State officials study
Portland rail transitHawaii's proposed $2.6 billion
plan is likely to raise taxes
State transportation officials have learned cities that build light-rail transit systems have to raise taxes to pay for it.
Gov. Linda Lingle has said residents should expect some kind of tax increase to pay for the cost of building the light rail system on Oahu. State transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa said other cities -- like Seattle, which broke ground two weeks ago for a new rail line -- have had to raise taxes in some form.
"It seems most likely on the local end you're going to have to raise tax somewhere to pay for the transit cost," Ishikawa said.
Ishikawa and state highways chief Glenn Yasui went to the Light Rail Transit Conference in Portland, Ore., last week. They also wanted to see firsthand Portland's acclaimed Metropolitan Area Express, or MAX, light rail line.
"All the experts were in one city, so we decided to take advantage of that," Ishikawa said. "We went to study the Portland system as well because they're the most touted fixed-rail system in the country."
At the conclusion of a state transportation summit last month, Lingle endorsed a proposal to construct an estimated $2.6 billion light rail system in Honolulu as part of a plan to ease traffic woes.
"Every other metropolitan city is in the same boat as we are when it comes to traffic," Ishikawa said. "They either have a rail system and are adding additional lanes, or they're going to start rail in a year or two or they are studying very hard a rail-type system."
The trip to the conference, which cost $4,000 for air fare, conference fees and hotel, included an up-close look at Portland's system.
Ishikawa said there were several things they wanted to find out, including how Portland officials got people out of their cars, what financing options are available and how to reduce noise along the route. They also wanted to find out about issues involving rights of way since the proposed rail route will move along more state rights of way than in previous rail plans.
"Just give ourselves an idea of what works and what doesn't," Ishikawa said.
Ishikawa said the research state officials are doing is preliminary work.
City officials visited Portland in 1998 when they weighed transit options that included rail. But instead of rail, the city endorsed and moved ahead with the controversial Bus Rapid Transit system.
