FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION LEADERS REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO FUNDING RAIL

News Release from Office of the Mayor April 24, 2013

Washington, D.C. - Mayor Kirk Caldwell said he received further assurance that federal funding for Honolulu’s rail transit project remains firmly on track during a meeting with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

Mayor Caldwell, City Council Chairman Ernie Martin, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) Executive Director and CEO Dan Grabauskas, and HART Board Chair Carrie Okinaga met in Washington, D.C. with Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Transit Administration Administrator Peter Rogoff yesterday.  LaHood and Rogoff reiterated their strong commitment to the Full Funding Grant Agreement for the rail project.

“I was honored to meet U.S. Transportation Director LaHood and FTA Administrator Rogoff for the first time as mayor,” Caldwell said. “We’re grateful for their commitment to the Honolulu rail transit project through the recent signing of the $1.55 billion federal funding agreement. We intend to continue our strong relationship with our federal partners, including our Hawaii congressional delegation, in moving this important project forward.”

“Transportation Secretary LaHood assured us that Honolulu’s rail project has the strong support of the U.S. Department of Transportation and that he has committed the FTA to honoring the Full Funding Grant Agreement,” Chair Martin said.

“Our series of meetings went extremely well and underscored the strong commitment across the board to moving Oahu’s rail project forward,” Grabauskas said. “With our archaeological survey work completed and our additional studies done, we look forward to resuming construction later this year and to delivering the rail system on time and on budget.”

“We are grateful for the strong support from our partners at the Federal Transit Administration and from our congressional delegation,” Chair Okinaga said. “Making this trip with the mayor and the City Council chairman also reflects our strong partnerships on the local level. We look forward to continuing to work together in the years ahead to bring Oahu’s rail project to its fruition.”

Caldwell also met yesterday with Deputy Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs and Economic Mobility Racquel Russell.

The Honolulu group met today with the Hawaii Congressional Delegation and members and staff from the U.S. Senate and House transportation and appropriations committees. Caldwell will return to Honolulu tomorrow afternoon.

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