6/16/2023 0 Comments Honolulu rail route![]() Tren Urbano’s actual construction cost was 80% over the planned estimate, and its ridership has been only one quarter of what was projected! HART rail and Tren Urbano were planned by the same consultant (PB) and had the same oversight (FTA.)Īt the end of 2015, five miles of the HART guideway, and the rail yard appear to be substantially complete. Tren Urbano in San Juan, Puerto Rico is a peer project that HART rail will likely match in failure-to-meet-targets. Well known megaproject failures include the Chunnel Tunnel/ Eurotunnel that suffered all three failures, and Boston’s Big Dig that suffered failures 1 and 2 in a big way. What’s a megaproject failure? An infrastructure project that exhibits at least two out of three bad outcomes: 1) Large cost overruns, 2) Long project delivery delays, and 3) Much lower usage than forecast. Local political preference (e.g., why build a $1 Billion taxpayer project when you can get away with a $5 Billion project? … also known as “the gravy train”) stands among the major causes of this megaproject failure in progress. Despite a couple major lawsuits, it completed the Federal Full Funding Grant Agreement process in 2012. ![]() It is the worst design possible because it combines an intrusive and expensive infrastructure including 21 elevated stations, and a low passenger carrying capacity with over 60% of it as standing passengers.ĭespite the preponderance of evidence that Honolulu’s rail will do little to mitigate the severe congestion on the island of Oahu, the project did garner marginal (50.6%) public support on a 2008 referendum. Honolulu rail, managed by Honolulu Area Rapid Transit (HART), is a 1970s style 20 mile, all-elevated heavy-rail guideway with third rail power delivery and light rail-sized cars limited to about 650 passengers per two-car combination it has an ability to run only up to four cars for peak period service. What if I tell you that tiny Honolulu is building a rail system that’s expected to cost at least one-half the cost of the Big Dig? On a per-capita basis it would be the nation’s largest infrastructure fiasco by far. How bad can possibly things get there? Well, a lot of people recall Boston’s Big Dig, the nation’s largest infrastructure fiasco with a final price tag of about $15 billion. Oʻahu voters first approved the rail project in 2008, but the idea can be traced back to city officials in the late 1960s.Typically very few people pay attention to the goings on in the small state of Hawaii. The original plan called for 20 miles of rail and 21 stations with Ala Moana Center as the final stop. The rail will be 18.75 miles long with 19 stations. Once construction is complete under the current plan, the rail's final stop will be the Civic Center station at the intersection of Halekauwila and South streets in Kakaʻako. When the Federal Transit Administration last year approved the Honolulu rail's financial recovery plan, which outlined a truncated version of the rail line, the projected construction cost was about $10 billion. Now it's ready to turn it on," Honolulu Department of Transportation Services Director Roger Morton said. The rail is expected to accommodate 85,000 people per day once it reaches Downtown Honolulu. HART CEO and Executive Director Lori Kahikina said that the technical issues with the hammerhead pillars are expected to be fixed by the end of the month. "That sense of confidence, certainty is going to be huge for this rail alignment that you can set your watch on how long it will take you every day with that certainty to get to your destination." "We can't guarantee that if you're on our roadways for our commuters," Nouchi said. Nouchi said riders will be able to get from the stadium to Kapolei in 21 minutes. That would mean that riders could use any form of payment, including the HOLO card, to get on. Jon Nouchi, deputy director of the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services, said that "open payment" is a final goal for the rail. "I think when we have people riding on this, they're gonna see the efficiency in what it does to the quality of our lives."Ī normal rail fare will cost the same as TheBus, which is currently $3 for a single adult with a daily cap of $7.50. "It's not a profit-making venture," Blangiardi said. ![]() Kiosks will allow passengers to buy HOLO cards.Īfter July 4, in accordance with other forms of public transportation on the island, Mayor Rick Blangiardi said rail rides will also be offered at a subsidized rate. HOLO cards for the rail can be bought in advanced to opening day, according to Jon Nouchi.
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