Honolulu Light Rail Plans Expected to Receive Nearly $1 Billion

"U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar's Washington office confirmed that the Minnesota Democrat has told Honolulu that its plan for $900 million in federal money to build a light rail connection 'stands well ahead' of other plans before his committee including the Washington connection to Dulles International Airport."

"The Hawaii plan has also had major backing in the U.S. Senate where Hawaii's senior senator, Daniel Inouye, is chairman of the Senate Committee on Science, Commerce and Transportation. He helped secure $15.2 million in federal funding last year for engineering on the project."

"Honolulu papers quote Oberstar as saying the Honolulu project 'just has to happen,' after flying over the planned right-of-way that he said was too narrow to 'squeeze more lanes in the roadway.' Oberstar said Honolulu authorities 'have got less than one mile of space between the mountains on one hand and the ocean on the other' and a rail system is necessary."

"Oberstar said the Honolulu mass transit system's plan, a $3.7 billion project to build a rail line from Kapolei to Leeward Community College, is the most efficient light rail project in the country."