates 12-16-15*

Preliminary work on the Pearlridge station 12-10-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Nice view of the future Pearl Highland Station 12-16-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Work on columns on the East Waipahu station 12-16-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Work on the West Loch or Waipahu West station platform supports. 12-16-15 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## N830MH (Jun 26, 2015)

Thank you for shares a picture. It's coming along nicely. Keep doing it!!!


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

- dmca


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

- dmca


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

3rd Quarter 2015 Daily Ridership numbers for Honolulu 

*Bus Ridership*
Honolulu / City & Cnty of Honolulu DOTS - 210,100 (2015) : 4.99%


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## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

*2015 Elevated guideway construction*

Found this nicely produced video on youtube capping the Kam Hwy (KHG) & Farrington Hwy guideway (WOFH) contract by Kiewit:
https://youtu.be/PceHvIGmpuc


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Council votes to extend excise tax surcharge for rail

http://www.staradvertiser.com/breaking-news/council-votes-to-extend-excise-tax-surcharge-for-rail/

The Honolulu City Council today gave final approval to a bill to extend the 0.5 percent surcharge on Oahu for the state general excise tax to pay for the bulk of the contentious rail project.

Council members voted 7-2 to pass Bill 23 (2015), which extends the surcharge on Oahu for the excise tax on goods and services for five additional years through 2027. Council members Ann Kobayashi and Ikaika Anderson cast the “no” votes.

The bill allows the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation to use up to $1.1 billion from the extended period to pay for the 20-mile, 21-stop line from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center. The overall cost of the project is now estimated by HART to cost $6.57 billion, thus necessitating the extension of the surcharge. Critics say they expect costs for what is the largest public works project in Hawaii’s history to continue to climb.

HART and Mayor Kirk Caldwell initially sought an unlimited extension but the 2015 state Legislature, after much deliberation, chose to extend the surcharge only through 2027.

Council members have been discussing a cap of its own and passed one, of sorts. The bill’s language calls for $1.1 billion to be expended for the 20-mile segment. It then says any remaining revenues “may be expended … in the following order of priority:” contingency and other reserves required by the Federal Transit Administration as conditions of a $1.55 billion grant; disability accessibility improvements; planning and design costs for the rail line’s future segments; and “infrastructure improvements to rail station areas to support affordable housing, as permitted by state and federal law.”

The bill also requires additional reports by HART be given to the Council, including quarterly cash counts.

HART Chief Executive Officer Dan Grabauskas told Council members, during questioning, that both FTA officials and HART staff are OK with the final language of the bill.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

It's good to see the project advancing and now being properly financed. The worst thing could happen to Oahu would have been to end up with a project not reaching Ala Moana, being therefore of much less use and setting the population/electorate against rail for another 30-40 years.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Suburbanist said:


> It's good to see the project advancing and now being properly financed. The worst thing could happen to Oahu would have been to end up with a project not reaching Ala Moana, being therefore of much less use and setting the population/electorate against rail for another 30-40 years.


There was a recent poll done in the Star-Advertiser (local newspaper) showing that now the majority of residents support the completion of the Rail project. I think most residents, even the ones that oppose the rail project just want to see it completed before costs continue to escalate. 

Some city council members have mentioned in the past about stopping the rail short of ala moana at middle st, but the reality is the city has 0 leverage to do so. Its all just talk to look like they are trying to keep costs down. The FTA is going to force the city to complete the project, because if they didn't it would set a dangerous precedent for other projects around the country. If Honolulu was able to alter the plan at this point with federal money secured, whats to stop other local governments around the country to do the same. Also, the city can't use the 1/2% GET to pay back the feds if they were to cancel the project. They would be forced to use their only real source of tax revenue which is property taxes to pay back the $1.5b. There is 0% chance this line gets stopped short of Ala Moana. Both the State of Hawaii and the City & County of Honolulu depend heavily on Federal money so the Feds hold all the leverage when it comes to the Rail project.

Whats really sad is HART will need to come back to ask for another extension in a few years for when they begin building in town. Honolulu has some of the highest construction costs and most expensive land in the world. I highly doubt the extra 5 years will be enough to pay for everything. All the local politicians and leaders understand that the 1/2% GET will be made permanent but so typical of Hawaii politicians, kick the can down the road and worry about it later.


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## Sunfuns (Mar 26, 2012)

Why are costs escalating so much compared to initial assumptions?


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

Sunfuns said:


> Why are costs escalating so much compared to initial assumptions?



There were lawsuits that did stall the project, but I'm not sure if it relates to project's costs. There's also the understanding that since they're just estimates it would not be reflective of the costs they would have to pay once bidding started for contracts.

On a completely different note, HART has recently started advertising on TheBus and I've seen two versions of it. One talks about complementary WI-FI and the other shows off some of the station renders.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Sunfuns said:


> Why are costs escalating so much compared to initial assumptions?


When the original projections were made, it was in the middle of the recession. The Honolulu economy has been booming since then and construction costs have doubled. Land costs have increased as well. The price tag of the rail project will continue to grow and I'd bet it goes up in the $8 to $11 billion range. Just to acquire the land in the city center will probably cost the City & County of Honolulu anywhere ranging from $200m upwards to $1 billion depending on market conditions and the settlements made in the arbitration for the eminent domain cases. 

Hawaii in general is one of the most expensive places on the planet, everything has to be shipped here (most isolated city on earth). We have the highest construction costs in the United States and probably top 10 in the entire world. Our land throughout the state is comparable in price to Manhattan real estate. Also consider the fact that the City & County of Honolulu has 0 expertise in building projects of this magnitude and most if not all of construction crews have 0 expertise in building a project like this. For example, nobody in Hawaii knows how to do thermite welding, so workers will have to be trained or welders from Japan or Germany will have to be shipped in to do the work. HART also hasn't even worked out on how they will provide the rail with electricity because HECO (Hawaiian Electric Company) doesn't have the excess capacity. So either HECO or HART will have to build a new power plant just to power the whole thing.

Those are just a few of the things that add to the costs of this project. I could write 5 to 10 pages worth of reasons why this project is very expensive. Simply put, Limited Land + High Construction Costs + limited infrastructure = expensive project.

The reality is the officials from HART undersold the cost of the building this project so people would vote for it. It's one reason why Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGA) exist, so that local governments don't take federal funds and get halfway into a project then stop because costs escalate. It exists to force local governments to fulfill their obligation. Thats why HART rushed to get one, because they knew once they got the FFGA that the project was a done deal. Anyone that has done business in Hawaii knows that almost every single project especially when it comes to infrastructure has heavy cost overruns. So voters claiming HART lied about costs are being willfully ignorant. I still support the project and it has definitely been quite an educational experience. I think a lot of people on the Mainland USA, Europe, and Asia take for granted the building of these projects mainly because they have had generations to build the necessary infrastructure to support transit systems of this magnitude. In Honolulu, everything is being from built from scratch in about a 10 to 15 year time span.


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## Sunfuns (Mar 26, 2012)

Well, Chinese have also built their rail and subway infrastructure almost from scratch during the last 15 years. Can't you import at least some work crews from the East Coast? Surely there they have enough experience in various construction techniques. I guess on the plus side you'll have significantly more experience after this is finished.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Sunfuns said:


> Well, Chinese have also built their rail and subway infrastructure almost from scratch during the last 15 years. Can't you import at least some work crews from the East Coast? Surely there they have enough experience in various construction techniques. I guess on the plus side you'll have significantly more experience after this is finished.


I don't think labor costs are the major problem. Taking everything on ferry from California probably adds more.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

User creativenative is overdue for his monthly update... , abit worried..


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Sunfuns said:


> Well, Chinese have also built their rail and subway infrastructure almost from scratch during the last 15 years. Can't you import at least some work crews from the East Coast? Surely there they have enough experience in various construction techniques. I guess on the plus side you'll have significantly more experience after this is finished.


Comparing Infrastructure projects in Mainland China to Hawaii is a really poor comparison. I’ve never heard of a lawsuit stalling an infrastructure project in China. The only similarity between the two is that we have a lot of Chinese people In Hawaii. China doesn’t have things like property rights, environmental regulations, safety standards, and labor regulations which can slow down a project.

Considering that Honolulu will be extending the line in the future it’s probably best that we have local crews who are trained in building and maintaining the Rail system. However it can be expensive at first to train and get all the labor necessary to preform those tasks. The good thing is that when we do extend the rail system to other parts of the island it will be far cheaper because the infrastructure will be in place. The 1st segment of any Heavy Rail system is always the most expensive. 



Nexis said:


> User creativenative is overdue for his monthly update... , abit worried..


Crea8ive Na8ive has a great collection of photos but you should check out miniviews flikr page. He has the best and most updated collection of photos for the rail project. I have it bookmarked and check it every few days to see the progress.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/miniviews/

you could also check out goakamai.org. They have traffic cams throughout the island and you can get a live feed of the construction

http://goakamai.org/icx/pages/cameras.aspx


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## sweet-d (Jul 20, 2010)

You also have to look at how much China needs the Metro and High Speed Rail Projects they are building. The need them and them right now not 3 to 5 years from now when they will be finished. They also have a shorter approval process of approving Infrastructure Projects China has approved a Metro, HSR, Road, or any other project during the same amount of time while the US would still be doing an environmental review. 


If they can approve it, pay off villagers, and finish construction in 3 to 5 years. You would spend 2 years just on an environmental review and several years acquiring property. China can do it fast because what the CCP says is the rule it will get done no matter what and the CCP is also never wrong they are always right and above criticism. What China has done is amazing but that couldn't be done in America with all the environmental, property, and regulatory laws.


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## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

When it comes to US infrastructure projects, the environmental review process is simultaneously the biggest asset and greatest weakness in the planning/construction stage.

On one hand you can save environmental resources such as water, preservation lands, and endangered species. On the other such as what HART sees, one can stall things on the subjective grounds of aesthetics (i.e. it "ruins" the view by being too tall, made of concrete, etc).


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## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

As for a project update, HART CEO Dan Grabrauskas recently had an interview with Hawaii News Now regarding the current status of certain rail topics.

Video in link:
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/clip/12172597/the-reality-of-rail-january-update

Of note is the fact that the first few rail cars are nearing completion and are expected to be delivered sometime in the next month or so.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*I'm alive*

Just devoting my time to my beloved wife who works out of state usually. We did manage to see rail in Waipahu and Pearl City last Thursday Feb. 4th, I think. Unfortunately I forgot to shoot Pear City progress which has lots of posts in and guideway layed out past Pearl Highlands shopping center.

Rail posts all up in Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

1-4-2016 can see the rail guideway laying machine on the far end of this photo. Final stretch for Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...ulu-breaks-ground-on-first-metro-station.html
> 
> *Honolulu breaks ground on first metro station*
> 26 Feb 2016
> ...


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Rail update photos 3-22-16*

miniviews has great stuff too. One day we might literally run into each other cause we are taking photos of rail and not paying attention to the road. lol. Thanks floor23 for the link.

These series of pics were taken while driving from east to west, from south of Aloha Stadium to the west outside of Waipahu. Near Aloha Stadium is when the first phase of Honolulu rail ends, which also represents half of the whole rail line.

Rail guideway assembling machine moved to east end of phase one of Honolulu Rail south of the Stadium station. Looking south behind me. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail columns leaving Stadium station. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

New rail columns at Stadium station. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail column ground work in east Pearl City. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

More rail columns going up in east Pearl City. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Other side of freeway in central Pearl City with tall support rail columns for rail bridge. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Taller columns heading towards bridge column that will support a bridge over freeway. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Forming new rail columns in central Pearl City. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Many new rail columns in west Pearl City. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail guideway assembly machine in west Pearl City heading east towards Aloha Stadium and central Honolulu. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail guideway moving along in west Pearl City. Looking west. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Large cantilever rail columns in west Pearl City. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Another angle of work on four span bridge and Pearl Highlands station. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Work on Pearl Highlands very high station. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Final four span bridge completed turning into Pearl Highlands station. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Wide shot of Pearl Highlands station and four arch bridge over freeway and on and off ramps. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail maintenance yard. Building look done, on the outside anyway May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail vehicles at the Maintenance yard May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Recently laid rail guideway in east Waipahu. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

One span left to go and Waipahu will be complete. May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail guideway in east Waipahu with station opening on near left May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Curvy rail guideway in central Waipahu May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

First rail station construction in west Waipahu. Note construction fences on both sides of guideway May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail just west of Waipahu with new curbs and pavement. This is a small example of the finish product that would improve most of Honolulu May 22, 2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## IanCleverly (Nov 24, 2010)

I can't help but notice that the tagged date on the flickr photographs say it's May of 2016!


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

LOL , maybe Creative Native has a time machine...


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

*Look what showed up today...*



> *First train cars for rail transit system arrive on Oahu​*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Read article here:http://khon2.com/2016/03/24/first-train-cars-for-rail-transit-system-arrive-on-oahu/


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

^^Photos:
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/urban/single-view/view/first-honolulu-metro-cars-arrive.html


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

*4th Quarter 2015 Daily Ridership numbers for Honolulu *

*Bus Ridership*
Honolulu / City & Cnty of Honolulu DOTS - 209,200 (2015) : -2.81%


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Photos from Mar. 30 Sorry not May*

Photos from one end to another of the Honolulu rail's first phase from Kapolei to just past Aloha Stadium.

Work on Kapolei west station. 3-30-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Work on Waipahu west station. 3-30-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Waipahu rail guideway completed in Waipahu. 3-30-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Another angle last rail guideway links in Waipahu. 3-30-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Maintenance Yard 3-30-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

5 arch bridge over H-1 freeway & curving into Pearl Highlands station. 3-30-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

The Following couple of photos are about the fast rail work in progress in the west half of Pearl City. One can see many columns erected.

image by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

image by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

More rail columns going up in east half of Pearl City. This last leg of phase one is really going up fast. 3-30-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail columns going up on east half of Pearl City. 3-30-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Columns going up for Pearl Ridge shopping center station. 3-30-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Prep work being done on far east end of Pearl City just before Aloha Stadium. 3-30-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

The end of the line in phase on or half way point just two blocks south of Aloha stadium. 3-30-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## Falubaz (Nov 20, 2004)

^^It looks like many streches of the line go through rural areas...


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Falubaz said:


> ^^It looks like many streches of the line go through rural areas...


They are all earmarked for future dense development.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*First Spy Shoot - Rails Cars*

Well I wouldn't say spy but these shots weren't easy. First look at all four rail cars at the maintenance rail yard. We knew 2 cars came in March 24 on the docks and the next two on the next shipment. These weren't here yesterday. So here are all four. Fortunately still outside but unfortunately still wrapped. Must be for a promo/press revealing soon.

First attempt with a little climbing but fence still between us
New rails through fence 4-7-2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Then I found a little whole in the fence but couldn't tweet the exposure
New rail cars through small hole in fence. 4-6-2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Then as the freeway on ramp rose above the fence got these great shots looking back but on a dangerous small shoulder.
New rail cars at yard by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
Tighter
New rail cars closer 4-7-2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Things are getting exciting here. Note all previous renderings shown a two car train but we all know that the great thing about rail is that you can add cars. I would say this four car version is max because of the rail station spands.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

creativenative said:


> Well I wouldn't say spy but these shots weren't easy. First look at all four rail cars at the maintenance rail yard. We knew 2 cars came in March 24 on the docks and the next two on the next shipment. These weren't here yesterday. So here are all four. Fortunately still outside but unfortunately still wrapped. Must be for a promo/press revealing soon.
> 
> 
> 
> *Then I found a little hole in the fence but couldn't tweet the exposure*


Be careful , we need you alive to take all these beautiful photos of the Metro line..


