A rapid transit system gets closer to reality in Honolulu as officials conduct groundbreaking ceremony, while some still object to the project for aesthetic reasons.
The proposed 20 mile rail system is not insignificant, considering the Hawaiian city population of only 375,000 residents. It should be completed by 2019 after the FTA recommended it for federal funding.
"Despite the clear need for improved transportation systems in Honolulu, however, the project's gestation has been difficult... the recent election of Governor Neil Abercrombie and Mayor Peter Carlisle, both of whom assumed office in 2010, represented a major step forward, as each have been solid defenders of the project... It is true that the project remains under debate on both aesthetic and land use grounds. The elevated nature of the system has a number of advantages: It will allow trains to run much more quickly between the ends of the island... and it will offer automated trains, allowing high frequencies even off-peak (6 minute maximum) and lower labor costs because of the lack of train drivers.
Nonetheless, the elevated guideway will not be a particularly beautiful addition to the Hawai'i landscape, and in some places it could represent a barrier between the city and its waterfront."
FULL STORY: Rapid Transit Closer to Realization as Honolulu’s Rail Project Breaks Ground
Skyline Rail, Now Serving Honolulu
In a historic day for public transit, Skyline Rail, a project once deemed the worst transit project in the United States due to extreme cost overruns and construction delays, finally opened to the public at the end of June.
Honolulu Light Rail to Open in June
The city’s first light rail line will finally begin service after more than a half century of planning.
Honolulu Rail Cost Overruns Now Exceed $1 Billion
Add another $200 million to the $910 million shortfall already facing Honolulu's rail project. The changing circumstances surrounding the project won't make it any easier to create a viable funding plan to make up the difference.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
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Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
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