Honolulu Rail Project – Transit Officials Finish Court-Ordered Studies

In December of 2012, federal judge A. Wallace Tashima, ordered city officials to conduct a supplemental environmental impact statement on Mother Waldron Neighborhood Park in downtown Honolulu, investigate the possibility of building a tunnel under Beretania street, and conduct a study on if any cultural sites would be affected by the Honolulu Rail Project. While Judge Tashima’s ruling did not prevent the project from happening, it did halt all construction for the fourth and final phase in the downtown and Kakaako neighborhoods until the issues were resolved. In a recent announcement, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation has finished the Beretania study and the Mother Waldron Park environmental impact statement and hope to be ready to defend their project in federal court later this year.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation in conjunction with the U.S. Federal Transit Administration have concluded that tunneling under Beretania Street, while feasible, would be too costly as compared to running an elevated track along that part of the city. The supplemental environmental impact statement for Mother Waldron Park showed that while the Honolulu Rail Project would have “significant effects on views of and over” the park, it would not “substantially impair” the park’s historical or recreational use. The study regarding cultural sites should be completed by July 2013.

The next step would be for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation to appear before Judge A. Wallace Tashima once again and present their findings.  Judge Tashima will then review the reports and decide if construction would be permitted for the final phase of the Honolulu Rail Project.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 6-7-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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