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## Ginkgo (Feb 12, 2007)

creativenative said:


> New rail cars closer 4-7-2016 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
> 
> Things are getting exciting here. Note all previous renderings shown a two car train but we all know that the great thing about rail is that you can add cars. I would say this four car version is max because of the rail station spands.


So it looks like the middle two cars are cab cars. Or are they? I guess they would have to be if the train is not going to have to be turned at the termini. It looks like the two middle cars do not have a full operator compartment like the end cars do, but maybe have operator controls. Sound Transit Link light rail doesn't have cab cars--all are the same configuration with full operator control areas at both ends, so they don't need to be turned. Which also means there is no passage between cars, like in traditional subways cars. Unlike those, ST Sounder commuter trains have cab cars, which still looks odd to me when NB Sounder commuter trains have the engine pushing from behind.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

The middle cars are not cab cars as HART's system is a automatic metro similar to Copenhagen's metro. They also have full passage through all four after they changed the train set configuration from two cars to four cars.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Update 05-18-16 Shots I missed on the last update*

First lots of action on the future Leeward Community College station.

Work on Leeward C.C. Station. Tearing up parking lot. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Removing buildings for Leeward C.C. For new station. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

And tearing down other buildings for the future Windward C.C. Rail station. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

New replacements buildings for Leeward C.C. Location of the college's future rail station. An improvement. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

While at Leeward C.C. one has a good view of the 5-Arch rail bridge crossing highway and curving into the Pearl Highlands station. Also a view of a new exit ramp off freeway heading also inti the Pearl Highlands station or parking lot, that Maksima pointed out a couple weeks ago.
Shot of 5 Arches rail bridge over H-1 Freeway with its on and off ramps. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Underneath rail bridge and car overpass one can see work on the north/west bound freeway exit to the Pearl Highlands station. Note exposed dirt on hill side. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Other end of this new exit ramp

Work on highway exit ramp heading into Pearl Highlands station. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Now heading west thur Pearl City
Just past Pearl Highlands station, rail guideway across from Pearl Highlands shopping center. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Continuing east on Kamehameha Hwy. in Pearl City. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail guideway running east in the western half of Pearl City. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Updated on rail guideway assembly rig which has gone far as it can on the west side of the freeway. As conjectured earlier, the rig will now be dismantled and moved to the other side of the freeway to continue. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

On east side of freeway, note supporting "T" rig on rail column ready for the guideway assembly rig to move. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Looks like I was wrong, this assembly rig over the Pearl Ridge station looks like it's now heading east towards Aloha stadium. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Closer and better shot of Aloha Stadium station. 05-18-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Shot of the end of first phase of the rail project just beyond the Aloha Stadium station. by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Have any stations started construction yet?


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## FM 2258 (Jan 24, 2004)

If there is any place that can really benefit from local rail transportation it's Oahu. Get all those cars off the road and more people on to trains. Faster than traffic on Interstate H1 and so much better for the environment. I've always wondered why so many were against this when the alternative(more cars) is such an environmentally dirty solution.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

Nexis said:


> Have any stations started construction yet?


Yes the first six has started prep work but no actual construction of the stations themselves. They are design build contracts so the winning bidders are also doing architect/engineering work. I hope they redesign the stations to have a somewhat of a Hawaiian sense of place but they may be under obligation to complete what apparently are preliminary designs.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

- dmca


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## dwdwone (May 7, 2004)

How much more - or less - had they built a subway? Fewer utilities to move I'd imagine.

How does this work anyway? You have projected costs and you have contracts.


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## Dan78 (Nov 17, 2009)

dwdwone said:


> How much more - or less - had they built a subway? Fewer utilities to move I'd imagine.


From what I understand there was a plan to have a least part of the Honolulu rail line in a subway tunnel (through downtown) at some point, but engineers were concerned about both the integrity of the soil/rockbed (very soft and porous stuff) and the high water table that the Honolulu area has, so they went with elevated instead. My guess is the subway route would have been more expensive than the elevated route as well.



dwdwone said:


> How does this work anyway? You have projected costs and you have contracts.


Don't know why, but this seems to be a very "American" thing. My best guess is that contractors ridiculously low-ball estimates to try to get the bid, and then afterwards slowly inflate the price tag to the actual pricepoint they had in mind. It doesn't help that US costs for rail projects are extraordinarily high to start off with.


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## DCUrbanist (Apr 4, 2014)

Dan78 said:


> Don't know why, but this seems to be a very "American" thing. My best guess is that contractors ridiculously low-ball estimates to try to get the bid, and then afterwards slowly inflate the price tag to the actual pricepoint they had in mind. It doesn't help that US costs for rail projects are extraordinarily high to start off with.


I think this is totally true. The fact that Americans tend to almost exclusively award contracts to the lowest bidder and consider other factors at far less critical levels than other countries is a huge flaw, in my opinion, because it leads to situations exactly like this one. What if one of the other contracts had better plans for utilities at a higher cost? What if another contract had better controls against price increases, again at a higher cost? It's penny-wise and pound-foolish. Most other places consider factors like that.

I might also add that in America contractors can sue the public sector, which gives them significantly more leverage in their dealings with the state. If the Green Line Extension in Boston is any indication, there are also few to no effective controls against increasing prices or labor costs once contracts are signed.


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## ok2 (May 12, 2009)

^^

Do you guys remember the Big Dig in Boston? It was estimated at 3 billion and ended up at 15 billion.


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## phoenixboi08 (Dec 6, 2009)

DCUrbanist said:


> I think this is totally true. The fact that Americans tend to almost exclusively award contracts to the lowest bidder and consider other factors at far less critical levels than other countries is a huge flaw, in my opinion, because it leads to situations exactly like this one. What if one of the other contracts had better plans for utilities at a higher cost? What if another contract had better controls against price increases, again at a higher cost? It's penny-wise and pound-foolish. Most other places consider factors like that.
> 
> I might also add that in America contractors can sue the public sector, which gives them significantly more leverage in their dealings with the state. If the Green Line Extension in Boston is any indication, there are also few to no effective controls against increasing prices or labor costs once contracts are signed.


Aren't they often legally obligated to choose the lowest bid?


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## ok2 (May 12, 2009)

I wouldn't be surprised if many investors have made their business decisions based on the fact that the train will reach Ala Moana shopping mall. In fact in 2015 a new section was added to the mall and new condos are under construction in the area. I don't know if the city official have made any promises to those investors so they can pour millions of dollars in commercial real-estate and residential buildings along the rail line. If that's the case, then this will be a very bad news for those developers. I was in Honolulu just last week and I have to say that the traffic on H1 is mind blowing. I hope that HART can convince the federal government to give them more money so they can complete the project.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Council approves $6.8B cap on rail spending*​
> Published: Wednesday, June 1st 2016, 4:06 pm HST
> Updated: Wednesday, June 1st 2016, 11:14 pm HST
> By HNN Staff
> ...


Full article here-> http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/32118835/city-council-proposes-cap-on-rail-spending



> *Mayor: Shorter rail route could cost taxpayers more in long-run*​
> Published: Thursday, June 2nd 2016, 6:31 pm HST
> Updated: Thursday, June 2nd 2016, 6:40 pm HST
> By Rick Daysog, Reporter
> ...


Full article here-> http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/32129762/mayor-shorter-rail-rout-could-costs-taxpayers-more



> *Former chairman of Honolulu rail board ends time on project*​Jun 8, 2016, 2:59pm HST
> Updated Jun 9, 2016, 12:25pm HST
> By Kathleen Gallagher
> Reporter | Pacific Business News
> ...


Full article here-> http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/...hairman-of-honolulu-rail-board-ends-time.html



> *HART members recommend striving for Downtown Honolulu*​Jun 9, 2016, 3:00pm HST
> Updated Jun 10, 2016, 9:19am HST
> By Kathleen Gallagher
> Reporter | Pacific Business News
> ...


Full article here-> http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2016/06/09/hart-members-recommend-striving-for-downtown.html



> *New cuts considered to keep rail project afloat on constricted budget*​By Kristine Uyeno
> Published: June 8, 2016, 7:31 pm
> 
> What would Honolulu’s rail project look like if it was built within budget?
> ...


Full article here-> http://khon2.com/2016/06/08/new-cuts-considered-to-keep-rail-project-afloat-on-constricted-budget/


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Some shots from 6-8-16*

More new pavement throughout the town of Waipahu. 6-8-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Site work at West Loch station in west Waipahu. 6-8-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

All old buildings gone at Leeward C.C. to make way for future station. 6-8-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Building dirt ramp for future Leeward C.C. Rail station. 6-8-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

West side of H-1 freeway with progress of second cantilever working it way over freeway. 6-8-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

East side of H-1 freeway. 6-8-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Second cantilever bridge over H-1 freeway at Pearl City. 6-8-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Second row of rail columns going up at Aloha Stadium station. 6-8-16 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

I'm still a firm believer in that they finish this project according to the original plan. The FFGA is a binding contract and any changes require FTA approval. There was an article in star advertiser a month or so ago where the FTA's recommendation was to extend the GET for another 5 years. IMO that clearly shows the FTA believes that the project should be finished according to plan. The C&C of Honolulu and HART are required to finish the project according to the FFGA and if the FTA decides that no changes are to be made, then they are obligated to finish the project regardless of the opinion of the public and local politicians.

The FTA isn't going to let Honolulu slide on this one as it would set a bad precedent for other future transit projects nationwide. I believe there is a 99% chance that this project is completed according to the original plan.


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> *Honolulu’s rail among only a handful of projects under heavy federal scrutiny*​
> By Kristine Uyeno
> Published: June 21, 2016, 5:55 pm
> Updated: June 21, 2016, 7:09 pm
> ...


Full article here-> http://khon2.com/2016/06/21/honolul...ful-of-projects-under-heavy-federal-scrutiny/



> *New 'worst-case scenario' report reveals full 20-mile rail route could cost $10.79B*​Published: Thursday, June 23rd 2016, 5:52 pm HST
> Updated: Thursday, June 23rd 2016, 7:21 pm HST
> By Mileka Lincoln, Reporter
> 
> ...


Full article here-> http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...eals-full-20-mile-rail-route-could-cost-1079b



> *Investigation underway after rail car vandalized at Waipahu operations center*​By Alexander Zannes, Alex Cerball and Web Staff
> Published: June 24, 2016, 4:09 pm
> Updated: June 24, 2016, 10:29 pm
> 
> ...


Full article here-> http://khon2.com/2016/06/24/investi...-car-vandalized-at-waipahu-operations-center/


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

picture below sums up the Honolulu Rail Project thus far hno:


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

despite all the bad press of lately....

*Poll: 62 percent favor building rail to Ala Moana Center*

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/32466440/poll-62-percent-favor-building-rail-to-ala-moana-center

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -

Most Oahu residents want the see the entire 20-mile rail system built all the way to Ala Moana Center. But even more people oppose raising property taxes to pay for the construction. 

The Hawaii News Now-Star-Advertiser Hawaii Poll found that 62 percent favor building the entire system while only 10 percent think the project should stop at Middle Street. 

"No, that's not a good idea. If we're going to start something we should finish it and finish it the right way," Aiea resident Mark Johnasen said of the Middle Street plan. 

Added Carleton Yanaga of Mililani: "I think we spent enough money. And just to stop it now is going to be that much waste. And the stops like that, how many people are going to just ride it only to Middle Street."

The Middle Street option emerged earlier this year due to soaring construction costs. Mayor Kirk Caldwell said the plan would buy the city time to seek more funding from the federal government or other sources for the remaining five miles. But that proposal appears to be hurting Caldwell politically, according to experts. 

Over the past 18 months, his approval rating has dropped 11 percentage points to 53 percent and he now trails former City Councilman Charles Djou in polls for the mayor's race. 

"It's because of rail because now they are afraid he has become a flip-flopper about where he actually envisions rail going," said Hawaii News Now political analyst Colin Moore.

But Caldwell defended his position, saying Middle Street is just a temporary stop until the city can seek additional revenue sources.

"I'm committed to building the full 20 miles, 21 stations all the way to Ala Moana Center," Caldwell said during a mayoral forum sponsored by the Hawaii Hotel and Lodging Association on Thursday. "I didn't say stop construction. We won't even be into Middle Street until probably 2020. But I need the time to put together a funding plan for the Federal Transit Administration."

That funding plan isn't likely to include increasing property taxes. The Hawaii poll found that an overwhelming 81 percent said no to increasing property taxes for rail. 

"No property taxes. I would be in favor of continuing the increase in the excise tax but property tax no," said Mililani resident Tom Hoffman.

Former Mayor Peter Carlisle is among the minority. He thinks the city should cut city programs or increasing property taxes to pay for rail.

"It could be a combination of both. It could be one the other or both," he said.


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...-honolulu-metro-phase-2-contract-awarded.html
> 
> *First Honolulu metro phase 2 contract awarded*
> 21 Jul 2016
> ...


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## Tågälskaren (May 9, 2005)

*Rail takes center stage in Honolulu mayoral race *

HONOLULU (AP) — Honolulu’s troubled rail project has become a dominant issue in the mayoral race.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and former Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle say the rail must be built to its full length[...]


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## Maksima (Apr 3, 2015)

> * HI: Rail Funding, Technology Split Mayoral Candidates*​Gordon Y.K. Pang On Jul 28, 2016
> Source: McClatchy
> 
> July 27--Mayor Kirk Caldwell, former U.S. Rep. Charles Djou and former Mayor Peter Carlisle criticized one another for their respective positions on rail but failed to provide specific plans of their own during a forum Tuesday sponsored by the Rotary Club of Honolulu.
> ...


Full article here --> http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/12237318/rail-funding-technology-split-mayoral-candidates


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Now Waipahu Station rising*

Waipahu Station update 09-28-17 north pedestrian bridges up by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## charmers (May 30, 2016)

Seems like a new version of the old Honolulu street railway system would have been MUCH cheaper and could have served a LARGER population.


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## Rational Plan (Mar 15, 2004)

charmers said:


> Seems like a new version of the old Honolulu street railway system would have been MUCH cheaper and could have served a LARGER population.


Well, they could, but it would be much slower. No US government/politician would accept traffic lanes being taken away and given exclusively to transit. 

Plus surface transit has more frequent stops and so is intrinsinctly slower thana segregated system.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

charmers said:


> Seems like a new version of the old Honolulu street railway system would have been MUCH cheaper and could have served a LARGER population.


I disagree. The new rail line will be within close distance of 70% of the current population on Oahu. The old honolulu streetcar only serviced urban Honolulu and was slower, more expensive, and had less route flexibility than a typical bus. The one advantage of the current rail line is that there won't be a need to expand the system as most of the population will live nearby and the majority of the future development on Oahu will be a long the planned line.

Streetcars in Honolulu would be worthless. The only 2 high capacity transit modes worth investing in on Oahu are grade separated Rail and BRT.


