Mayor Caldwell and HART CEO send joint letter to FTA, announcing termination of P3, asking for extension of Federal funding

News Release from Office of the Mayor, Nov 30, 2020

HONOLULU- Mayor Kirk Caldwell and HART CEO Andrew Robbins sent a joint letter to the Federal Transit Administration today, providing an update on the status of the Honolulu Rail Project. The letter confirms the termination of the procurement of a public private partnership for the completion of the Project to Ala Moana Center and the construction of the Pearl Highlands Parking Garage (P3). The letter goes on to outline the collaboration taking place between personnel from both the City and HART to jointly work together on a development of a plan for the completion of the Project.

“It’s vitally important that the City and HART work together to find a path forward, and that work is already underway,” said Mayor Caldwell. “We also need to be realistic and transparent about the challenges that the project faces as we develop a plan to finish the remaining 4.16 miles of the project and the last eight stations including the Pearl Highlands transit station and parking garage.”

“HART is already putting the finishing touches on the documents to solicit qualifications from companies that might be interested in bidding on building the remainder of the rail project,” said HART CEO Andrew Robbins.  “We look forward to working with the City on completing the construction of the project and beginning rail passenger service next year.”

The letter goes on to outline that the plan being discussed will include the entire project scope as stated in the Project’s Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA), adding that there is no desire to abandon any component of the full Project scope.

Finally, the letter reiterates a request for a further one year extension of the period of availability of the fiscal year 2015 $250 million Capital Investment Grant allocation, ‘as the City and HART continue to develop a viable plan satisfactory to both the community and the FTA.’

—Pau—

HNN: Mayor Caldwell and HART CEO send joint letter to FTA, announcing termination of P3, asking for extension of Federal funding