University of Hawaii professor Panos Prevedouros says he is running for Honolulu mayor again on more than just his anti-rail position.

He proposes solutions for everything from aging infrastructure to Oahu's mounting trash problems.

“;All we care to do is burn the trash,”; he said. “;It's a 30-year-old idea, the same as rail. It's like we got stuck in 1975.”;

In 2008, Prevedouros' poorly funded campaign led to a distant third place in the primary election. He polled almost 18 percent of the vote against Ann Kobayashi, who also ran on an anti-rail platform, and Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who is expected to run for governor this year.

Prevedouros' foray into politics began when he reluctantly accepted an anti-rail group's urging to run for mayor.

He joins City Councilmen Donovan Dela Cruz and Rod Tam, city Prosecutor Peter Carlisle and city Managing Director Kirk Caldwell, who have expressed interest in the position.

“;An independent, Panos will represent you, not special interests,”; his campaign Web site says.

The engineering professor said there are huge concerns not only about rail, but about the budget.

People believe installing rail is “;going to be a solution for jobs and congestion,”; he said. “;Unfortunately, it's neither.”;

“;If we sink more money into a transit system, then the roads will become worse,”; he said. “;We're third worst in the nation in road quality and congestion.”;

Particularly vulnerable are Nanakuli and Waianae, where lane closures are “;paralyzing tourist and resident traffic,”; he said.

Portland, Ore., is a prime example of a city where rail is nothing but a substitute for buses and car pools, has done nothing to lessen congestion and has caused it to become the most pothole-ridden U.S. city, he said.

As for the solid-waste problem, Prevedouros said having waste-processing plants here, such as those in Europe, would allow metal, plastic and demolition materials to be recycled into usable and sometimes profitable materials.

And because Hawaii's trash-tipping fees are at a pretty high rate, some of those technologies become affordable, he said.

Prevedouros also believes the city needs to prepare for hurricanes or tsunamis.

“;What is the plan for 100,000 frantic tourists?”; he said. The city should come up with detailed evacuation routes, as Florida has in place, Prevedouros said.

He also points to a backlog of environmental conformance for sewer and water mains, which are “;too old and too close to salty water.”;

He said he believes Oahu needs to use techniques to make water and sewer lines more durable for brackish water operation.