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## ArtManDoo (Aug 5, 2008)

floor23 said:


> I disagree. The new rail line will be within close distance of 70% of the current population on Oahu. The old honolulu streetcar only serviced urban Honolulu and was slower, more expensive, and had less route flexibility than a typical bus. The one advantage of the current rail line is that there won't be a need to expand the system as most of the population will live nearby and the majority of the future development on Oahu will be a long the planned line.
> 
> Streetcars in Honolulu would be worthless. The only 2 high capacity transit modes worth investing in on Oahu are grade separated Rail and BRT.


Actually new streetcar/fast tram combination could surely be a great supplement for grade separated rail.

As for BRT, it can be a stop gap poor solution but never as good as something running on rail. Rail is way more energy efficient and gives a way more better performance and service level than BRT.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Next phase coming along.*

Was traveling on Kamehameha Hwy between the airport and Aloha Stadium and witnessed a couple of big drill rigs and cylinder huge rebar cages for the new holes. Ahh like the old days with phase 1 construction. Sorry didn't have a camera. 

Go rail go!


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## N830MH (Jun 26, 2015)

*Live testing to begin on Honolulu’s new urban rail system*

We have a news for you!! 



> The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) is to begin live train testing for the new urban rail rapid transit system.
> In partnership with Ansaldo Honolulu, the pair will energise the third rail to allow trains to operate on the largely elevated track on their own power for the first time.


https://www.globalrailnews.com/2017/09/04/live-testing-to-begin-on-honolulus-new-urban-rail-system/

Right now, they are testing. It will take a while. Is scheduled to open in the year 2020. Subject to change.


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## ok2 (May 12, 2009)

Honolulu rail cars go on test run:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_P-qV6x_AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txui9MpAaUQ



.


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## Jthurmo2 (Nov 21, 2016)

That’s a bit optimistic


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

TheBus to operate Kalihi-Waikiki route 24/7

http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/11/30/hawaii-news/thebus-to-operate-kalihi-waikiki-route-247/?HSA=ceb8c40d0ed6ba3f04fa3f6bc0c33e404c3ed056

Honolulu’s TheBus Route 2 connecting Kalihi to Waikiki will offer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week starting early Sunday morning.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell made the announcement at a news conference Wednesday morning at a North School Street bus stop fronting Kapalama Elementary School, along the busy route.

“It’s about helping people live better on this very small island of almost a million people,” said Caldwell. “Today we’re here to announce that Route 2 that comes right by here is going to be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make sure that folks here in Kalihi can get into Waikiki and back home again without having to worry about the last bus.”

The extension of service through the night will cost the city an additional $400,000 to cover a two-hour gap between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., bringing the annual cost of operating the route to $8.6 million. The new 24/7 bus route joins an existing one, Route 40 between Makaha and Ala Moana Center, that began 24-hour service on the same day 17 years ago.

“We’re committed, absolutely committed, to continuing to expand our bus system to make it even more vigorous, more robust,” said Caldwell, “and to make sure that we are a city in the 21st century that provides transportation alternatives to our cars.”

Route 2 runs from Kalihi Transit Center along Middle Street through Liliha, North School Street, through downtown and along Kalakaua Avenue to Kapiolani Community College and back. Currently, the route serves about 18,000 passengers on each weekday with about 20 buses.

At 2 a.m. the bus from Waikiki returning to Kalihi is always packed as riders scramble to get the last bus of the night back to Kalihi, according to Jenny Lemaota, senior vice president and deputy general manager of TheBus. “So this will give (riders) ease of mind,” she said.

Honolulu City Councilman Joey Manahan, whose district includes Kalihi, said the additional hours would mean more options and less anxiety for working families that commute on the route.

“Honolulu has become a 24-hour city,” said Jon Nouchi, deputy director of the city Department of Transportation Services.

He said the department was evaluating the entire bus system to see if there were other gaps where a few extra trips could create more 24-hour routes.

Routes 2 and 40 combined offer transportation from Makaha to Waikiki. The city estimated that the overnight Routes 2 and 40 service will make transit available for about 330,000 residents within a half-mile of the bus stops.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Any recent photos of the metrorail construction?


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Nexis said:


> Any recent photos of the metrorail construction?


https://www.flickr.com/photos/miniviews/

Miniviews has the best collection of rail construction photos that I'm aware of. His flickr is my go to feed when I want to see progress on the rail. 

When rail comes to town I'll start taking photos, but I'm too busy(and lazy) to go out west to take photos.


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## N830MH (Jun 26, 2015)

floor23 said:


> https://www.flickr.com/photos/miniviews/
> 
> Miniviews has the best collection of rail construction photos that I'm aware of. His flickr is my go to feed when I want to see progress on the rail.
> 
> When rail comes to town I'll start taking photos, but I'm too busy(and lazy) to go out west to take photos.


Very nice pics. It's coming along nicely. You may post a pictures on this forums. Those people who want to see it.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

N830MH said:


> Very nice pics. It's coming along nicely. You may post a pictures on this forums. Those people who want to see it.


Normally I'd post the photos, but since Miniviews posts here I'm not entirely sure how he feels about me posting his rail photos. His flickr allows photos to be shared, but I think he may want to post them himself. However for the sake of giving an update I'll share a few and hopefully Miniviews won't mind 

20171219_101303_HDR by miniviews, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

20171219_100808 by miniviews, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

20171213_104516_HDR by miniviews, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

20171212_115446 by miniviews, on Flickr


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## Bobdreamz (Sep 12, 2002)

^ Nice to see this project moving along! Thanks for posting these pics.


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## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

floor23, I don't mind you or anyone posting photos from my flickr feed. I myself don't have the time (or too lazy) to post myself. As someone whom either bike, drive or bus past the western end of this project, I'll try to continue to follow the construction. 

Shimmick/Traylor/Granite Joint Venture executing the Airport Guideway & Stations project are moving along extremely well -- quite understandable considering minimum small businesses are affected until the Lagoon Drive area and some positives of the Airport Viaduct laydown area which displaced a large homeless camp. At Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the mornings are always an issue with gate traffic, but I haven't heard much complaint from coworkers -- yet.

For the various Western rail stations, West Loch rail station is closing in on completion with stairwells from platform in progress left, the one and only escalator installed and Kiss & Ride progressing. For Pearl Highlands rail station, lots of work ongoing for station/transit area prior to platform construction. Hoopili is progressing in sync with West Loch rail station but not much public traffic there. Not much activities for Pearlridge & Aloha Stadium station but I expect Nan, Inc. to move quicker with construction on Aloha Stadium station due to experience with West Oahu stations, with the exception of Pearlridge rail station due to platform construction in the middle of a busy highway (one of three main corridors in Aiea).


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## N830MH (Jun 26, 2015)

miniviews said:


> floor23, I don't mind you or anyone posting photos from my flickr feed. I myself don't have the time (or too lazy) to post myself. As someone whom either bike, drive or bus past the western end of this project, I'll try to continue to follow the construction.


Keep eye on it! If you see any new construction out there. You may post those pictures on this forums. You may share to those people.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

20180109_181617 by miniviews, on Flickr

20180109_181532 by miniviews, on Flickr

20180109_181855 by miniviews, on Flickr

20180109_181905 by miniviews, on Flickr

20180109_181915 by miniviews, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Construction Update: December 2017


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

*Honolulu to Receive $1.45M in Federal Funds for Electric Buses
*
http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/Honolulu-to-Receive-Federal-Funds-for-Electric-Buses.html

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz announced Monday that the federal government will award $1.45 million to the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services for the purchase and deployment of fully electric buses.

“Hawai‘i has long been a leader in clean energy, and the city of Honolulu is building on that legacy by transitioning to buses that will keep our air clean,” Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a news release. “I’m glad that this funding will take our state one step closer to reaching our goal of using 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.”

Schatz’s office said a zero-emission electric bus could eliminate nearly 1,700 tons of carbon pollution over its 12-year life span, the equivalent of taking 27 cars off the road.


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## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

Found a flickr user working for STG (Shimmick/Traylor/Granite Joint Venture), contractor for Honolulu Rail's Airport Guideway & Station (AGS) phase. Pre-cast yard is the ex-Kiewit pre-cast yard at Campbell Industrial Park.

IMG_7633 by 0302builder, on Flickr

Segment Rebar Jig by 0302builder, on Flickr

IMG_7603 by 0302builder, on Flickr

Dumping Bucket by 0302builder, on Flickr

Top of Column - Pier 444 by 0302builder, on Flickr

Installing Column Rebar by 0302builder, on Flickr


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Great find MV!*

Thank you.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

5 Plans to Take Rail Past Ala Moana Face a Host of Obstacles
GORDON Y.K. PANG ON FEB 25, 2018

http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/02/25/hawaii-news/5-plans-to-take-rail-past-ala-moana-face-a-host-of-obstacles/

HNL rail going past ala moana by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Conceptual plans showing how Honolulu's rail project could extend beyond Ala Moana Center to the University of Hawaii in Manoa suggest that any future extension could tremendously alter the shopping center and other properties in the Kapiolani district.

Transit officials last week presented five conceptual plans to the City Council's Planning and Transportation Committee, stressing repeatedly that they have no authority or funding to study beyond the conceptual stage as a way to keep open as many post- Ala Moana extension options as possible.

"We do not have a mandate to do full extension planning," Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Executive Director and CEO Andrew Robbins told committee members Tuesday. "That would require a full alternatives analysis, environmental planning and so forth. What we have done ... are concepts that you can consider for corridor preservation for future extensions."

The HART board of directors in November authorized Robbins and his staff to ask the Council for the OK to "conduct planning and engineering activities, and acquire the right-of-way" that would allow development "at a future date" for a previously approved plan with spurs to UH and Waikiki.

Abbey Mayer, HART director of planning, permitting and right of way, said four of the five concepts are compatible with the Ala Moana platform station that is already part of the formal Environmental Impact Statement and Locally Preferred Alternative plan.

The current EIS/LPA plan (Concept 1) calls for the Ala Moana station to be elevated about 30 feet above Kona Street just west of the Kona Iki Street intersection. The concept does not really call for an extension of the existing guideway, but for a second track that would head toward UH running east above Kona Street at an elevation of about 90 feet, Mayer said. People would need to get off the East Kapolei-Ala Moana train, then ride an elevator to board a second train to UH.

The extra height is needed for the second track to "get high enough to go over what is currently part of the Target wing of Ala Moana and the arms of Ala Moana mall that connect Center Court to Target," Mayer said. The track would continue along Kona and at some point cross over onto Atkinson Drive.

The route also runs through SamKoo Pacific's Kapiolani Residence project, some commercial buildings and the Manaolana tower at Kapiolani Boulevard and Atkinson, all of which are under construction, Mayer said. Those kind of projects would present obstacles toward achieving what's listed in the current LPA, he said.

A second Kona option (Concept 2) would continue the East Kapolei-Ala Moana guideway along the same route, but eliminate the need to jump onto a second train. Such a plan, however, would require the expanded line to travel roughly at the same 30-foot elevation of guideway along a much narrower section of Kona and Mahukona streets.

"We would have some very rough future impacts, so the Ala Moana Building parking structure is potentially impacted, parts of the Target building and the connectors from Center Court of the mall, two levels of shops would likely have to be demolished," Mayer said. Additionally, the Ala Moana Center parking structure as well as the ramps from the structure to Kona Street "would likely be impacted," as would the pedestrian bridge from the Ala Moana Pacific Building into the mall parking lot.

Parts of the Manaolana project "may also be in conflict" and there also could be impacts to lanes along Atkinson and to commercial buildings at Kapiolani and Kalakaua Avenue, Mayer said.

"So we have the possibility of continuing down Kona, but it is an impact-heavy route," Mayer said.

Asked later by the committee for clarification on how Ala Moana Center would be affected, he said "just plowing through would be the clearest way to say it; we're at a 30-foot elevation and you want a one-seat ride."

*Veering away*

A third Makai option (Concept 3) is similar to the second and would affect roughly the same portions of Ala Moana Center. Additionally, however, it would continue along Kona for a bit and then veer makai toward the mall's parking structure near Macy's, "likely impacting a great portion of that parking structure itself before coming out onto Atkinson," he said.

The Mauka option (Concept 4) would veer away from Kona sooner and take it onto a SamKoo property at 1391 Kapiolani, the site of a planned residential tower with affordable units. The concept also would require a shift of the existing location of the Ala Moana station platform 100 to 150 feet in the Ewa direction, Mayer said. From there it would cut across the SamKoo location, bounded by Kona, Kona Iki and Kapiolani, on its way toward Kapiolani and possibly Keeaumoku Street.

The shifting of the station platform would require new approvals from the Federal Transit Administration because the station's current location prevents the track from making a proper left turn, he said. "The trains have to come out of the station and fully clear the station platform before starting to turn."

A fifth Piikoi option (Concept 5) was requested by the Council, and calls for "a two-seat ride," or transfer to a second line, heading north at Piikoi or somewhere else nearby, thus bypassing most of Kona Street. It is most vaguely outlined and leaves completely open the route a second line would take toward UH.

As with Concept 1, which also requires a second line for a "two-seat ride," a separate shorter "maintenance" track would be necessary to move trains from the main line to the UH track when needed. That third track would avoid the need for a separate maintenance and storage facility for what essentially would be just a five-stop line to UH, Mayer said.

Such a facility would need about 40 acres somewhere between Ala Moana and UH. "Finding 40 acres in an urbanized residential area is not a very compatible land use and the price tag would be massive," he said.

Council members said they were baffled by the complexities involved with the Ala Moana rail station and the possible routes to UH.

Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi said voters who supported the project in a 2008 amendment to the Honolulu City Charter expected a route that would go from Kapolei to Ala Moana and even Waikiki. "I don't know why there's no planning," she said.

Kobayashi questioned how the city Department of Planning and Permitting allowed for development approvals for the Manaolana project to be processed and then later approved by the Council.

"Planning for such a huge project you'd think would be pretty much done," Kobayashi said. The delays have created a series of empty lots along the Kapiolani corridor, she said. "We look like a Third World country with all those empty lots."

Mayer, who joined HART about a year ago, said he and others at HART share the Council's frustration.

"The only thing I can say is that it appears the majority of the focus has been in getting to Ala Moana," he said. As a result, discussion of corridor preservation and a later full alternatives analysis of a possible extension haven't been done yet, Mayer said.

*Difficult position*

Council Planning Chairman Ikaika Anderson said that while he and his colleagues may not yet have approved money for planning or alignment of a Manoa extension, HART doesn't need additional funding to design the Ala Moana station in such a manner that it would allow different extension scenarios to UH.

He said if it would help the situation, he would introduce a resolution "making it clear to HART that we want the Ala Moana station located and designed so that it can reach Manoa."

Robbins told Anderson that four of the five concepts presented would be possible under the current location and design of the Ala Moana station, "given that there are significant impacts with many of them."

Councilwoman Carol Fukunaga questioned why the city Department of Planning and Permitting began working on an Ala Moana Transit Oriented Development plan when there was still uncertainty about where the final station would be.

"It just seems as though the way we're proceeding now is so chaotic it kind of creates greater pressures both for the city as well as the individual property owners, not to mention it places HART in a very difficult position because many of the alternatives may be foreclosed by specific developments that get approved," she said.

Kona Street is a privately owned roadway tied to Ala Moana Center, which is owned by General Growth Properties, so practically any extension would affect Hawaii's largest shopping mall.

Francis Cofran, Ala Moana senior general manager, attended last week's meeting and urged the committee to consider allowing full-service hotels at the mall within the city's Ala Moana Transit Oriented Development plan. When asked by Anderson about a possible rail extension, Cofran expressed support for "the current plan." Cofran could not be reached Friday to elaborate on which specific scenario he favors.

