New Council sees The city's Bus Rapid Transit project and leasehold conversion program came under attack this fall by candidates running for the Honolulu City Council.
problems in BRT
The city's leasehold conversion
law also faces a fresh review
from the new lineupBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.comBut now that the election's over, it remains to be seen if either program is in danger of being scrapped or will be subject to major overhaul.
A majority of the six new members believe the $1 billion-plus Bus Rapid Transit plan has problems.
Councilman-elect Rod Tam said he objects to turning portions of Dillingham Boulevard over to the BRT. "That's a heavily used commercial area," he said. "You're going to cause traffic congestion."
Councilman-elect Charles Djou agreed: "I think this new Council is going to be very critical of the BRT plan," he said. "I definitely think that BRT is one area that's going to see significant changes in policy."
Djou added that he wants to look at BRT in context with governor-elect Linda Lingle's recently announced plan to double-deck the H-1 freeway from Kapolei to downtown.
"I'm very concerned about it," said councilwoman-elect Barbara Marshall, citing potential lane closures, alignment and financing.
"But we don't have the answers to those questions yet and, until we do, I can't say to you, 'No, we've got to dump it.'"
Councilman-elect Nestor Garcia, who has questioned whether BRT will help his Mililani-to-Makakilo district, also gave a wait-and-see opinion.
"I think we need to take a whole new look at it," Garcia said. "But we haven't had the opportunity to listen to all the arguments. I'm not ruling it out altogether because you can't do that unless you come up with an alternative, and I don't have one yet."
Councilman-elect Donovan Dela Cruz said he is "very opposed" to the in-town portion of BRT in its current form but likes the hub-and-spoke aspects that have been implemented.
"Any new proposals definitely would need the input of bus drivers and riders before any action is taken."
The sixth new Council member, Mike Gabbard, declined to be interviewed for this story. During the election season, Gabbard said the project is "worth trying."
Returning incumbents Romy Cachola and Gary Okino voted with the majority this past summer in approving $35 million for the first phase of the project from Iwilei to Waikiki but also raised strong concerns about alignment and lane closures. Ann Kobayashi, the third returning member, was the one vote against the funding.
Michelle Matson, a member of the citizen group Sensible Transit Solutions, said she is encouraged that critical objections were raised to the project during the election season.
"We hope (the new members) will follow through with a complete investigation of the congestion, costs and lack of communication with the larger community," Matson said.
Outgoing Councilman Jon Yoshimura said he doesn't think the new Council will turn back BRT once the new members get a better understanding of it, calling criticism of the project "uninformed."
Said Yoshimura: "When you're campaigning you can say anything, but once you're actually sitting in the seat, it's a different story. True leadership is not criticizing these small little problems that will crop up from time to time, it's addressing the problems and finding solutions."
Those who support the end of the city's leasehold conversion program for condominium owners are also buoyed by the new lineup.
A number of candidates questioned the use of the city's condemnation powers to force landowners to sell the land under condominium buildings to lessees.
This fall, the Council failed to approve Bill 53, a measure that would have negated the effect of a Supreme Court decision that severely reduced the number of condo owners eligible for the program.
But the Council also shelved a bill that would have repealed the leasehold conversion ordinance, which became law more than a decade ago.
Cachola, Kobayashi and Okino all voted against Bill 53. But only Okino voted against a repeal. Cachola and Kobayashi voted to send the matter to committee but said they thought the decision would be made by the new Council.
Kobayashi said yesterday she believes the new Council will take a hard look at whether the law should be repealed.
"But it's been there since 1990, and it might be difficult to do that," she said, adding that a repeal may not be fair to those qualified condominium owners who already have petitioned the city for a condemnation action.
New members the Star-Bulletin spoke to Friday were generally cautious in their responses.
Djou, who is strongly in favor of retaining the leasehold conversion program, was an exception. He believes attempts to repeal it "are not going to get very far."
Garcia said: "I'm always in favor of homeownership" but that he appreciates the concerns raised by landowners as well. He said he believes landowners' concerns can be addressed through the current law because it allows for the Council to decide on a case-by-case basis.
Tam said he personally does not believe the city should use its condemnation powers for the benefit of one private party over another, but that he wants to know what legal obligations the city has to the leasehold reform law.
Dela Cruz said he wants to get a better pulse of what the community wants before deciding to support a repeal.
Marshall also said she is undecided on the issue, noting that the program has been in place for 12 years. Cachola said he believes the leasehold conversion law "possibly could be changed in some places." One idea for a compromise plan would allow landowners to keep their properties while allowing lessees to stay in their homes beyond the terms of their leases, he said.
City & County of Honolulu
