Getting going is city transit goal, mayor says
He believes funding hinges on building faith by meeting goals
Whether trains or ferries, Mayor Mufi Hannemann indicated it's full steam ahead with the progress of the city's pending transit projects after some stop-and-go moments this year.
"We basically only have the bus as a public means of transit. This is why I think if we have a rail system now, our riders will be able to have a choice ... have a ferry going, have buses going, have the rail system going," Hannemann told reporters.
The mayor said the preliminary $3 billion cost estimate for the 23-mile proposed rail transit route between Kapolei and the University of Hawaii will not be a deterrence to the city breaking ground as planned in 2009.
What will help, Hannemann said, is the agreement reached this week with Gov. Linda Lingle's administration for the city to provide a $5 million guarantee for the state to start collecting the 0.5 percent general excise tax increase for the city's transit project. The tax is slated to begin after Jan. 1.
The squabble over the tax collection start-up costs had the potential to delay collection of the surcharge, which is slated to generate $150 million in revenue annually. The county transit tax will be levied for 10 years.
"Sooner we can start collecting, I believe we will" have enough money for the 2009 groundbreaking, the mayor said.
Hannemann said he would not ask for a further increase in the excise tax any time soon, because he believes the city needs to prove first that it can get the transit system up and running in order to leverage other kinds of funding.
"What I feel, though, is if we do our job right, if we do this on budget on time, on schedule, I think it really enhances our ability to attract ... federal funds. And private investors are going to see us going out and putting our money first upfront and be able to build upon that," Hannemann said.
"Before I ask for more, let's do a good job and show transparency and accountability with what the Legislature has granted us."
Hannemann said it is also a good thing that the public will get to weigh in beginning today at a series of meetings on whether they like the look of some of the segments of a proposed rail system.
One area already getting a buzz is a route along University Avenue that is expected to have an elevated rail structure about 60 feet high to maneuver over the H-1 freeway to get to the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
"Yes, it's not aesthetically pleasing the way it goes right now on that particular route, but this is our chance to get that kind of feedback. We do know that the university wants us there," he said.
The mayor said it would be up to the City Council to decide "do we sacrifice this or that, or do we say let's bypass UH and go someplace else? This is where the public input process now is very important."
Meanwhile, the new start-up date for a planned intraisland commuter ferry demonstration project has been pushed back to at least the end of the year. The mayor originally had hoped the project would start this summer.
The city received no bidders for a contract to operate the ferry that will transport commuters between Kalaeloa and downtown Honolulu.
Part of the problem was that vendors were not interested in investing three or more vessels for a one-year project.
Hannemann said his administration is now asking the federal government for permission to negotiate directly with contractors instead of seeking bids.
He said there is $3.3 million for the project in next fiscal year's budget, which he signed into law yesterday.