Jared Watumull, vice president of Watumull Properties, which owns the parcel where the the station is now proposed to be located, said the plan came as a surprise to his company.

"In our minds, it doesn't make sense to place the station mid-block, displacing 15 tenants, some who've spent multiple years looking for locations who I don't think can get relocated in the city center," Watumull said. "We're displacing people there."

Watumull said he also wants to know where the city intends to get the money to purchase the parcel and relocate those being displaced.

Tim Yi, SamKoo president, attended Tuesday's meeting but did not testify. On Friday, Yi told the Honolulu Star- Advertiser that his company bought its Kona Street parcel 10 years ago and waited five years to be told how the rail project would affect his property. Negotiations with the city then ensued for about two years, Yi said.

SamKoo spent $3 million in studies to become the area's first Transit Oriented Development project but decided not to continue "because there were too much demands from different agencies," Yi said.

As a result, SamKoo shifted gears to work first on its Kapiolani Residence project. At this point, SamKoo can't wait any longer and is proceeding with plans to gain approvals for the second location, Yi said.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

I hope they go with concept 4 or 5. Kona St on the east side of piikoi is a private street owned by GGP (owner of Ala Moana Mall) and they're going to demand a lot of money in the eminent domain process and HART will have to tear through parts of the mall which seems somewhat unfeasible at the moment. I'd rather HART uses the money to expand the system rather being spent on litigation and demolition of parts of ala moana mall. 

Concept 5 would be the most preferable option because it stops at Piikoi St. and eventually the guideway could be run along Kapiolani Blvd which is owned by the county. The difference between putting a station at Piikoi instead of the original plan is about an additional 1-2 minutes in walking. Not much of a difference and it would save HART hundreds of millions. The ewa wing of Ala Moana Mall is on Piikoi St, so this station will still have access to the mall.

Concept 4 runs partially on Kona St and would go through the SamKoo property and eventually on to Kapiolani Blvd. The SamKoo property at the moment is just a warehouse and they could design his residential building to be built over the guideway.

Despite the concerns this article addresses, its good to see they're discussing expansion of the rail to Waikiki and UH-Manoa. Very exciting to see what Urban Honolulu will look like in 20-30 years.


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## charmers (May 30, 2016)

Maybe it would be cheaper to build surface tramlines instead of this--well--MONSTROSITY!!


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

charmers said:


> Maybe it would be cheaper to build surface tramlines instead of this--well--MONSTROSITY!!


The mayor before Mufi Hanneman (cant remember his name atm) did have a full plan for a tramline. I was able to see the blue print.

But it was made as he was outgoing and Mufi wanted his own original idea, and threw it out.
That was unfortunate hno:


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

charmers said:


> Maybe it would be cheaper to build surface tramlines instead of this--well--MONSTROSITY!!


A tram system in Honolulu would be both slower and offer less route flexibility than a bus and do nothing to improve our islands transportation systems. We already have one of the best bus systems in the US and the whole purpose of this project was to create a dedicated grade-separated transit route. If your going to use rail transportation it has to be grade separated. Cities with rail on surface streets usually have pedestrian corridors or wide-streets neither of which Honolulu really has. 

An elevated BRT guideway would have been interesting concept, but it would have been more land intensive. This means more properties would have to be condemned than the current rail project as it would have to have many on and off ramps (which is the main factor behind the cost overruns). I supported BRT when they proposed it but NIMBYs killed the project over the removal of parking spaces and street lanes. So instead the county went with rail and here we are today.

Calling this project a monstrosity is absurd. Honolulu's freeways are almost all elevated (way uglier than the rail), we have more commie block/brutalist buildings than anywhere in the USA, and the current plan for the ala moana station is ending behind one of the largest and ugliest parking structures in the entire country. It's not like they're running the rail through Iolani Palce :lol:


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

RyukyuRhymer said:


> The mayor before Mufi Hanneman (cant remember his name atm) did have a full plan for a tramline. I was able to see the blue print.
> 
> But it was made as he was outgoing and Mufi wanted his own original idea, and threw it out.
> That was unfortunate hno:


The Honolulu rail wasn't Mufi's original idea nor has he ever made a claim that it was. He went with the rail concept that started with Mayor Neal Blaisdell back in 1968 and was strongly supported by Mayor Frank Fasi. However the county did tweak the route alignment compared to the original plans. Fasi almost had the rail plan approved, but was just one vote short in the city-council. Its a damn shame they didn't build it because at the time the Feds were willing to pay for 80-90% of the entire project + any cost overruns. It's a good thing we even received federal funding for the current rail project, because looking at the current state of affairs for federal funding for infrastructure projects, its likely Hawaii will never see any federal financial support for transit for a very long time. Hawaii is basically paying for the mistakes made by past generations. It should be a good lesson to many on why its important to build infrastructure as soon as possible instead of kicking the can down the road.

If you ever go to Satellite City Hall in Downtown Honolulu that was originally meant to be a subway station. There was also suppose to be a station the under Hawaii State Capitol property and you see the entrance right here.

https://www.google.com/maps/@21.3083514,-157.8580275,3a,75y,132.44h,83.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEh3RyCQdRivRW0EcHCd_8Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

^ we are talking about different things.
There were several rail plans, all of which got shot down before the one under Mufi passed.

The tram line that was from the previous administration, was not favored by Mufi. This is the one I am talking about, not the one from Fasi. The documents and plans for the line was printed and was made available at the University of Hawaii.


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## dysharmonica (Dec 3, 2015)

Guys... you're getting a medium capacity metro. Despite what people choose to call it. I do not think the airport route was the best one to start with, but that ship has sailed. 

No surface rail can compare with this. Seattle went with a partial-surface line and are struggling to get more than 60k people per day on the line. They may be able to up it to 90k on the present line with more longer trains, but the surface sections with cross traffic 35mph speed limit, frequent crashes and more will not allow them to go anywhere too far past that. 

This system runs in copenhangen and with 3 car-trains (not sure what Honolulu ordered) and is shuttling 200k people per day (it at capacity currently) at about 50mph average speed. Not saying that an airport line in srawled american city WILL get 200k riders per day - even Copehagen needed 20 years to reach that, but it's a higher capacity. faster, more reliable system with lower operating costs than surface rail or busses.

Yeah -- it's pricier. Better transit usually is as 80% of transit cost is Right of Way construction ... again - ask Seattle.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

An advantage of Honolulu Rail is that is trains will be unmanned. Not only driverless, but a whole UTO (unmanned train operation) system is planned.

This means the marginal costs of running emptier trains at high frequency outside peak times are low. Which is why the frequency of service will be 1 train every 4 minutes when in full operation (capable of operating up to 1 train every 130 seconds...). High frequency, the whole day, and also on weekends, like that is a game-changer because it means people can use the system without checking timetables, 7 days per week, 19 hours per day. 

There is no way that surface systems, or even BRT, would ever provide such level of service. Trams and buses require operators, and they become expensive to operate when empty so service is spotty at night or Sunday mornings etc. Furthermore, the level of disruption of car traffic required by having a very high frequent tram network is just not politically acceptable in any US city. Else, they would have to start building more dedicated lanes and overpasses and then the costs approach the ones of elevated structures.

Honolulu is on a relatively good position now that FTA budget, TIGER grants and what not have been slashed by the resident orange baboon acolytes.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

dysharmonica said:


> This system runs in copenhangen and with 3 car-trains (not sure what Honolulu ordered)


They originally ordered 2-car units that could be coupled by two (4-car trains). However, there were some tethering issues, and they decided, to avoid delays on the fleet, to shift towards semi-permanent 4-car units.

This is why peak intervals will not be 130 seconds but 4 minutes...


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## MrAronymous (Aug 7, 2011)

charmers said:


> Maybe it would be cheaper to build surface tramlines instead of this--well--MONSTROSITY!!


Believe me, the way they usually build surface tram lines in the US is monstrous as well. This one seems actually well thought out, except for the stations (social safety, ugly) and budget.


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## dysharmonica (Dec 3, 2015)

Suburbanist said:


> An advantage of Honolulu Rail is that is trains will be unmanned. Not only driverless, but a whole UTO (unmanned train operation) system is planned.
> 
> This means the marginal costs of running emptier trains at high frequency outside peak times are low. Which is why the frequency of service will be 1 train every 4 minutes when in full operation (capable of operating up to 1 train every 130 seconds...). High frequency, the whole day, and also on weekends, like that is a game-changer because it means people can use the system without checking timetables, 7 days per week, 19 hours per day.
> .


Exactly. I actually presently live in Copenhagen. They have compressed the interval down to 90seconds or so on an upcoming line. The original line is at 130seconds, and will be upgraded to 90 seconds. 

They have 3 car trains and run all night long. Even "after bars close" which is 5am here, you can hop down to the metro and a train is coming within 6 minutes. It's a wonder, and Honolulu will be thankful for decades that they spent the little extra money up front to build a future proof system


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## dysharmonica (Dec 3, 2015)

Suburbanist said:


> They originally ordered 2-car units that could be coupled by two (4-car trains). However, there were some tethering issues, and they decided, to avoid delays on the fleet, to shift towards semi-permanent 4-car units.
> 
> This is why peak intervals will not be 130 seconds but 4 minutes...


the peak 4 minute interval is a shame, but that is still gold plated for US standards and easy to improve as demand warrants.

Copenhagen built the system (stations) for 4 car trains, but then needed to cut costs and ordered 3 car trains instead. This is now limiting capacity, and causing headaches, but will last the last 15 years before they need to replace the trains -- and will likely fix their past mistake and order actual 4car trains. 

I think what really bodes well for Honolulu is that this system has been so well tested all over the world. It's "off the shelf" setup at this point, which should ensure relatively few teething problems. Copenhagen is about to open a whole new set of lines -- and they basically recycled all the components -- updated some signaling and software and new trains have fewer seats, but it's all again "off the shelf" and thus comparably cheap and should be reliable from the start. 

Final note .. the robot driver is not the smoothest, at times gets a little confused and keeps oscillating around its target speed, or brakes a bit too eagerly into station and has to then accelerate to line up the train with platform doors. But that is a small price to pay. 

One question: Is Honolulu going with platform doors, or with "door sensors" -- Copenhagen went with "door sensors" at first on the above-ground section initially - but they proved too sensitive and they installed platform doors on all the stations (the underground stations had platform doors since the onset).


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## MrAronymous (Aug 7, 2011)

> the peak 4 minute interval is a shame


You're kidding right? No shame at all in this. Who would have thought this was ever going to happen in the US. In Hawaii of all places.

They're going for platform edge screen doors by the way.


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## dysharmonica (Dec 3, 2015)

MrAronymous said:


> You're kidding right? No shame at all in this. Who would have thought this was ever going to happen in the US. In Hawaii of all places.
> 
> They're going for platform edge screen doors by the way.


it's a shame they downgraded service from 130s (2m) to 4m ... as mentioned - still a gold-plated service by US standards.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

They can still upgrade to higher frequency buying more trains. In that sense, they are less constrained than Copenhagen and its 75%-length trains.

I think that a critical problem of many urban rail project in US (not merely super-slow streetcars) is that they spend a lot of money and then cut corners that become bottlenecks later on, and quite expensive ones to fix. Los Angeles has this problem, it built some "light metro" lines that are semi-segregated. The lines are successful. Problem: eliminating grade crossing without interfering much with service is prohibitively expensive, and increasing frequency creates problems with road vehicles.

In Santa Clara, owners of a stadium in front of a light rail line want service interrupted for 20 minutes when there are games as not to interfere with people leaving parking garages...

In Honolulu, these problems will never, ever happen. Regardless of what is going on with cars, buses, ambulances, police pursuits, trucks, trains can keep moving smoothly.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

These photos were not taken by me. The 2 photos and writing below were taken from HART's Facebook page. Figured it was worth sharing on the SSC Honolulu Public Transport thread.

Photo provided by HART #1 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Photo provided by HART #2 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

HART & Ansaldo Honolulu Joint Venture reached a critical milestone in the completion of the Honolulu Rail Transit Project and the start-up of operations.

At HART’s Rail Operations Center (ROC) in Waipahu, engineers successfully brought on-line the Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) Display System in the ROC’s Operations Control Center. Using ATS, technicians can now begin running simulations of actual operations, which is essential in testing the operational scenarios for the autonomous trains used in the Project.

The ATS uses eight large monitors to display a layout of the entire 20-mile project and all associated infrastructure vital to rail operations. Control personnel will use the system to control and monitor trains during interim and full-service operations.

The system provides live camera feeds across the entire system to give technicians full view of all stations and guideways, as well as onboard views of the trains. In addition to visual displays, the ATS is also designed as a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, allowing technicians to survey rail traffic, monitor energized portions of the rail line, and receive other vital information.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Some rail photos taken from their facebook page. Sorry about the bottom photo being so large.

https://www.facebook.com/HonoluluRailTransit/


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Some more rail photos. Just your typical testing of both the rail cars and guideway. 

I didn't take these photos. I took them off the HART Facebook page.

This photo was not taken by me by heyholliday!, on Flickr

This photo was not taken by me by heyholliday!, on Flickr

This photo was not taken by me by heyholliday!, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Well HART made a system resource guide and I decided to turn the pdf into images and post it here. Figured it would be a good refresher for everyone to see. 

I know many on this forum are wondering when the hell this project is going to be finished. Unfortunately "Hawaiian Time" also applies to construction projects out here. So far everything up to the middle st station has been fully funded. The contracts for construction of the final segment which runs from Kalihi to Ala Moana Center which is the urban center of Honolulu (locals often refer to this area as "town") will probably be doled out sometime this year. 

Some people may have their doubts, but the rumor mill is that HART is going to condemn all the remaining parcels of land in town to begin construction. Obviously they wouldn't be condemning the land if they didn't plan on finishing the project. If they condemned the land and didn't go through with the project the County would face lawsuits from every landowner and could be on the hook for hundreds of millions.

There has been debate over what do with the final rail station at Ala Moana Center because they will be unable to expand the rail down Kona St without tearing down part of the parking structure. However my guess is HART at this point doesn't want to wait any longer and just wants to finish the project as quickly as possible. They probably figure that any changes to the original plan will just increase the cost of the final segment.

Well here is the brochure they put out, enjoy!

Copy of 2018-04-16_18-57-5804 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Copy of 2018-04-16_18-57-5802 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Copy of 2018-04-16_18-57-5803 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Copy of 2018-04-16_18-57-5804 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Copy of 2018-04-16_18-57-5805 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Copy of 2018-04-16_18-57-5806 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Copy of 2018-04-16_18-57-5807 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Copy of 2018-04-16_18-57-5808 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Copy of 2018-04-16_18-57-5809 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Copy of 2018-04-16_18-57-5810 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

Copy of 2018-04-16_18-57-5811 by heyholliday!, on Flickr


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## N830MH (Jun 26, 2015)

I think they should installed barrier wall on the platforms. They should have keep away from the trains tracks. They should considering this. They don't want fall on the tracks. They could being killed.


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## redspork02 (May 7, 2005)

Saw the stations last month. They are very big and well designed. Looking good Oahu.


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Was a little bored so I decided to post photos of the "TheBus" system map. While most of the posts here are dedicated towards rail construction, Honolulu's bus system is often overlooked, despite being one of the best bus systems in the US. 

