Top 4 Reasons to Reroute the Rail Mauka
#1 Sea Level Rise
#2 Go Directly to UH
#3 Save Taxpayers Money
#4 Save Downtown and the Harbor
- The current downtown route includes at least 4 stations (Downtown, Civic Center, Kakaako and Ala Moana) that will be under water at high tide by 2050 or earlier according to the Honolulu Climate Change Commission. Sea level effects are predicted island wide as early as 2030.
- The current plan is to raise the base of stairs/escalators in those downtown stations, but where do commuters go from little concrete islands in the middle of water?
- Proactively avoid future climate change costs by planning wisely now.
#2 Go Directly to UH
- UH is by far the most popular end station option among residents surveyed.
- Increased traffic and travel times are evident when the University is in session.
- The S. Beretaina St. corridor is ripe for TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) well-located for affordable housing.
#3 Save Taxpayers Money
- The current planned route contains construction risk factors with cost overruns likely: unstable fill soils under Nimitz Highway at the harbor, mitigation measures required to alleviate traffic and business impacts Downtown, and relocation/redesign measures necessary to avoid iiwi remains in Kakaako. A mauka route along N. King St. and Beretania St. avoids these risks to construction.
#4 Save Downtown and the Harbor
- The impacts to Chinatown Historic District, the Downtown/Irwin Park/Harbor area and the Capitol District which cannot be mitigated due to the size and scale of the elevated guideway and stations will be significantly lessened by shifting the rail inland.
- The multi-year disruption to Downtown traffic and businesses caused by high-risk construction will be significantly shortened by construction on stable soils inland.
- The permanent blockage of views of the ocean and harbor from Downtown and Chinatown will be avoided, with commuters using a Downtown station at the mauka end of Bishop Street.