Rail

On a per-capita basis, this will be the nation’s largest infrastructure fiasco....

The low bidder for the Kamehameha Highway Stations Group appeared to be Watts Constructors, which bid $112.7 million for the project. The job went to Nan Inc., which bid $115.8 million. Why did that happen?....

2004: Newly elected Mayor Hannemann asserts that 34 miles of rail will cost $2.7 Billion....

...another vote on Bill 23 (2015), CD1 - Relating to the Transportation Surcharge, will be required of Committee members at the Budget Committee meeting on Wednesday....

...construction cost escalation for Oahu for years 2013 and 2014 has averaged 10.3% per year....

...last week, the Hawaii Supreme Court issued a 4-1 ruling in Friends of Makakilo v. D.R. Horton-Schuler Homes, LLC....

$3.1M higher ....

"This appeal involves a long-standing issue in this state: balancing agricultural and urban land uses."

Justices ruled 4-1 that the Hoopili development can proceed....

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday December 17 at 3:30 p.m....

...rail proximity was not an independently significant predictor of auto ownership....

...the Honolulu City Council is considering an ordinance to extend the rail tax....

...we at Hawai’i Free Press tried a novel approach—actually contacting FTA spokespeople in Washington to see what they had to say about it....

...the FTA has not reached out to HART and officials were not aware the money was in jeopardy....

...what will the train’s power bill be for decades to come?....

If we want to see more responsible and accountable government, then it's up to the public to set the standard for what ethical government looks like....

...project expenditures are $1,637M, $1,581M or $1,512M, depending on which report one looks at....

It’s social engineering: getting people out of their soulless single-family suburban homes....

The Group met on October 13, 2015 and discussed possible Charter amendment topics, which included the consolidation of the TheBus, TheHandi-Van, and rail into one entity....

State Department of Taxation officials have pointed to a lag in processing tax returns as a key reason for the swings....

Hawaii has grabbed tens of millions of dollars from Honolulu County taxpayers and diverted it to the general fund, rather than using it for a mass transit rail project as intended....

Sylvia Luke wants it as a slush fund to purchase Ali’i Place. Ernie Martin wants it to build affordable housing....

The Tax Foundation of Hawaii, a nonprofit taxpayer watchdog organization, has filed suit against the State....

Albert Einstein and Neil Armstrong Discuss Honolulu's Rail....

"...it is the city’s Ethics Commission that should administer the city’s standards of conduct...."

Hawaii is shown to have the 4th worst pedestrian accident rate in the nation....

...money meant for the rail project is being diverted to other Ansaldo divisions....

Last week one of my students asked why rail projects don't get stopped....

Tourism is pushing toward new records, and the construction upswing is building in strength....

"...come January, when the Legislature convenes, we’re going to have to address it...."

...HART is now ginning up a new billion dollar "financial emergency" timed to justify a Honolulu Council vote to raise the GE Tax by 0.5% for the years 2022-2027....

The workshop is designed for landowners, developers, real estate brokers....

...the first two rail cars are now in Pittsburg, California and are on schedule to arrive in Honolulu in the first quarter of 2016....

...the resulting measures are void and unenforceable....

...all Council members received a great number of donations from entities that would profit directly from approval of the Ho’opili/Rail project....

...Honolulu came in 18th, with 50 hours of delay per commuter, costing $1,125....

...the only honest answer is "as much as it takes."....

Mr Burns' extensive rail project experience includes the Third Street Light Rail and Central Subway Project in San Francisco....

“We are looking for an individual who ... supports rail transit ...” said HART Board Chairman Ivan Lui-Kwan....

The excise tax is an investment by the taxpayers of Hawai‘i and my job is to ensure that their hard earned money is being spent efficiently, effectively and productively....

The U.S. House passed its FY 2016 transportation appropriations bill earlier this month, and the Senate bill was reported from the Senate Committee on Appropriations on June 25....

The HART check register can be viewed here ....

Remember This?  "Rail Construction Will Create about 10,000 jobs Each Year" ....

"It must always be remembered how cost-effectiveness works in the public sector: the cost is the benefit."

At least two concrete columns have developed cracks and have had to be replaced....

Senate 21-4 : House 39-12

Watch HART try to pitch a Property Tax hike in order to make the GE tax seem palatable....