Since the system map is a giant pdf file, I decided to cut it into sections using Snagit. If you look closely at the maps you can also see where they put in the rail line as well. Once the rail is completed TheBus will act as a feeder and this should improve transit throughout the island; allowing for increased frequency in neighborhoods as bus resources are no longer needed for West-East travel along the leeward coast. 

2018-04-26_17-37-56 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

2018-04-26_17-39-21 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

2018-04-26_17-39-57 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

2018-04-26_17-40-50 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

2018-04-26_17-42-47 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

2018-04-26_17-43-16 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

2018-04-26_17-43-57 by heyholliday!, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Honolulu had a streetcar system long ago...


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

HART awards $400 million contract to relocate utilities to make way for Honolulu rail










http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/05/07/breaking-news/hart-awards-400-million-contract-to-relocate-utilities-to-make-way-for-honolulu-rail/

Local construction firm Nan Inc. has been awarded a key $400 million contract to relocate utilities along the city center portion of Honolulu’s East Kapolei-to-Ala Moana Center rail line.

The “indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity,” or IDIQ, contract calls for the contractor to perform a series of utility relocation task orders from the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation in the 4.1-mile area between Middle Street and Ala Moana Center. Eight rail stations are planned within the segment that runs through Kalihi, Iwilei, downtown Honolulu and Kakaako.

“This work will progress ahead of future guideway and station construction, and clear the path for that work,” HART Executive Director and CEO Anthony Robbins said.

The guideway and stations construction work for that section of the line will be through a separate contract yet to be awarded.

Nan previously was awarded the contract for the Airport Section Utilities Relocation Contract. It also was selected contractor for the West Oahu and Kamehameha Highway stations work.


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

20180511_155648 by miniviews, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

20180501_134327 by miniviews, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

20180410_113147 by miniviews, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

*Honolulu City Council voices support for private rail partner*

By Gordon Y.K. Pang June 28, 2018

http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/06/28/hawaii-news/council-voices-support-for-private-rail-partner/?HSA=6becf92174c5fca3f79d4c8e6270c62fb6e6097e

The Honolulu City Council Budget Committee on Wednesday advanced a resolution urging Honolulu’s rail board to seek a private partner to help build the final segment of the 20-mile transit line.

Under a design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) model, a private-sector partner would finish the final 4.1 miles of the East Kapolei-to-Ala Moana Center rail guideway, the eight stations along the way and the Pearl Highlands Garage and Transit Center. It would then operate and maintain the finished system under a long-term agreement.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board is expected to vote next month on whether to give Executive Director Andrew Robbins the green light to solicit proposals from possible DBFOM partners.

The Budget Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to recommend to the full Council passage of Resolution 18-139 following a brief discussion. Budget Chairman Trevor Ozawa pointed out that the Council already had moved out a resolution last year urging HART and the Caldwell administration to study a public-private partnership, or P3, model.

Council members Ann Kobayashi and Kymberly Pine said they also consider themselves P3 proponents. “I’m just glad the new leader at HART believes in (a P3 model),” Pine said. “I think the old one did not.”

Robbins told the committee that a DBFOM would make it more likely that the project could be delivered for the current price of $8.165 billion (before financing) and by December 2025 by placing the responsibility on the private partner to do so within those parameters.

“The private sector is increasingly willing to take on the long-term risks on (operation and management),” Robbins said, adding that public-private partnerships weren’t favored by U.S. transportation leaders until well into the 2000s.

During public testimony, a representative of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association said the agency’s president, Mufi Hannemann, has supported a public-private partnership since he was Honolulu mayor.

HART already has a contract allowing Ansaldo Honolulu to manage the interim service operation, which is expected to begin in December 2020, for five years with an option for five more years. That contract would be “migrated under the P3 umbrella” in a DBFOM arrangement, Robbins said.


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## charmers (May 30, 2016)

Looking at the 'TheBus' map, that old streetcar map, plus the cost of this new heavy rail system, I have the following question:


How many of the 'Bus' lines could have been converted to light rail lines?


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

charmers said:


> Looking at the 'TheBus' map, that old streetcar map, plus the cost of this new heavy rail system, I have the following question:
> 
> 
> How many of the 'Bus' lines could have been converted to light rail lines?


It's very difficult to project how much light rail (LR) would cost. LR would probably face more opposition than the current rail system is due to the fact you would have to sacrifice street lanes. Locals wanted grade seperation because of its low impact on the roads and concerns over safety. Considering how awful the drivers are out here, you would probably have a car crashing into a LR train several times a week. 

Plus LR wouldn't solve the transporation problems Honolulu faces. TheBus is an amazing system (top 3 in the country) and getting anywhere in the urban center (between Kalihi-Palama and Kahala) is pretty easy. The purpose of the current system is to connect West Oahu to the urban core. Development on West Oahu is the only way we can address the housing shortage and people wanted to see development out there be more transit oriented. I just don't see any advantages LR offers over BRT. 

I know people say the Honolulu Rail is incredibly expense, but when you compare it to other metro lines built in the US, its probably one of the most well planned lines. I can't think of a single metro line built in North America that will have 70% of the metros population living within a miles distance from a single line. In metros like Seattle or LA that are investing tens of billions in transit, after they're done probably not even 50% of the population will live within a miles distance from all the lines they built.


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## charmers (May 30, 2016)

floor...

Thanx for the answer


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

charmers said:


> Looking at the 'TheBus' map, that old streetcar map, plus the cost of this new heavy rail system, I have the following question:
> 
> 
> How many of the 'Bus' lines could have been converted to light rail lines?


Harris, the mayor of Honolulu of the late 90s to early 2000's actually proposed a light rail system.

I was able to see the blue print when I worked in Hawaii, I don't remember all of it, but there was for sure, a part that would go on Kapiolani Boulevard (around where Ala Moana) is, where much of the bus (and all other kinds) of traffic exist. It would have required removing one or two lanes of vehicular traffic to become dedicated Light rail.

After Harris left and Hannemann became the next mayor, he more or less threw the entire idea out the window and wanted his own rail plan which led to what we have today.
Harris' blue print is publicly available. Just go to the University of Hawaii library or city hall.


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## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

Untitled by miniviews, on Flickr
From my notes regarding present Waikiki extension:
"Extension of present HART rail lines - UH Manoa & Waikiki

Based on City Council discussions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLKy5S0hN5I), extension to Waikiki (and perhaps University of Hawaii Manoa) is single track vice double track configuration.

I never understood the alignment on Kona street at Ala Moana, especially since Ala Moana Center's Makua wing was already built and the present problem of extending to Manoa with planned ROW being developed to high rises. 
Regarding Waikiki, a reconfigured street configuration (2 way from 1 way on Kalakaua Ave, and reduced 1 lane each way on Kuhio Ave due to single track columns & turn pockets) may help but I do like the idea of dedicated bus lanes with the full rail alignment operating in 2025.


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## dysharmonica (Dec 3, 2015)

miniviews said:


> Untitled by miniviews, on Flickr
> From my notes regarding present Waikiki extension:
> "Extension of present HART rail lines - UH Manoa & Waikiki
> 
> Based on City Council discussions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLKy5S0hN5I), extension to Waikiki (and perhaps University of Hawaii Manoa) is single track vice double track configuration.


Not sure I understand .. they are considering having just single-track on those extensions? That would be dumb. 



> I never understood the alignment on Kona street at Ala Moana, especially since Ala Moana Center's Makua wing was already built.


Can you elaborate why this is such a bad location for those of us not intimately familiar with Honolulu?


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## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

Waikiki Regional Circulator Study issued in 2013 in relation of rail station at Ala Moana.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

Suburbanist said:


> Couldn't they run the Waikiki section underground?


Sorry SB but Waikiki is too close to the ocean. You don’t go far underground until you hit water. Amazing all those highrises are built there since it is a former swamp. Hey look what they can do in Dubai building on sand. Like Dubai, Waikiki has to go deep with it’s pylons. Last building that put a basement there cause havoc and slight sinkage to the neighboring buildings because of the difficulty of keeping water out during construction.


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## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

dysharmonica said:


> Not sure I understand .. they are considering having just single-track on those extensions? That would be dumb.


I assume single track for Waikiki extension since guideway would be less visually intrusive (tourist district), even though frequency would double. See Vancouver's single track portion.




dysharmonica said:


> Can you elaborate why this is such a bad location for those of us not intimately familiar with Honolulu?



A very tight corridor and a guideway that will transverse over an open air mall:
* Sheets 29 & 38-47, 70-75 of 2010 ala moana rail station shows future extension with a new station (platform 82 feet) above existing station to clear Ala Moana Center's Makua wing.
* Google Street View: Guideway will have to be built above the mall's 3rd level and parallel to a luxury condo. Based on measurements, width between parking garages East of makua wing is 34 feet (I used Oahu Bikeways Map tool).
* Unknown if present mall owners would approve of a guideway transversing above their recently opened kid's play area unless eventually they will enclose the 3rd level portion of the mall.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

dysharmonica said:


> Not sure I understand .. they are considering having just single-track on those extensions? That would be dumb.
> 
> 
> 
> Can you elaborate why this is such a bad location for those of us not intimately familiar with Honolulu?


To put it visually, see google street map below. The orange line is the end of the current rail route. The orange rectangle block at the end of it is the current planned last station at Ala Moana Center on Kona street. I put a orange arrow on the right of it to show where the supposingly future route of rail would head east towards Waikiki and northeast to the big University of Hawaii. But as one can see there are big barriers ahead on this street (the red outlines). Ala Moana Center has a big parking extension connecting it's business tower to the center (first red outline), then a newer wing of the center (Mauka Wing middle outline), then a giant mauka (mountain side) parking structure with bridges connecting it to the main center (right red outline) - ALL built over Kona Street all blocking the rail's future path. Worst yet, from Kona Street the rail line has to cut north one block on to Kapiolani Blvd (purple line), BUT because of the centers developments (mentioned) and the new highrises built and approved by the city to be built (blue outlines)(ironically built because of rail), all access north to Kapiolani Blvd. is cut off.


Solution: change the last station north on the south side of Kapiolani Blvd. We all know it has to be done but no one wants to rock the boat, cause design delays and cost to the project. Building cost wont be more but planning cost and time delays and federal approval (we all know Trump/Republicans hate rail projects). So we will bite the bullet in the next phase, which will be moving the last station north. Of course this is my opinion but it is obvious.

Google map of last stop dilemma by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Couple of new buildings blocking the rail line north to Kapiolani Blvd. (center tower and highrise to the back right of it). Kapiolani is the tree-lined blvd. below to the right of these new towers.
Manaolana new rendering by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

Honolulu to provide city funds to help build passenger-rail system

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Honolulu-to-provide-city-funds-to-help-build-passenger-rail-system--56020

The Honolulu City Council has approved a measure to use city-backed bond proceeds to help fund the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation's (HART) $8 billion passenger-rail project, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported earlier this week.

Under the measure, the city will be able to spend up to $214 million — no more than $26 million each year — to help finance administrative costs for the rail project's construction, according to the newspaper.

Passage of the measure marks the first time Honolulu will use city-backed bond money to pay for the construction of the project, the Star-Advertiser reported.

In late September, the Federal Transit Administration asked HART to submit an updated recovery plan to address a $134 million funding shortfall. If HART doesn't submit the recovery plan by late November, the FTA may proceed with "remedies set forth" in the project's full funding grant agreement with the federal government.


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## N830MH (Jun 26, 2015)

creativenative said:


> Sorry SB but Waikiki is too close to the ocean. You don’t go far underground until you hit water. Amazing all those highrises are built there since it is a former swamp. Hey look what they can do in Dubai building on sand. Like Dubai, Waikiki has to go deep with it’s pylons. Last building that put a basement there cause havoc and slight sinkage to the neighboring buildings because of the difficulty of keeping water out during construction.


That is correct. there's no underground. They cannot build underground trains. Only above from the streets. 



Suburbanist said:


> Couldn't they run the Waikiki section underground?


No, there is no underground. Only above from the streets.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

^^ Indeed. The reason why there is no underground section is because of the urban and suburban topography along the line. There may be a tunnel section or two to cross through the hills, but no fully underground section will be developed.

By the way, I am friends with the current head of the Transportation Department with the City and County of Honolulu who oversees this project, and I have met him in person. Should you have any queries on this particular project, ask me here and I will forward it to him directly.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

Thanks for the offer *fieldsofdreams*. I'm going to PM you now.


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## dwdwone (May 7, 2004)

fieldsofdreams said:


> ^^ Indeed. The reason why there is no underground section is because of the urban and suburban topography along the line. There may be a tunnel section or two to cross through the hills, but no fully underground section will be developed.
> 
> By the way, I am friends with the current head of the Transportation Department with the City and County of Honolulu who oversees this project, and I have met him in person. Should you have any queries on this particular project, ask me here and I will forward it to him directly.


Then what about that Fort Street Satellite City Hall station they started? I mean was it that it was just far enough from the sea that they could do it there?


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## N830MH (Jun 26, 2015)

fieldsofdreams said:


> ^^ Indeed. The reason why there is no underground section is because of the urban and suburban topography along the line. There may be a tunnel section or two to cross through the hills, but no fully underground section will be developed.
> 
> By the way, I am friends with the current head of the Transportation Department with the City and County of Honolulu who oversees this project, and I have met him in person. Should you have any queries on this particular project, ask me here and I will forward it to him directly.



Thanks man! I really appreciate that. I knows transportation very well. I knows the bus, trams very well. I am very good transportation.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

dwdwone said:


> Then what about that Fort Street Satellite City Hall station they started? I mean was it that it was just far enough from the sea that they could do it there?


Let me ask my friend who knows the project inside out about it. I'll put his (annotated) response as soon as I'm able.


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## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

stockholm79 said:


> Maybe a stupid question, but why not run it along Waimanu street?
> As I can remember from Ala Moana, this was the access to the parking and dividing it and the mall.
> So bulding one storey up from the ramp would even be better for the mall, as the station would be directly at the mall.
> They could even build two stations!


From what I understand from the maps and plans, this is because the viaduct follows Nimitz Hwy/ Ala Moana Blvd along the waterfront until it cuts into the Ward/Kakaako area via Halekauwila St. Passing over Ward Entertainment Center, it then follows Queen St and merges with Waimanu before the final stretch down Kona St.

IMO, the planners were probably trying to keep the curves as gentle as possible because the possible extensions needed (for reasons officially unknown to us mere mortals) to transition to a future higher viaduct past Ward Center, through the Ala Moana Station via a second level platform above the initial station, over the Mauka wing of the mall and onward to either Waikiki or UH Manoa. This is probably instead of a more rational engineering-wise but more politically controversial route though the historical districts of town and the *gasp* one block increase in difference to Ala Moana Center and Beach Park if you wanted a single viaduct down Kapiolani Blvd. 

Then again, the mall and Kona St in particular is a major transit center and transfer point for TheBus and multiple private trolley/shuttle services; so that maybe a primary factor in placing the station there.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Latest Station construction photos from HART website/YouTube*

From east to west:
2018-12 Kualaka'i Station - East Kapolei by //www.flickr.com/photos/creativenative/]cre8ive na8ive[/url], on Flickr

2018-12 Keone'ae Station - West Oahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2018-12 Honouliuli Station - Ho'opili by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2018-12 Ho'ae'ae Station - West Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2018-12 Pouhala Station - Waipahu by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2018-12 Halaulani Station - Leeward C.C. by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2018-12 Waiawa Station - Pearl Highlands by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2018-12 Kalauao Station - Pearlridge by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2018-12 Halawa Station - Aloha Stadium by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

How much % wise is Phase 1 finished?


