Rail route changes trigger harsh words - News

Sounds like Mufi and Djou are great with other people's money.

It is OK that the route is still being debated. The City Council has the power to make revisions as needed to produce the best result. Originally the council majority with Cachola decided that the rail should be built and that it would go through Salt Lake. Then Stop Rail tried to set up a voter initiative that would ban trains on rail. This necessitated the council to propose the steel wheel on steel rail initiative that the voters ultimately approved. Now that the public has supported rail, Djou is willing to support rail. At this point in time, the council majority with Djou decided that it would be better to revise the route to go through the Airport. It should not matter who agreed with what in the past. The final result is not going to please everyone, but it should please the majority. We have to abide by the democratic process. The people voted in the City Council members. The City Council has to consider all factors accumulated as of the present time and make the right decision and that appears to be the airport route. This issue should be resolved quickly as delays will increase the project cost.

The Airport Route has many destinations and also an origin.
Usage:
1) Airline passengers going to or leaving the airport.
2) People working at HNL airport.
3) Civilians from elsewhere working at Pearl Harbor or Hickam bases.
4) People visiting Pearl Harbor tourist areas.
5) Military living on Pearl Harbor or Hickam bases needing to go elsewhere.
6) People working at Airport Post Office
7) People working at Mapunapuna or Airport Industrial Areas.

The Salt Lake Route is primarily an origin for its residents.
Usage:
1) People living in Salt Lake going to or from work.
2) People living in Salt Lake needing to go elsewhere.
3) People from elsewhere working or shopping in Salt Lake shopping center.

Based on the above, the Airport route is probably the better route because it will serve more people from all over. But we should not let the overall project get jeopardized by politics over this issue.

Enough already! Take the rail pass Pearl Harbor and the airport. Both Pearl and Hickam have an abundance of potential riders, unlike Salt Lake. They can always build a spur later to Salt Lake. Again though, it's imperative that visitors utilizing the rail can bring onboard their luggage.

Nice "Rail is much better". Who gives a rats behind where it goes or what it costs just build the choo choo and let the taxpayers suffer.

How much is Mufi paying you to keep posting the same lies day after day anyway?

If you haven't notice all Politicians are "full of it", you're in LaLa Land. They'll promise you everything up the Ying Yang to get the votes.

Aloha:

Politicians are learning that you should not make promises and deals they can't keep.

Those who expected to get rich if the rail ran through their property are now learning that their personal gain is not in the public's best interest.

It's a conundrum, for sure.

One thing is certain, 7 million visitors arriving at Honolulu International Airport (with baggage) will not take a bus to Pearl City to catch the new railroad to Ala Moana Center only to have to then take a taxi to their hotel in Waikiki.

Nor will they do the reverse to get back to the airport.

So that is potentially 14 million riders a year that will not use the railroad to nowhere. Since most have seen and used rail before, it is not a novel thing for them ... not worth the inconvenience.

Still want to build a railroad that no one wants to use?

It's not too late to do the right thing. Say "no" and choose one of the better alternatives.

Keith Haugen
Nu`uanu

Keith, I think the performance of other successful rail systems (such as Portland and Minneapolis) refute your assertion that people will not take baggage onboard rail to get to the airport. While there are ordinances about baggage onboard buses now, that is just another foreseeable change that will occur with rail to the airport.

Will the private operators scream? I bet they will.

They do not believe that "no one wants to use" the rail system. It is a threat to their established practices here, but they may shift their taxi activities to focus on individual stations in the future.

What are the better alternatives you suggest? Definitely not the EZWay.

All u gyz dat supported gufis ego driven into a political future 4 gov or senator idea, still don't get it! diss is 1 slicky dicky,not unlike da tricky dicky of that era. look! da rail is a bad idea FOR ECONOMY, FUTURE TAX PAYERS(our keiki)& USSSS!!! wen da kaka hit da winds from da koolaus and we stay deep in IT! maybe u dummies goin wake up! politics is politics, like aama crabs! u gotta see da good ideas from da bad ones. auwe

this is a bait and switch game.

it is all political and not what is best for Oahu.

We don't need rail but if you must have it make it to accommodate for the most riders and the airport route is best.

I have ride on rail from several airports around the country and it makes the visit easier especially if you are visiting for the first time.

If we are to have rail, I want light rail

no steel on steel

Who cares what Ann Kobayashi "recalls," she only has one month left to cause trouble with her lies and manipulation.

