Gov. Linda Lingle said her administration is working on another option to the city's controversial Bus Rapid Transit plan to alleviate traffic congestion. Gov seeks alternative
to the city’s transit planBy Crystal Kua
ckua@starbulletin.com"We feel there are better alternatives," Lingle said yesterday.
Her comments came the day after members of the new City Council, who still haven't formally signaled what they will do on the plan, wondered what Lingle will do.
"We are not supportive of the plan as it's currently drawn and designed, and (the mayor) is very aware of that," Lingle said.
The state's approval of Bus Rapid Transit, estimated to cost $1 billion, is important because some portions of the project would travel on state highways, especially in the second phase of the project.
The City Council gave the green light last year to the first phase of the project from Iwilei to Waikiki that is made up of primarily city roads.
Lingle said yesterday that she had a good discussion with Mayor Jeremy Harris about BRT a few weeks ago.
"My impression is that the mayor wants to go forward with certain aspects of his plan that he feels he can do with existing county funds and that takes place only on city roads, and that's his prerogative," Lingle said.
The governor said she has plans of her own that are still being developed.
"It's just that we think we have a real exciting alternative to offer, something that we're working on and in the coming months we'll talk to the broader community about," Lingle said.
Lingle declined to give details and said she would discuss her plan with the mayor.
But city transportation officials told the Council's Transportation Committee yesterday that changing gears now would mean delays of 10 years for relief and also could risk federal funding.
Lingle said she isn't convinced that federal funding would be lost. She said federal officials want a united proposal.
"We think we have some good proposals that will be able to garner that kind of funding. It's not a matter at this point of losing something they don't have," Lingle said.
State of Hawaii
City & County of Honolulu