U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, a candidate for governor, is stepping up his criticism of Mayor Mufi Hannemann's planning for rail, calling it “;messed up”; and “;an invitation to lawsuits.”;

Hannemann is an all-but-announced candidate for governor. The two would face each other in the Democratic primary election.

In a meeting with Star-Bulletin editors and reporters yesterday, Abercrombie said he has “;serious concerns”; about how the $5 billion, 20-mile rail project is being handled.

The city's plan is Hannemann's most ambitious project and is largely financed by a special excise tax on Oahu taxpayers and federal assistance.

Abercrombie says Hannemann should have appointed a transit authority before planning the route, to take politics out of the process. The mayor also should have planned and coordinated the businesses interested in the rail stops before establishing the route, he said.

“;The routing should be a function of your transit authority and your transit-oriented development coming forward with a plan. Instead we have a route and everyone has to adjust themselves to it,”; Abercrombie said.

Hannemann said in October that the city will establish a “;semiautonomous transit authority to manage the construction and operation of the system.”;

Voters in the 2010 election will have to approve the creation of the transit authority by amending the City Charter. In 2008 the Council rejected Hannemann's proposed Charter amendment.

Hannemann City spokesman Bill Brennan said last night that Abercrombie was wrong.

“;Abercrombie's comments clearly show how misinformed and out of touch he is concerning the Honolulu Rail Project. No wonder he's so eager to quit Congress and come home,”; Brennan said.

“;We are and have been engaged in community-based planning for the rail stations and Transit Oriented Development. The Transit Authority Charter Amendment was passed by the City Council and approved by Mayor Hannemann, and it will be on the ballot this fall. The plan is to build the project to Manoa and into Waikiki. Abercrombie's criticism is not at all valid.”;

Abercrombie, who has been a strong supporter of the city's initial proposal, said he now sees problems.

“;I have serious concerns that it is going to be challenged, and if it is, we may have to come up with some alternative to this,”; Abercrombie said.

The rail plan, largely favored in the heavy commuter areas of West Oahu and opposed in East and Windward Oahu, needs a big “;community buy-in,”; said Abercrombie, and that has not happened because Hannemann has not provided the development plans along the rail corridor.

“;My observation is it is an invitation for lawsuits, to conflict and confrontation as opposed to buying in. You have to get the community to buy in,”; Abercrombie said.

The 20-year veteran congressman, who plans to resign Feb. 28 to campaign full time for governor, said he doubts the city's current plan will meet environment qualifications.

“;The mayor says it meets all the environmental criteria,”; said Abercrombie. “;We will see. That doesn't mean it is a good system.

“;The (Federal) Transit Administration doesn't say this is a good idea. They say have you met all the environmental criteria. I don't think it does, but I don't have the final draft yet,”; he said.

The final EIS has not yet been produced. It must then be approved by both the state administration and the federal government. Gov. Linda Lingle has said she would not sign the plan as now drawn because of concerns about paying for the system.