It's Light Rail Versus BRT in Honolulu's Mayoral Race

16 October 2008 - 2:00pm

As election day approaches in Honolulu, the Hawaiian capital's mayoral race has centered around transit. The incumbent has been pushing light rail, but now the challenger has unveiled a cheaper bus rapid transit system.

Sponsored Advertisement
Advertise on Planetizen

"Mayoral candidate Ann Kobayashi unveiled her new mass-transit plan yesterday to build elevated three-lane highways for zipper lanes and buses that she says would be 62.5 percent of the cost of Mayor Mufi Hannemann's proposed rail transit system."

"Her plan would cost $2.5 billion, as opposed to Hannemann's projected cost of $4 billion, to build a 15-mile elevated highway beginning at the H-1 and H-2 freeway merge in Waipio to downtown Honolulu."

"Kobayashi's proposal comes three weeks before the Nov. 4 general election in a mayoral race that has focused primarily on Hannemann's planned rail transit system from Kapolei to Ala Moana."

Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, October 15, 2008