Ben Cayetano has unveiled a traffic solution that will make life better for Oahu’s commuters.
FAST, an acronym for “Flexible, Affordable, Smart Transportation”, will combine a host of modern technologies with the goal of reducing commute time on Oahu from the current average of 29 minutes to 25 minutes.
- Express Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for Leeward and Central Oahu as well as a College Express BRT connecting the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu Community College and everything in between
- Added Traffic Lanes on King Street* and Nimitz Highway
- Contraflow lanes on King St. and Dillingham Blvd.* to accommodate rush-hour traffic anddedicated BRT Lanes.
- Short underpasses to reduce in-town congestion
- A 2-mile elevated reversible Nimitz Flyover for express travel from the airport viaduct to Iwilei and downtown Honolulu
- Island-wide traffic signal optimization and 21st century traffic management systems
Bus Rapid Transit has been an effective form of mass transit in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, Los Angeles, California and numerous cities in China, India, Indonesia, Britain, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. Unlike the heavy rail system, which would not be ready to serve UH Manoa for decades, a pilot BRT could be operational within six months at Manoa.
In addition to introducing advanced traffic management systems to Oahu, the FAST program will include common sense policies that will both decongest the highways and be rapidly implemented. These include deploying telework programs, staggered hours and flex time work schedules.
Unlike heavy rail which will take ten or more years to complete, Honolulu commuters will see traffic congestion reduced by Governor Cayetano’s FAST program within six months.
Contraflow lanes, express buses and flex time schedules are all solutions that can start working in a few months.
Honolulu-wide signal optimization will greatly improve traffic flow and will take just a couple years to set up. The result will be savings of millions of gallons of fuel and thousands of hours needlessly sitting at traffic lights.
The entire plan is estimated to cost $1.5 billion—A fraction of the proposed elevated heavy rail system.
And it delivers much more than rail, which shortens or eliminates 20 our current bus routes.
FAST will reinvigorate Honolulu’s former world-class bus system and will not require people to change their lifestyle. Moreover it will benefit everyone who uses the roads, whether they are in a car, a delivery truck or a bus.**
And, perhaps most importantly, FAST will not incur a crushing debt, aesthetic blight nor entail an increase in property taxes on the citizens of Honolulu.
* North King Street between Middle Street and Liliha Street.
** The rail will change or eliminate all these routes: B, C, E, 3, 9, 11, 20, 43, 53, 73, 81, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98A, 101, 102, 103, 201, 202 (FEIS Appx. D)
Report from Ben Cayetano for Mayor’s campaign