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## AverageJoe (Apr 16, 2010)

dysharmonica said:


> Not sure I understand .. they are considering having just single-track on those extensions? That would be dumb.





miniviews said:


> I assume single track for Waikiki extension since guideway would be less visually intrusive (tourist district), even though frequency would double. See Vancouver's single track portion.


As someone from Vancouver, I would beg Honolulu not to single-track that section. We are already running into capacity constraints, sometimes serious ones, due to the single-tracked sections. The line you're referring to was only finished in 2009. It reached ridership goals in a very short time and because the line's two southern termini are single-tracked, they are unable to handle high frequencies. It also makes any possible future extensions very costly, likely to the point where it'd simply be unfeasible. It was a very short-sighted move (among many other short-sighted moves on that line) to cut costs.

The irony is that the mayor and council wanted single-tracked sections because elevated guideways are "unsightly." Reality is nobody cares. And the parts under the guideway are now quite a pleasant multi-use path shielded from weather.


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## tenderforever (Aug 18, 2011)

Awesome update. My favorite rail project going in anywhere in the world right now! I salivate thinking about zipping from the airport to Ala Moana station.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

I will take note of some of the comments here and see which ones I can ask Jon Nouchi, the Deputy Director of Honolulu Department of Transportation directly. I notice quite a lot of progress and complaints here that maybe, I should ask some of them personally.


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Jan. 2019 updates 3 parter: Part 1 - Phase one stations*

From West to East
01-12-19 East Kapolei station work by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

01-12-19 West Oahu station work by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

01-12-19 West Loch station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

01-12-19 Waipahu station work by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

01-12-19 Pearl Highlands station work south side by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

01-12-19 Pearl Ridge station work by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

01-12-19 Aloha Station work by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Sorry I couldn't get to the Leeward College or the Hoopili stations.

Part 2 - Phase 2 updates and Part 3 - Phase 3 Utilities Removal tomorrow.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

I think @creativenative was one of the first to post any picture of Honolulu Rail when they were just digging dirt near the airport.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Part 2 - Phase 2 progress*

01-12-19 new rail quideway beginging on phase 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

01-12-19 new quideway section loader of phase 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

01-12-19 Phase 2 extending by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

01-12-19 many new colunms in the Pearl Harbor area by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

01-12-19 Tall columns entering airport by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

how many train sets have already arrived in Hawaii? IIRC, they are being assembled in South Carolina and then shipped through the Panama Canal to Hawaii, right?


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Part 3 - Phase 3 Utilities move to prep for guide rail construction*

Most of these shots are from a power point presentation on the Hart website from the contractor Nan. Apparently there is construction prep and utilities movement all over the rail route of Phase 3 into the city center. Here are only three screen shots from the presentation.

2019 01 Nan HART powerpoint on utilities move on final phase by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2019 01 Nan HART powerpoint on utilities move on final phase 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

2019 01 Nan HART powerpoint on utilities move on final phase 3 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

creativenative said:


> Most of these shots are from a power point presentation on the Hart website from the contractor Nan. Apparently there is construction prep and utilities movement all over the rail route of Phase 3 into the city center. Here are only three screen shots from the presentation.
> 
> 2019 01 Nan HART powerpoint on utilities move on final phase by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr
> 
> ...


Thanks for sharing these. Now that construction for the Rail is coming to town, I have no excuse not to take photos. 

I'd also like to add that HART has been sending out public notices to all the residential and commercial buildings in Kakaako regarding the utility work schedule. I've even received mail from HART with invitations to community meetings. I haven't gone to any yet, but some of my co-workers and neighbors have and they were surprised by the amount of people who showed up in support of the project.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

z9_7S-C2daix_pxi_TVK4C_8u98J4GKyoIzavlAzVt0 by heyholliday!, on Flickr

50745220_10158080454632538_349317133362003968_o by heyholliday!, on Flickr

49676518_10158021946672538_5650698212885921792_n by heyholliday!, on Flickr

49748531_10158033479127538_1267604338365169664_o by heyholliday!, on Flickr

49525729_10158033863837538_4686975360607191040_o by heyholliday!, on Flickr

50259537_10158041279447538_9054835729158373376_o by heyholliday!, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

44803757_10157816720097538_4289824712613167104_o by heyholliday!, on Flickr

38770612_10157593380977538_6432230695657013248_o by heyholliday!, on Flickr

38728011_10157593380997538_600038013929521152_o by heyholliday!, on Flickr

38742143_10157593381062538_861983615431475200_o by heyholliday!, on Flickr


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

49656410_10158036343872538_8506946714215645184_o by heyholliday!, on Flickr


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## ssiguy2 (Feb 19, 2005)

Are these vehicles 3rd rail, LRT, or ART like Vancouver SkyTrain?


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## MrAronymous (Aug 7, 2011)

All of the above.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Some recent Honolulu rail construction photos and good news*

First the good news. The first couple of stations have or are in the process of erecting the supports for the canopies. Seems like one of the last items to build for each station besides the canopies themselves, escalators, elevators and final polish. Many escalators are presently being installed in a few stations.

The following photos, while not complete, are in order from west to east.
East Kapolei station with canopy supports 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

East Kapolei station with canopy supports 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

East Kapolei station with canopy supports 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

West Oahu University station wide shot 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

West Oahu University Station with canopy supports going up 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

West Oahu University Station with canopy supports going up 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Pearlridge Station 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Pearlridge Station 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

New designed rail guideways 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail columns on Kamehameha Hwy 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail on the way to airport 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Roads and Rail 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

New rail and old freeway side by side 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Light and Dark Rail and Freeway 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

More rail columns near future airport station 03-05-19 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

There is more work in phase 2 of this project but I didn't take photos but I do want to mention a second large rail guideway deck assembly machine is ready to assemble on the other end of phase 2 past the airport.


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## turtlebay (Aug 2, 2014)

I first visited Honolulu in January and enjoyed the architecture including the Iolani Palace, Capitol, etc. What struck me most was the number of brutalist buildings downtown, an architecture I've now come to admire. This whole line is brutalist.


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## Arnorian (Jul 6, 2010)

You should come to Belgrade and Serbia is you like brutalist architecture.


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## Danton05 (Oct 15, 2016)

turtlebay said:


> I first visited Honolulu in January and enjoyed the architecture including the Iolani Palace, Capitol, etc. What struck me most was the number of brutalist buildings downtown, an architecture I've now come to admire. This whole line is brutalist.



It just looks overbuilt. It's basically the same system as the new lines in Milan and Copenhagen and elsewhere, but everything just looks needlessly big and complicated. That's probably a major reason why the budget has exploded.


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

while its nice to see new developments extending into the airport.. my first reaction was.. only now!?

everything in Oahu progresses sooo slow.


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## saiho (Jun 28, 2009)

floor23 said:


> z9_7S-C2daix_pxi_TVK4C_8u98J4GKyoIzavlAzVt0 by heyholliday!, on Flickr
> 
> What's with the wiggy alignment? The street is more of less straight but the guideway is flopping around all over the place. I looks like they are trying to accommodate the left turn bays which is a strange way to design a line.


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## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

saiho said:


> floor23 said:
> 
> 
> > What's with the wiggy alignment? The street is more of less straight but the guideway is flopping around all over the place. I looks like they are trying to accommodate the left turn bays which is a strange way to design a line.
> ...


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## saiho (Jun 28, 2009)

I am well aware of how perspective works. Again The *street is more of less straight* but the guideway is flopping around all over the place. My original question still stands, why does the guideway bounce around so much when the street it's running on is not?


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## jamesinclair (Mar 21, 2006)

saiho said:


> I am well aware of how perspective works. Again The *street is more of less straight* but the guideway is flopping around all over the place. My original question still stands, why does the guideway bounce around so much when the street it's running on is not?


I agree that looks insane


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## charmers (May 30, 2016)

For that 5.2 billion dollars, *HART* could have built a modernized version of the old Honolulu Electric Raliway and Light tramway[streetcar] system! It would have been much cheaper and it would have been far more extensive.

Here in Cincinnati, OH, we have a 7.8 km long starter light rail system that does need to be expanded up to the University of Cincinnati--and other areas. That was part of the original plan, but the funding was cut. Anyway, while somewhat imperfect, it has still proven its value by being able to move large numbers of people from uptown to the riverfront

Even with the 'nonsense', the cost was approximately 12 million /km. With that per kilometer cost stated in an earlier post, HART could have built 20 km of tramway lines. This thing is beginning to look like some Pentagon boondoggles.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

A light railway would never, ever be able to carry the same volume of passengers, and it would be extremely expensive to operate at the projected frequencies (remember the cars will be automated).


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

charmers said:


> For that 5.2 billion dollars, *HART* could have built a modernized version of the old Honolulu Electric Raliway and Light tramway[streetcar] system! It would have been much cheaper and it would have been far more extensive.
> 
> Here in Cincinnati, OH, we have a 7.8 km long starter light rail system that does need to be expanded up to the University of Cincinnati--and other areas. That was part of the original plan, but the funding was cut. Anyway, while somewhat imperfect, it has still proven its value by being able to move large numbers of people from uptown to the riverfront
> 
> Even with the 'nonsense', the cost was approximately 12 million /km. With that per kilometer cost stated in an earlier post, HART could have built 20 km of tramway lines. This thing is beginning to look like some Pentagon boondoggles.


No it's not looking like a boondoggle whatsoever. Hawaii has one of the worlds highest construction costs. Oahu is also home to the H-3 which when accounting for inflation is considered to be the most expensive freeway ever built on a cost-per-mile basis. There has never once been a single public project in the entire history of Hawaii that has ever come under or on budget. The project has thus far created a ton of jobs and spurred economic development. It's funny how all the detractors forget about this part.

Considering 80 to 90 percent of all population growth and housing development on Oahu will be occurring a long the rail line. That's hundreds of billions of dollars of new investments being made because of this new infrastructure. 

Plus whats the difference between light rail and bus? In Honolulu both would be traveling at the same speed due to the traffic. Honolulu could have built BRT, and the county tried to go down that path and residents fought over the loss of lanes and won. The only way to do this project was build up or underground. Elevated was more feasible and residents approved.


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## MrAronymous (Aug 7, 2011)

The system as it is built in Cincinnati absolutely doesn't fall under the umbrella of 'adequate' or 'good' transit. The raised sidewalks don't even cover the length of the entire train ffs. If anything is a boondoggle... 

That said, surface light rail _can_ be a good option, and designed well. But not everywhere is suited to that.


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## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

From my understanding, the current metro-rail project is essentially a response to the feedback from the previous failed attempt called Oahu Trans2k.

From what little I had been able to remember and find online, Oahu Trans2k was essentially a mix of BRT and new traffic management systems from the early 2000s. It started out as a BRT-lite project that focused on bus stop upgrades ( high curbs / bulbs outs / concrete road aprons for the new heavier buses), traffic signal coordination, a brand new protected mobile-barrier lane and crowned with new express bus routes that would eventually become full BRT when the city could dedicate lane space in town.

Of course, once some of the road-side upgrades came about and the H1 zipper-lane installed, the transit aspect of the project was harassed by the usual complaints from the expected types of critics. It was "too expensive", it took away "precious parking and lane space" which would lead to "more local congestion". So all the city could finish were a handful of completed stop upgrades, minor traffic signal updates and the zipper-lane was re-purposed into its current contraflow status. The new express bus routes A, B, C, D, and E were canceled, renamed and/or adjusted and became the current basic limited-stop routes.

So come 2006-09 during the study period, the conclusion was:

Mixed traffic slows transit / presents collision hazards = grade seperation is a must.

Since there is little to no new or available ROW in the urban corridor, tunnels or viaducts are the only option to minimize land-use and eminent domain.

Current bus network is now generally mature, though still needs some optimization. BRT or its street-car equivalent is no longer much of an improvement given previous experience.

 Given the need to maintain current road network capacity, re-purposing any lane or parking space is not going to be cheap or easy.

A major point of this study is to lower car-dependency so creating too much new road space such as a new highway is counter-productive.

 The distance covered will span across town for 20 to 30 miles; so minimal stops and longer distances between them to maintain decent travel time.

Since you are going to go with a grade-separated, medium/long distance line with few stops, at that point engineering-wise a type of train on conventional steel track was the most cost effective type of vehicle. Though now BRT and streetcar/tram light rail is being labeled as never attempted and the planners were stupid to not trying. Oh how the public memory is self-serving and short-termed.

Fun-fact: Since BRT projects usually require special branding, Honolulu's vehicles to be used Express Service were to be painted in full rainbow livery rather than the standard yellow-orange-gold stripes. So any rainbow schemed buses right now are those bought for the Oahu Trans2k project. All buses bought before and new buses after the project revert to the older OTS gold scheme. Since HART's trains are technically in use as Express Service for the transit network, they get to use the rainbow look.


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## dysharmonica (Dec 3, 2015)

Honolulu is getting one of the highest value systems in recent US history - better than Seattle which is saying something. This is the same system used on multiple metro lines around the world and will be able to carry huge volumes of people isolated from the traffic below. 

Comparing it to a streetcar ... Americans literally lost perspective on what good transit is and why it costs more and why that is worthwhile investment. Not all transit is DART / MAX terrible ... we can do better - and Honolulu is doing better. 

Of course . .we need to finish this line and extend it to Waikiki .. but that is another matter entirely.


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## andyjason98 (Jan 5, 2020)

I couldn't find any video updates on the rail via HART's website. The last update was nearly 8 months. 

The city recently canceled the Blaisdell renovation due to increasing rail costs :mad2: and that was something I was looking forward to. 

Below are a few shots for the rail by the airport. They're a little further along as of today.


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*03-2020 Went to Hawaii last week, here are some rail pics*

I'm going to do this in 3 parts, each coordinating with the three phases of total rail build out. 

Phase 1: 10 plus miles, columns, rail supports, and most of the road and sidewalk restoration and improvement done. Just finishing the stations. All are planned to finish by the end of this year. These stations are the focus on 1st part.

Phase 2: 5 plus miles, now new construction, it seems 95% of columns are done and two rail heavy lift machines are working to lay the cement sections of the upper railway structure.

Phase 3: about 5 miles, the final phase, deep into the city. Only prep work being done, like utility moving and upgrades, clearing lots for construction, etc. Not easy work.


*Phase 1 Station Pictures* Photos are from west to east as the construction was done. 

East Kapolei Station - canopies are up, development, is taking place all around this station. 

East Kapolei station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

West Oahu University Station - the campus is expanding

West O'ahu Station 1 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

West O'ahu Station 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Road under West Oahu Station to new Ho'opili by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Hoopili Station - the new third city being built as one can see in the background of the last picture above.

Hoopili station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

West Loch Station - First to be done, located in west Waipahu

West Loch station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Waipahu Station

Waipahu station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Leeward Community College Station - rare station on ground level with the entrance underground

Leeward C.C. station 1 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Leeward C.C. station 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Pearl Highlands Station - shopping center, the west end of Pearl City and it will have a huge parking lot structure for people commuting from up north of the island

Pearl Highlands station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Pearlridge Station - large shopping center in central Pearl City

Pearlridge station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Aloha Stadium Station - State is seeking bids on a new stadium and development around it and around this station 

Aloha Stadium station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Phase 2 continues after this station


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Phase 2* Construction update photos

Again, generally facing east and moving west to east. 

