Anti-rail group simulates train’s noise in Kakaako
A pickup truck drove around Kakaako during lunchtime yesterday, carrying two large speakers blasting the sound of a train, as part of a demonstration by the group Stop Rail Now.
The group, which opposes the city's $4 billion transit system, wanted to give people who live and work in the area a sense of a train's noise level. The sound simulated train noise at 79 decibels.
Part of the city's rail plan has the train running along Halekauwila Street, according to Cliff Slater, organizer of Stop Rail Now. The trains are scheduled to come every three minutes starting at 4 a.m. By 6 a.m., trains will be coming through the area every minute-and-a-half. With two trains, the noise level increases significantly, Slater said.
"It's irritating," said Marilyn Williams, a case worker at the Taxpayer Advocate Office in the Prince Kuhio Federal Building. Williams and co-worker Amy Tsutsumi were on their way back to work after picking up lunch when they walked past the large speakers. "I wouldn't want to be living here."
The group Go Rail Go issued a statement criticizing the "dramatic gestures" of the anti-rail group.
"The fact is that noise will not be an issue with the proposed rail project. In fact, modern rail systems are so quiet that safety measures are needed to ensure that pedestrians are aware of oncoming trains," the pro-rail group's statement said.