The Mayor has been clear all along that he prefered the airport route...because it makes the most sense. Romy and the council are ones playing games.

Kama wrote:

Keith, I think the performance of other successful rail systems (such as Portland and Minneapolis) refute your assertion that people will not take baggage onboard rail to get to the airport. While there are ordinances about baggage onboard buses now, that is just another foreseeable change that will occur with rail to the airport.
Will the private operators scream? I bet they will.
They do not believe that "no one wants to use" the rail system. It is a threat to their established practices here, but they may shift their taxi activities to focus on individual stations in the future.
What are the better alternatives you suggest? Definitely not the EZWay.

Assume for a moment that the rail station at the airport will actually be easily accessable from baggage claim, as in a very short walk. If one is staying at say the Hilton Hawaiian Village how far will the nearest station be from the hotel? If it too is not just a minute or less away you can forget people coming for a visit and using rail, they will just pay for a cab or shuttle and be picked up at baggage claim then dropped off at the entrance to the hotel.

7 million visitors is a nice number for now but with a tanking economy how long with that last?

Cachola is as big a liar as Kobayashi, that's why he endorsed her AND the EzWay in that print ad. "They used my picture without my consent."....BULL.

Djou never does anything for the reasons he says. He will try to kill rail any way he can...he's just buying time. Making trouble for Hannemann has been his ONLY contribution to city government in the last four years.

Rail is much better wrote:

The Airport Route has many destinations and also an origin.
Usage:
1) Airline passengers going to or leaving the airport.
2) People working at HNL airport.
3) Civilians from elsewhere working at Pearl Harbor or Hickam bases.
4) People visiting Pearl Harbor tourist areas.
5) Military living on Pearl Harbor or Hickam bases needing to go elsewhere.
6) People working at Airport Post Office
7) People working at Mapunapuna or Airport Industrial Areas.
The Salt Lake Route is primarily an origin for its residents.
Usage:
1) People living in Salt Lake going to or from work.
2) People living in Salt Lake needing to go elsewhere.
3) People from elsewhere working or shopping in Salt Lake shopping center.
Based on the above, the Airport route is probably the better route because it will serve more people from all over. But we should not let the overall project get jeopardized by politics over this issue.

who rail., I am only a tourist, following this for months. I hardly ever comment on Hawaii's internal affairs. Having spent 55 or 60 days on Oahu, I am totally confused on the rail. If people won't walk to the train or if the train won't take people from the airport to Waikiki, a bus or cab must be taken. I'm not sure how to respond, but, this seems like a bad idea. Property will be taken, Oahu is a small island, and we always took the bus or the shuttle buses and never has a problem. Hawaii is not Europe which is large and the trains are very efficient, spent 5 years in Europe, I have mentioned this before, I think Oahu is overpopulated with cars and that is the elephant in the room which no one will address. Mass transportation is the answer combined with restricting privately owned cars to 1 per family. I was amazed with the number of mo-peds and bikes we saw. From a repeat tourist, if Hawaii's gevernment will not address the real problem, too many cars I am not sure this rail problem can ever be solved. Just think of the protests if a train ran down Kalakaua Ave or Kuhio Ave. It is very confusing. Aloha

What do you expect from pigs, but a grunt.

Pocho wrote:

If you haven't notice all Politicians are "full of it", you're in LaLa Land. They'll promise you everything up the Ying Yang to get the votes.

From one Pochob to another, You hit it right on the nose." People don't realize that "rail" is just a platform for all these politicians. Mufi wants it so that he can tell people in 2 years see what I did as Mayor of Honolulu, imagine what I can do for the whole State as governor. HEAVEN FORBID! As for the other council members they're just going with popular vote.

UmmmSuuure wrote:

What do you expect from pigs, but a grunt.

Agree with you! All these politicians know how to do well is to play the Blame Game! Mufi is the best at this. This is a farce!

UmmmSuuure wrote:

What do you expect from pigs, but a grunt.

What are you talking about? Get a life.

It looks like an argument could be made that Mufi is retaliating against Cachola for endorsing Kobayashi in the recent mayors race. It's the kind of thing we have come to expect from Mufi so it defintely should be considered.
What is more of a concern is that political deals were made behind closed doors. What about the Sunshine laws. Even if the law doesn't include dialogue between the mayor and council members, once the word was passed among council members that a deal had been made, then they were breaking our sunshine laws by discussing this issue while not in session.

Cachola, Djou and Kobayashi are
full of s hit.