They could follow the old Ewa rail route, which would service the areas that needed it the most Waianae, Ewa, Waipahu, etc.  They don't have to use the same rail, just follow the same route, it is there and has been there for a hundred plus years...

Right now it would service the areas that are the easiest to get onto the freeway.  What good is that, and does that make any kind of sense??

But forget all of that, because a rail does not make any kind of sense at all.



No one will go through the hassle of driving or busing to a rail station, transfer to a rail, then bus to the destination.  Why go through that?  Just jump straight on a bus.

That route in Ewa, its part of a double tracked rail system that connected the entire island, from Kahuku to downtown, Kaena point to Pearl city, and everywhere else. Its use was booming during and after WW2, but it was allowed to fall into disrepair in the fifties.

Talk about not planning ahead.

Hey GZ,
The bus vs rail pros and cons have been been thrown down already, so everyone will have their own opinion on that.  I personally would prefer rail, but my main issue is that Hawaii needs to pick something and do it.  If they selected a modified bus system, fine.  DO it.  I don't want to see another case of a plan starting, people disagreeing, plan stopping, nothing happening.  I sit in traffic, so I'd rather have a good plan now than a perfect plan never.  Yes, H3 was for Kbay and that is why the feds took out their wallet, but we all knew we were gonna have access to it.
We already got taxed for the rail.  If they were to cancel the project, I would hope that money would be put to an alternate like the bus and not disappear into various pockets. I don't want to chalk up the money already spent on rail as a loss if we stopped now.  I believe realignments would be done with a modified bus system as well, or any major traffic mod for that matter.  All would cost $$
I'll actually be impressed if the rail ever gets built.  I think Hawaii will somehow manage to get in its own way....again (Superferry).

Here's the deal with Rail.  Even if it goes tomorrow it'll be the better part of a decade before people can use it.  You are building from Kapolei into town instead of the other way around.  So...........even if 50% of it is done tomorrow, no one can realistically use it.

BTW
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/136983098.html?id=136983098

The city has awarded a $38.8 million contract to the Los Angeles-based AECOM Technical Services Inc. to design the rail transit project's airport segment of the elevated rail guideway.

AECOM will design the 5.2-mile portion of the rail guideway from Aloha Stadium to the Middle Street Transit Center in Kalihi, according to an announcement from the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.

The $5.27 billion rail system will extend 20 miles from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center, and is scheduled to open in 2019. The city has spent more than $342 million on the project so far, and awarded more than $2 billion in construction and other contracts.

http://www.honolulutraffic.com/op-ed_082111.pdf


It's biased yes, but it is an interesting read:

4 Million spent...

If so many want the rail why do they need to spend $4,000,000 telling you that it is good for you?