Some comments on Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann’s Sunday editorial: “We Must Take a Bold Step Toward Rail”
The mayor begins with: “Traffic congestion is killing our quality of life — we need to tackle the problem now — rail transit offers the most promising solution.”
We know that he knows that rail transit will do little or nothing about traffic congestion. We have shown him the traffic congestion data from other metropolitan areas with rail and so he knows that no area has reduced their traffic congestion by building a rail line. Even Councilmembers Garcia and Okino have admitted,[1] reluctantly, in small group meetings, that rail will do nothing for traffic congestion, but they say, “it will give people a choice.”
Then the mayor says: “Every Mayor since Neal Blaisdell and at least two governors have advocated some sort of rail system for Oahu.”
What about former Honolulu Mayor Eileen Anderson who cancelled one? And have not more governors opposed rail? Governors Burns, Ariyoshi and Cayetano for openers.
The mayor quotes the House Finance Committee’s use of $245 per family of four annually rather than the Tax Foundation