PowerPoint Presentation

Serving Hawaiis taxpayers since 19851A cost-disbenefit analysis of the Honolulu rail projectGood morning. 1

$5.2 billion to build$5,700 per adult & child$464,000 per new commuter10% increase in city budget22

20 miles and 21 stations population 915,00033

FIRST 4 MILES: ALOUN FARMS4

ENVIRONMENT:5

The biggest threat to Oahus landscape in the past 100 years. Hawaiis Outdoor Circle6

ENVIRONMENT:7

Rail has united the Left and the Right in opposition.8DOWNTOWN STATION: a Hawaiian sense of place

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NO ENERGY SAVINGS:10

Traffic congestion will be worse in the future with rail than what it is today. Final EIS.Source: Final EIS11

Traffic congestion during the years of construction:12Summary of disbenefits

Unaffordable for Honolulu

Destroys view planes; kills waterfront

Uses more energy than buses or cars

Does nothing about traffic congestion

Appalling congestion during construction13Now we have to review the enemy.13Develop Opposition:Huge capital & operating costsVisual & Noise blight will destroy City

Promote an alternative:BRT on HOT lanes, orBRT on existing Zipper lanesAction Plan14For heavy rail option:

The Planning Company (PB) Federal officialsState officialsCity officialsConstruction companiesConstruction unionsMediaMost big businessesChambers of CommerceFor BRT/zipper option:

Small businessesIndividualsBeautification groupsLand use groups Concerned citizen groups15

Politicians Establishing Rail Programs (PERPs)16

Our volunteers:17

Their volunteers:18Organizing protestsTestifying at City CouncilLobbying legislatorsPresentations to organizationsRotary ClubsLions ClubsCondo directorsBusiness groupsNeighborhood BoardsCreating coalitionsResponding to blog postingsResponding to newspapers Emailing supportersDealing with the mediaWrite letters to the editorACTIONS:Theres no spontaneous outpouring of enthusiastic supporters; people organize it.Organizing sound trucksMock up supporting pillarsMake signsOrganizing sign wavingOrganizing T-shirtsWriting op/eds Organizing petition drives Corresponding with FTAEIS commentsFundraising lettersFundraising eventsDialing for dollarsWrite for and run the websiteEmail blastsPress releases1919

Tampa Expressway20

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23Sound truck simulating train noise makes voters aware of it:

2008 & 20102012Honolulu Mayors race2424

Ben Cayetano TV campaign spot:25

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8/21/201127The lawsuit option:These three statutes are likely the only legal tools you can use:

1. National Environmental Policy ActTo promote the enhancement of the environment. Requires EISs on the impacts of proposed federally funded actions.

2. National Historic Preservation ActTo preserve U.S. historical and archaeological sites. It mandates a review process for all federally funded projects to minimize harm to sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 3. Section 4(f) of the Transportation Act.The US DOT may not approve the use of publicly owned land of a public park, recreation area, wildlife refuge or historic site unless it determines there is no feasible (can it be built?) and prudent (meet the need?) avoidance alternative. It may then only approve the alternative that causes the least overall harm.

28Complaints:

1. Improper defining of the purpose and need statement.Too narrow a definition as rapid transit precludes consideration of all other reasonable alternatives.2. Failed to consider all reasonable alternativesFailed to consider BRT, Managed Lanes, light rail & others.3. Failed to analyze the environmental effects of alternativesFailed to consider destruction of views, effects on the waterfront, and impacts on Native Hawaiian burial sites.29Standing:A plaintiff must show that some personal legal interest has been invaded by the defendant; they must have a personal stake in the outcome of the lawsuit.

Legal process: 65 filings 3 hearings Administrative Record of 155,000 pages.1 appeal $1.4 million legal billings.

We await an appeals ruling from the Ninth Circuit

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$700 million spent so far31

Thanks for listening!

Find this at: www.honolulutraffic.com/ADC.pdf3232