[ OUR OPINION ]
Gov’s transit projects
are a good start
on a long roadIT APPEARS that Governor Lingle has cleared a major hurdle in solving Oahu's snarling traffic problems by getting key federal, state and city officials to sign on to her plans to build a light-rail transit system and an elevated highway. She will need all her political skills to keep them on track and for the more difficult task of winning the public's approval for the tax increases she says will be necessary to pay for the projects.
THE ISSUE
The governor is proposing to build a light-rail system and an elevated highway to ease Oahu's traffic congestion.Although the federal government typically foots as much as 80 percent of the bill for such transportation ventures -- and there are no assurances it will do so for this project -- the balance will have to come from residents' pockets. With the total cost for both proposals estimated at $2.8 billion, Hawaii's portion still represents a sizable chunk of money.
Whatever the case, the rail and road plans have a long way to travel. The governor can anticipate resistance from legislators, who may be reluctant to raise taxes, and from neighbor island residents, who may not see tangible benefits of a transit system on Oahu.
Lingle and her task force unveiled their plan for an elevated light-rail system that eventually would span 22 miles from Kapolei to Iwilei along Oahu's southern coastline, following Farrington, Kamehameha and Nimitz highways. An elevated, two-lane highway above Nimitz would be used initially to funnel traffic east toward downtown in the mornings and west in the afternoons. The structure, running from the Keehi Interchange to Pacific Street, would be incorporated later as part of the rail line. Officials hope construction of the Nimitz project will be complete in six years and the rail system in 15 years.
Lingle properly recognizes that her rail proposal doesn't negate the need for the city's bus system and Mayor Harris' Bus Rapid Transit project, which is poised for start-up next year. Rail transit will not reach valleys and ridges or communities beyond Iwilei and Kapolei, where drivers face traffic jams as vexing as those in West and Central Oahu.
What may be the most challenging obstacle the governor will face is convincing taxpayers in other counties that what may appear to be costly projects to help Oahu residents will benefit them as well.
To raise money, Lingle's task force is considering increases in a variety of taxes, some administered by the counties and others by the state. It may be difficult to persuade Kauai or Maui residents that paying a higher state excise tax will benefit them somehow. The governor will need to find a way to show how better traffic movement in Honolulu will bolster the economic well-being of the whole state and why neighbor island taxpayers have just as much of a stake in Oahu's transit future as city residents.