See photo titles for most descriptions.

Down Kam Hwy 1 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Down Kam Hwy 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Future Pearl Harbor Station
Pearl Harbor station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Down Kam Hwy 4 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

From Kam Hwy to Nimitz Hwy by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Heading towards Nimitz Hwy by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Heading towards airport and connecting along side Nimitz Hwy
Heading towards Nimitz Hwy 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Along side of Nimitz Hwy by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Along side of H-1 from Nimitz underneath by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail curving towards airport by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Into airport with new terminal construction below
Mauka Concourse construction 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

HNL new rail & new terminal by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Future Airport Station looking back west
Future rail station at HNL by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Heading out of the airport facing east again
Continuing east on Aolele st. by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail columns heading to Ualena st. by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Rail columns in Ke'ehi Lagoon Park by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Along side Nimitz Hwy again
Rail columns back along Nimitz Hwy by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

The end of phase 2 with the last photo of a blurry Middle Street Station prep work, which will be attached to a large bus terminal.
Near the end of phase 2 by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Prep work Middle Street station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## creativenative (Jun 25, 2015)

*Phase 3* Some prep work

Dillingham Blvd
Past prep Dillingham Blvd by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Prep work Dillingham Blvd by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

More prep work Dillingham Blvd by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Ala Moana Blvd/Downtown
Prep work Ala Moana Blvd downtown by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Future Chinatown station
Demolition at future Chinatown station by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr

Kakaako - Future station will be behind these painted construction walls and infront of these new buildings
Now some prep work for final phase 3 of rail. Starting from east working west. Furtue West Kaka'ako station behind art barriers by cre8ive na8ive, on Flickr


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

^ awesome pics
nice to see work in the 'town' side is starting to begin.
it also looks like airport passengers can directly access the airport station.

still, would have much preferred a monorail design as it would look a lot less imposing in the skyline












many years ago when I lived in Hawaii and was a civil engineering student. me and a few others pushed some of the city's engineers to adopt a monorail or LRT system. like the one used in Okinawa (sister cities, similar population size and density).

but the city guys were all like 'well, we are getting a lot of money, so its our best chance to use the latest and greatest technologies, like steel on steel wheels/rail for quieter an d smooth rides'.

my colleague was like.. okay but the monorail stuff used in Japan do the same thing, is proven, less riskier and cheaper. but he wasnt having any of that


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## Aaron W (Jul 19, 2004)

Looks like some of those stations of plenty of opportunity for TOD in the future. 

But wow, I figured by now there would be some construction underway downtown as opposed to just pre-construction activities such as utility relocation.

Thanks for the photo update!


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

I am glad they managed to work out the issues that were threatening to downgrade the final part of the project.

When completed (phases 1-3), Honolulu will have a better backbone mass transit line (which fits its geography) than many larger continental US cities that go on the light-rail route, let alone the pseudo-'almost-train' BRT...


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## sgollis (Apr 3, 2013)

From Feb 8, 2020.


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

ugh stupid people who can't handle covid-19









City looking at changes on TheBus in response to assaults against drivers, COVID-19


There were two recent assaults onboard city buses. Both involved passengers who wouldn’t follow the rules meant to keep passengers and drivers safe.




www.khon2.com


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## N830MH (Jun 26, 2015)

RyukyuRhymer said:


> ugh stupid people who can't handle covid-19
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, this is not good! He should wear a masks. He doesn't follow the rules. He's breaking the rules. He will be banned ride on a city bus for life.

I think they agreed to installed barrier doors right next to driver seats. They will protects them. To keep away from the passengers.


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## miniviews (Sep 4, 2013)

Missing my home (Oahu) since I've moved overseas ~3 months ago, I found some recent videos:





Shows phase 1 and Airport segment.






Shows Airport segment's first rail tracks and Pearl Harbor rail station top down platform construction.


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## Nexarc (Jan 23, 2013)

RyukyuRhymer said:


> ^ awesome pics
> nice to see work in the 'town' side is starting to begin.
> it also looks like airport passengers can directly access the airport station.
> 
> ...


From my understanding HART's planners chose the conventional metro train vehicle in the end due to having multiple manufacturers for easier procurement and having to qualify for US safety standards. The logic behind point one being that even if monorails are more reliable than before, there were not enough producers and universal standards to make relatively easy purchases and repairs without having to resort back to the original manufacturer or getting a one-off customized (and usually more expensive) model/part in comparison to conventional-rail metro stock. Note the SF Bay Area BART system for a similar issue with its broad gauge network.

As for point two, modern US systems must contend with relatively rigorous safety standards such as the addition of emergency walkways and safety railings. While older systems are exempt, these required safety additions for new-builds kind of lessen the aesthetic advantages IMO to be little better than the final box-girder viaduct design.

See the Las Vegas Monorail for an example:
















Or BART's Oakland Connector cable-car based version:









Of course, this is just my conjecture at best and beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. I find them all nice in the end for different reasons.


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)

Station Tour


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## Mansa Musa (Jul 13, 2020)

Attus said:


> Yes. And those, who protest against it, would have been executed.


You're forgetting about all the people currently who have been killed/maimed by riot police. Don't even get me started on no knock warrants. Either way I'm not saying we go full china but at this point, it may take us 100 years to have a HSR system in America, and by then China, Japan, Korea, and Europe would've lapped us.


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## Slartibartfas (Aug 15, 2006)

^^ You don't need to go full China. It would be already enough if the US joined the rest of the developed world. Yes, it may take some decades then but at least it won't take a century or two.


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## Mansa Musa (Jul 13, 2020)

That is exactly what I was referring lol; with how much bureaucracy we are experiencing right now, it may be well into the mid century before we have an HSR linking all major cities, and even that is being gracious. California alone will spend nearly 20 years to build an HSR system 1/10 the size of Japan's but will spend well over 50 billion (more accounting inflation).


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

Slartibartfas said:


> Thank god they did not go for a monorail. I know that there are some successful systems in Japan and China among others but I am not convinced by it. First of all, most monorail systems are quite loud, louder than a modern well maintained heavy rail and the noise is also a rather unpleasent one (rubber on concrete).


I have no idea what monorail experiences you've had.

but I lived right next to the Yui Rail (a monorail system), as well as an elevated commuter rail system (the Tsukuba express) and the yamanote line, and the Yui rail was the quietest of the three.


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## tenderforever (Aug 18, 2011)

Slartibartfas said:


> I don't know Honolulu well but I would suspect that a light rail with focus on maximizing own right of way and grade separation of critical crossings could have been an interesting alternative. A sufficient speed in the peripheral parts would have been crucial but on the other side a better integration of downtown would have been easier. For the same money one could have built a denser network right from the start as well.
> 
> The size of Honolulu proper would certainly make light rail of that kind the more natural choice. However the metropolitan area is much bigger than the municipality itself and it seems very spread out as well. So even the light rail option might need large elevated parts as well to be up to the task.


Exactly. The ideal system for Honolulu would have been Vancouver's Skytrain, and that's precisely what they had planned to get. Unfortunately, there were a variety of (mostly legal) requirements that made such a system impossible. 

As it is, we're going to get an excellent system that will be completely reformulate the spatial geography of Oahu. 

The most interesting thing will be the first extension - there's just no way on earth that the east side and Waikiki will not push for an extension once it's running out to Ala Moana. Mark my words, but 2030, they'll have this thing unning up Kapiolani to the Foodland at Kapahulu/H-1. Someone already proposed a single track line down Kalakaua, and I bet one could end up eventually going up University Ave. to King St., though likely no time soon.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Single track sections are a horrible idea.


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## ejl01 (Sep 3, 2020)

tenderforever said:


> Exactly. The ideal system for Honolulu would have been Vancouver's Skytrain, and that's precisely what they had planned to get. Unfortunately, there were a variety of (mostly legal) requirements that made such a system impossible.
> 
> As it is, we're going to get an excellent system that will be completely reformulate the spatial geography of Oahu.
> 
> The most interesting thing will be the first extension - there's just no way on earth that the east side and Waikiki will not push for an extension once it's running out to Ala Moana. Mark my words, but 2030, they'll have this thing unning up Kapiolani to the Foodland at Kapahulu/H-1. Someone already proposed a single track line down Kalakaua, and I bet one could end up eventually going up University Ave. to King St., though likely no time soon.


I think the first step is just getting to Ala Moana, but I wholeheartedly agree it should continue east to at least UH Manoa. Personally, I'm skeptical about running the rail in Waikiki, building the guideway on what was/is basically wetlands doesn't sit well with me. Like there's definitely a good reason to as it is a major destination for workers and tourists and the current extension in the EIS has it running down Kuhio, hiding the guideway in between towers, which helps to minimize the visual impact. I also wonder how hard the hotels and trolley services would fight against it. The city was studying a regional circular route connecting UH Manoa, Ala Moana, Waikiki, and Foodland/Market City back in 2013.

I like looking at the 1972 Rapid Transit Plan as I find it interesting to see the similarities between the current route and the one they had in mind, and looking at how far east they went with it. Personally, I really like the idea of getting it to Kahala Mall but realistically I don't see it happening (one can dream though).


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## Nouvellecosse (Jun 4, 2005)

tenderforever said:


> Exactly. The ideal system for Honolulu would have been Vancouver's Skytrain, and that's precisely what they had planned to get. Unfortunately, there were a variety of (mostly legal) requirements that made such a system impossible.
> 
> As it is, we're going to get an excellent system that will be completely reformulate the spatial geography of Oahu.


In what ways is the system different from the Skytrain? I thought that was basically what the new Honolulu system is?


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## zaphod (Dec 8, 2005)

I guess technically Skytrain was a specific design from Bombardier? with an unusual linear induction power supply, whereas the Honolulu line is identical hardware to Copenhagen's metro made by Ansaldo Breda and uses a more normal third rail.

Also Skytrain doesn't have PSDs.


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## TER200 (Jan 27, 2019)

zaphod said:


> with an unusual linear induction power supply


It's not the power supply, but the motor, that is linear. This means the wheels are not powered, so it's not subject to wheelslip. 
But this unusual technology is not widely used, indeed.



zaphod said:


> Also Skytrain doesn't have PSDs.


Yes, but it's not specific to this technology (Vancouver's Canada Line, of very standard technology, or Lyon Metro don't have platform edge doors either).


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## Nouvellecosse (Jun 4, 2005)

Sounds like it's mostly just a technical difference then. Otherwise, they're both automated, frequent, mostly elevated, light metro metros which seem to be becoming increasingly common these days, despite there being some minor variations between systems. Even in Vancouver, the newest skytrain line doesn't use the linear induction propulsion but is still considered part of the same system.


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## Rob73 (Jun 18, 2014)

ejl01 said:


> I think the first step is just getting to Ala Moana, but I wholeheartedly agree it should continue east to at least UH Manoa. Personally, I'm skeptical about running the rail in Waikiki, building the guideway on what was/is basically wetlands doesn't sit well with me. Like there's definitely a good reason to as it is a major destination for workers and tourists and the current extension in the EIS has it running down Kuhio, hiding the guideway in between towers, which helps to minimize the visual impact. I also wonder how hard the hotels and trolley services would fight against it. The city was studying a regional circular route connecting UH Manoa, Ala Moana, Waikiki, and Foodland/Market City back in 2013.
> 
> I like looking at the 1972 Rapid Transit Plan as I find it interesting to see the similarities between the current route and the one they had in mind, and looking at how far east they went with it. Personally, I really like the idea of getting it to Kahala Mall but realistically I don't see it happening (one can dream though).


Would it be worth putting the Ala Moana to Waikiki section underground?


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

Rob73 said:


> Would it be worth putting the Ala Moana to Waikiki section underground?


as I mentioned before. the engineer I've talked to working on HART said it would be too expensive to do any kind of underground work due to Oahu's unique geological features.


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

https://news.yahoo.com/lots-finger-pointing-honolulu-rail-152406576.html



*Lots of finger pointing as Honolulu rail runs out of money*

The rail line — one of the nation’s most expensive per capita — may have to end a long way from both downtown and the hotel district in a nondescript light industrial area featuring a bus depot and a highway interchange. It’s akin to a Las Vegas train ending far short of the strip or the New York subway bypassing Manhattan. Supporters want to finish it as planned, or at least build it as far as downtown, but the way forward isn't clear and won't be easy.

The latest cost estimate for the 20-mile (32-kilometer) rail line is $9.1 billion — nearly double the $5.5 billion budgeted at the time of the project's 2011 groundbreaking. Officials are worried the total may escalate further.


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## ssiguy2 (Feb 19, 2005)

How in hell does a 32 km line started a decade ago cost US$9 billion? Outrageous!


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## BoulderGrad (Jun 29, 2005)

ssiguy2 said:


> How in hell does a 32 km line started a decade ago cost US$9 billion? Outrageous!


What _should _it cost?


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## tenderforever (Aug 18, 2011)

Nouvellecosse said:


> Sounds like it's mostly just a technical difference then.


It's also the lighter footprint - which is related to both the technical, as well as site conditions, and the mandatory overbuilding we are required to do here.


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## floor23 (Apr 13, 2015)

ssiguy2 said:


> How in hell does a 32 km line started a decade ago cost US$9 billion? Outrageous!


The H-3 freeway was also one of the most expensive highways ever built on a per mile basis. It's not surprising to see the Rail project balloon in cost. What's even more funny is it will probably end up costing $10.5 to $12 billion to finish.... $9 billion is an outdated number lol

Considering the cost of land in Honolulu is some of the most expensive real estate not just in America but the entire world and competes with London for the #1 spot in most expensive construction markets, this should have been expected and was expected by many. 

The rule of thumb for Hawaii public projects is whatever the politicians say it will cost, multiply it by three.


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## Aaraldi (Dec 6, 2014)

BoulderGrad said:


> What _should _it cost?


the funny thing is elevated options are usually build in countries where construction costs are already out of control - low cost countries (low cost not low quality - it's Spain, France, South Korea, Italy and the Nordics) built underground cause the prize tag for underground construction allows them to - if they would built elevated metro systems they would be even cheaper they just have the luxury because of their superioir practises and better planning to choose not to - the recently built city circle line copenhagen (using the same technology as in honululu) completly underground built under are dense urban built up area - literally on a swamp the most difficult environment for tunnel construction - did cost $225 million per km.

Alon Levy has written about absurd american costs for awhile and is even leading a research team about this









Why American Costs Are So High (Work-in-Progress)


I am embarking on a long-term project to investigate why US construction costs are high using case studies, so everything I’m going to say so far is tentative. In particular, one of my favori…




pedestrianobservations.com












The Costs of Subways and Els


I’m probably going to write this up more precisely with Eric and send this to a journal, but for now, I’d like to use our construction costs database to discuss the cost ratio of subway…




pedestrianobservations.com













Istanbul and Italy Cases


Our Sweden Case is Out! Join our webinar on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 11.00am- 1.00pm (EST) to learn about construction of urban rail tunnels in Stockholm, including recently-opened Citybanan and under-construction Nya Tunnelbanan. Go to the Case Study Our Istanbul and Italy Cases...




transitcosts.com


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## browntown (Jul 28, 2015)

BoulderGrad said:


> What _should _it cost?


3km in NYC costs 20 Billion. That's literally 20x the cost of this train per km.


