A frequent Honolulu City Council critic of the rail transit project lauded Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s announcement Tuesday that he would seek to stop the line short of Ala Moana Center.
Councilmember Heidi Tsuneyoshi says she was surprised by the announcement during the mayor’s State of the City address.
Tsuneyoshi has questioned whether the city will be able to raise enough money to run the line from Kapolei to Ala Moana.
She says she is hopeful the city can reach an agreement on a more realistic rail plan.
"I do hope that we continue to have a more full discussion on everything as we move forward. This is definitely a change in the narrative that has played out for quite some time — that there’s no stopping short of Ala Moana," she said.
"So at least it’s a move in the right direction of compromise and I hope to get more and more information about what that looks like and what we need to do moving forward," Tsuneyoshi said.
Blangiardi stressed Tuesday that federal officials have not yet signed off on the plan.
"In submitting our recovery plan to the Federal Transit Administration, we will propose that we amend the FFGA to the following scope: 18.75 miles or 19 stations. Build it from East Kapolei through downtown, to the Civic Center Station — which is approximately Halekauwila and South Street — which is 1.25 miles and two stations short of Ala Moana Center," he said.
He said the revised plan still includes stops near major employment centers such as Pearl Harbor, the airport, and downtown Honolulu.
Last year, Tsuneyoshi voted against allocating any of the city’s new hotel bed tax to the rail project, citing other needs facing the city.
At the time, city officials were adamant that the rail line had to go to Ala Moana as per an agreement with the FTA, which would provide hundreds of millions of dollars for the project.
Last summer, HPR's The Conversation spoke to a slew of public officials about the rail and its progress. Click here for that special series.