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## Attus (Jul 9, 2010)

redspork02 said:


> My MAC says the Honolulu Rapid Transit website is not a secure site. Doesn't let me access it. Anyone else having the issue?


Everyone. SSL Certificate of the site may be expired.


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## ejl01 (Sep 3, 2020)

RyukyuRhymer said:


> is it just me or is that station going to be built right next to the parking lot?
> I wonder how they will connect that station to the airport for the pedestrians? perhaps a bridge from the station to the parking lot? or an even longer bridge from the station to the international terminal on the right?


You're right, the pedestrian bridges will connect to the parking structures which already have pedestrian bridges to the terminals. Will probably look something like this:











redspork02 said:


> My MAC says the Honolulu Rapid Transit website is not a secure site. Doesn't let me access it. Anyone else having the issue?


Me too. It has been like that for a while, I sent an email back in August about it and nothing has changed.


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## ejl01 (Sep 3, 2020)

New drone footage near the Lelepaua (Airport) Station and Kahauiki (Middle Street) Station 


__
http://instagr.am/p/CLNFGKnDqfE/


__
http://instagr.am/p/CLxPvDnDb1c/


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## ejl01 (Sep 3, 2020)

New reports from HART have full completion to Ala Moana Center in 2031, the project is also facing a $3 billion shortfall according to new HART CEO.

We do have more information about the "mauka shift" along Dillingham Boulevard, a figure of the proposed shift can be found HERE. The mauka shift will move the line to the north side of Dillingham Boulevard as it approaches Kapalama Stream; this would require additional right of way takings from Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawaii. This alternative was mentioned back in 2011 in the EIS. By shifting the guideway mauka, HART will only have to move one of HECOs overhead powerline instead of two, this is significant as one of the problems that have caused major delays along Dillingham was the lack of space to bury utilities within these sections. Talks are still ongoing about steps that needs to be taken, but it appears this is the plan moving forward along Dillingham. In a recent Star-Advertiser interview, Kahikina talked about other alternatives and said that there were many out of the box ideas from within and from the public, one such idea was moving the guideway to Nimitz but was told no by the FTA.

Some other things that I found interesting from the Star-Advertiser interview was that Kahikina said she wasn't a supporter of the project in the beginning and talked about how former Mayor Carlisle at the time asked them to be champions of the project, but said overtime and seeing what residents on the west side face, it was time to do something for them. Another is that there are concerns about opening the line only to Aloha Stadium. Since the stadium has been shut down, residents may consider the first segment a "line to nowhere". According to Kahikina, Mayor Blangiardi asked to see if they could open the line earlier to Pearl Harbor or even the Airport, but HART says that section up to Middle Street isn't expected to be ready until 2023.

Kahikina however adds that riding the train is an experience and may change peoples' perception about the project but ultimately it's up to the city to decide when to open the line. HART is expected to handover the first segment to the city's Department of Transportation Service before the end of this year.

*TL;DR:* Completion expected in 2031 and HART is facing a $3 billion shortfall. HART is moving guideway along Dillingham to avoid more utility relocation. Interviews with new HART CEO.

New Videos:
KHON2's Women in HART Interview
Hawaii News Now Interview
Star-Advertiser Interview


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)

West Oʻahu Station 
















Halawa (Aloha Stadium) Station 








HNL


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

the risk you take in procuring rail before the vehicle and assume it's going to work together









HART, Hitachi At Odds Over Wheel Defect As Rail Costs Soar


The wheel rims are narrower than the track crossings, causing renewed headaches on what's now a $12.4 billion transit project.




www.civilbeat.org






The agency’s subject-matter experts then determined that the trains’ wheel flanges are about a half of an inch narrower than the frogs, and that impedes the wheels from guiding the trains through the crossing, the two rail officials said. It doesn’t affect the trains’ performance when they’re moving straight, they added.


“The variation is so small. It’s a half-inch, and they really didn’t notice it until we started to run and they saw a little bit of an unusual wear pattern on the switches,” Good told the board Thursday.
The problem affects at least five crossings on the Westside, and 12 total such crossings planned for the entire 20-mile line to Ala Moana Center. HART was hoping to deliver the first 10 miles to Aloha Stadium to the city later this year to start interim service.
HART and Hitachi are at odds over who’s responsible and who should pay for it, according to Interim Executive Director Lori Kahikina.
“It’s probably going to be a drawn out discussion between us and Hitachi,” Kahikina told the board Thursday. “Our stance is, what we have is correct” and that the specifications in the package were properly laid out.
Hitachi’s 2011 core systems contract states that the company “shall finalize the (wheel) profile and retain final responsibility for obtaining satisfactory wheel/rail interface performance and minimum rail/wheel wear rates.”


It adds: “In particular, the vehicle supplier shall verify that the wheel flange dimensions are matched with the flange bearing frogs so as to provide quiet crossing of the frogs with a minimum of impact forces.”
After the meeting, HART officials confirmed that’s the contract language they believe holds Hitachi responsible for the wheel snafu.
It’s not clear yet how much it will cost to fix the problem. HART is still trying determine whether they can solve it by changing the wheels, although Hitachi has discouraged that approach, Kahikina said. Alternatively, they could replace the frog crossings themselves.
There’s also minor cracking in the frogs that was found to have occurred during the casting and which can be fixed at nominal cost, she added.

HART also recently found faulty welding along the line that was done about six years ago under the Westside’s primary construction contractor, Kiewit Infrastructure West, Kahikina told the board. It will cost about $130,000 to fix, and Kahikina said she’s not sure whether HART has any recourse to recoup that cost from Kiewit since that contract has been closed out, she added.


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## ejl01 (Sep 3, 2020)




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## towerpower123 (Feb 12, 2013)

Now I know I recognize that music in the video, from one of the Transport Fever games! Hopefully Hitachi will be able to resolve the issue with the wheels quickly, on their own dime.


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## ejl01 (Sep 3, 2020)

*As costs balloon, Honolulu rail board looks at stopping troubled project at Middle Street*









As costs balloon, Honolulu rail board looks at stopping troubled project at Middle Street


The question of halting the city’s troubled rail project at Middle Street — rather than pushing forward to Ala Moana Center — was advocated before the rail board’s directors Friday after members were told that cost-cutting efforts still will leave rail 80% short of plugging its $3.5 billion deficit.




www.staradvertiser.com


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## ejl01 (Sep 3, 2020)

*The ‘Mauka Shift’ Could Solve Rail’s Utility Woes. Why Did It Happen So Late?*









The 'Mauka Shift' Could Solve Rail's Utility Woes. Why Did It Happen So Late?


HART's inability to relocate utilities along Dillingham is central to rail's latest staggering cost spikes. Now, the agency says it finally has a "good plan."




www.civilbeat.org





More information regarding the 'Mauka Shift' of the guideway. Also includes a timeline of the cost overruns of the project.


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

Uh oh....

Construction error on the newest(?) section, parts of the track are out of gauge. It could take a year or more to fix.



https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/hawaii/articles/2021-05-07/wheels-dont-fit-tracks-on-honolulus-beleaguered-rail-line



Mike


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## diz (Nov 1, 2005)

Wow, I think this project is cursed with inutile project managers by the aina.


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## Frenchlover (Sep 3, 2020)

diz said:


> Wow, I think this project is cursed with inutile project managers by the aina.


I'm so astonished that a such rich country is so poor building transportation infrastructures that last decades whereas it's over within 4 or 5 years in China and a little more elsewhere !


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## ejl01 (Sep 3, 2020)

HART shared NHK News' broadcast of Biden Administration Infrastructure Investment Plan featuring Honolulu's Rail Transit Project.


> HART Interim Executive Director and CEO Lori Kahikina P.E., and Hitachi Executive Vice President Alistair Dormer were featured by NHK, Japan's leading news outlet, for a feature story on Biden's Infrastructure Plan and the importance of rail transportation in the United States. In addition, the Project's current construction and sustainability resilience in Hawai'i were covered.


The video is in Japanese, no subtitles provided, link to video below
 International Press 2021 Biden Administration Infrastructure Investment Plan - NHK


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)

__
http://instagr.am/p/CTYIxLUJHv7/


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## Rob73 (Jun 18, 2014)

prageethSL said:


> West Oʻahu Station
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those stations are incredibly ugly, they could be any of the stations on any of the Indian elevated railways that have been built recently.


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## coreyt (Dec 25, 2005)

Rob73 said:


> Those stations are incredibly ugly, they could be any of the stations on any of the Indian elevated railways that have been built recently.


This whole project is a master class in how NOT to build something, on literally every level. As a huge public transit fan, I am ashamed.


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)

__
http://instagr.am/p/CVQ1kh6s4G1/


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## Rob73 (Jun 18, 2014)

I read that the platforms were futureproofed for 6 car trainsets, but looking at some of these photos it's doesn't look like 6 car trainsets will be possible


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## Stuu (Feb 7, 2007)

Rob73 said:


> I read that the platforms were futureproofed for 6 car trainsets, but looking at some of these photos it's doesn't look like 6 car trainsets will be possible


Perhaps it just means they have been built with straight tracks and nothing in the way to stop platforms being extended in future, rather than building them now and not using them


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## Timotheuss (May 14, 2020)

Honolulu rail deficit estimate cut to $1.97B


The projected $3.5 billion deficit for the city’s troubled rail project is far less than feared — $1.97 billion, rail officials said Wednesday.



www.staradvertiser.com


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)

November Construction Updates


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)

December Construction Updates.


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## redspork02 (May 7, 2005)

Se va ser la carne asada oh que?

Opening soon? I hope, last I heard it was April 2022. (phase 1).


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## N830MH (Jun 26, 2015)

redspork02 said:


> Se va ser la carne asada oh que?
> 
> Opening soon? I hope, last I heard it was April 2022. (phase 1).


Hmmm. I don't know about that. You have ask Honolulu Rail Transit on Facebook page. You can leave a message.


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## artist42 (10 mo ago)

Some big-time Honolulu Rail news regarding the route from Middle Street to Ala Moana Center being trimmed to end just east of Aloha Tower near Kaka'ako:

Honolulu Mayor Proposes Trimming Rail Line, Stations To Address Budget Woes - Honolulu Civil Beat


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

artist42 said:


> Some big-time Honolulu Rail news regarding the route from Middle Street to Ala Moana Center being trimmed to end just east of Aloha Tower near Kaka'ako:
> 
> Honolulu Mayor Proposes Trimming Rail Line, Stations To Address Budget Woes - Honolulu Civil Beat


that is too bad. Ala Moana is a major transit hub and would be convenient for everyone.


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## artist42 (10 mo ago)

RyukyuRhymer said:


> that is too bad. Ala Moana is a major transit hub and would be convenient for everyone.


Very true. Ala Moana is the main hub for nearly all TheBus routes, shopping and dining of course, and is just a single bus or rideshare transfer from rail to Waikiki or UH. 

Looking at the bright side, I'm glad that the endpoint the city is looking at now for rail will still be in the Downtown area. I did not want them to stop at Middle Street, which would be a longer congested bus ride with nothing much other than the bus facility/hub nearby to get off the station at. If the train is still going to get people from Kapolei to Downtown at least, it's still worth getting around H-1 Freeway traffic.


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## Mansa Musa (Jul 13, 2020)

when will this be completed? It feels as if its been ongoing for a decade.


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

my former boss, when I used to work in Hawaii, was invited to inspect the rail progress the other day as we were involved in some of its early stages


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

To cut costs, city gets approval to shorten rail route, eliminate park-and-ride facility


The city said it hopes to open the route to Halekauwila Street in the next seven years.




www.hawaiinewsnow.com


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)

*HART begins trial running on Honolulu rail line*








The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) began the trial running testing phase for the first operating segment of Honolulu’s rail system on Aug. 29, 2022. This is the final series of testing before the system is ready for operation and teams will be looking at all aspects of the trains, stations, systems and operating personnel, including the simulation of many normal and emergency operating scenarios.

During testing, multiple trains will be operational and moving along the tracks from Kualaka‘i (East Kapolei) Station to Hālawa (Aloha Stadium) Station. Testing will occur up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is no set schedule of trains running as it will vary depending on the type of testing taking place. The testing will continue until the system achieves operational readiness status, prior to the transfer of the system to city’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) for the initial launch of service.

“This is a major milestone for the rail project, although the larger milestone will be when trial running is complete. Many tests will be performed and we expect some problems to be encountered, which is normal for a new system and is the reason the testing is being performed,” said HART Executive Director and CEO Lori Kahikina. “We do not have a deadline for the completion of trial running, but we are hopeful of turning the first operating segment over to DTS by early next year.”

HART urges the public to follow safety precautions and, when driving near the rail guideway, look ahead not overhead. Do not watch the trains or photograph the trains while driving, keep attention on the road.

The stations may look finished, but are still active construction sites throughout the testing phase. For safety purposes, please avoid the stations. The rail system is powered by a “third rail” that runs alongside the rail tracks and carries over 750 volts of electricity, which is deadly. During this testing phase, the third rail will be live and energized 24 hours a day, seven day a week. The public should avoid the rail tracks at all times.


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## ejl01 (Sep 3, 2020)

*FTA Approves HART Recovery Plan*










HONOLULU – The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) today announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has approved HART’s 2022 Recovery Plan. The Recovery Plan was required by the FTA to document HART’s plans for the completion of the rail project within the amount of funding that is forecast to be available. With the approval of the Recovery Plan, HART is now eligible to receive the remaining $744 million in federal funding under the Full Funding Grant Agreement. This is first infusion of federal funds from the Full Funding Grant Agreement to the project since 2017. 

“Since HART submitted the recovery plan in June, we have been working hand-in- hand with the FTA, meeting weekly, to keep the process moving toward recovery plan approval,” said HART Executive Director and CEO Lori Kahikina, P.E. “We are so thankful for the support and communication from the FTA to accept the recovery plan as is and amend the Full Funding Grant Agreement, which is unprecedented, so that we may see the project through to completion. It is a strong show of confidence in the work of this administration and in the cooperation and partnership with our many stakeholders including Mayor Blangiardi, the HART Board, Department of Transportation Services and the Honolulu City Council.” 

HART will receive $125 million when the Full Funding Grant Agreement is amended, $250 million when HART awards the City Center Guideway and Stations (CCGS) contract, projected for fiscal year 2024. 

HART’s 2022 Recovery Plan was submitted to the FTA in June, one month ahead of schedule, and proposes a truncated project scope with an interim terminus at the Civic Center Station, located at the intersection of Halekauwila Street and South Street, and a temporary deferral of the Pearl Highlands Parking Garage. The FTA is currently conducting an environmental reevaluation of the truncated scope. 

HART remains committed to completing the full scope of the project to the Ala Moana Transit Center in a subsequent phase of the project.

*> News Release PDF



FTA Letter to HART on June 2022 Recovery Plan PDF

Click to expand...

*


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

^ glad to hear that they are still committed at going to Ala Moana. Ending it any earlier its and wouldnt bring the main benefits of the rail.


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## Attus (Jul 9, 2010)

I'm not a native English speaker, but the wording "recovery" sounds weird for me, when we talk about an infrastructure that is under construction and has not been opened yet.


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

Attus said:


> I'm not a native English speaker, but the wording "recovery" sounds weird for me, when we talk about an infrastructure that is under construction and has not been opened yet.


the recovery probably refers more to the rescue of the budget plan, as HART has failed to get it on budget (and on time too), leading to FTA trying to save it


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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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## prageethSL (May 5, 2013)




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