HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	121
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

SUPPORTING THE ORIGINAL LIGHT RAIL ALIGNMENT PLAN FOR A ROUTE FROM THE HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO WAIKIKI and the university of hawaii at mAnoa.

     WHEREAS, the island of Oahu has demonstrated a need for an alternative transportation system of light rail to combat the ever-growing gridlock; and

     WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services has identified that the optimal light rail route should serve the greatest areas of congestion on the island of Oahu; and

     WHEREAS, the locally preferred alternative total network route structure identifies a system that serves the fastest growing area of Kapolei and the Honolulu International Airport as well as the University of Hawaii; and

     WHEREAS, due to the recent action of the Honolulu City Council the new alignment will mean that the initial minimal operating segment of the rail line will not be going to the Honolulu International Airport; and

     WHEREAS, the airport represents a larger business, employment, and travel center that is subject to commuting demand for a larger period of time throughout the day than a residential area; and

     WHEREAS, the proposed alignment away from the airport will hurt neighbor islanders who would use the rail to get to hotel rooms in Waikiki, as well as the major shopping complex at Ala Moana; and

     WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu would have a higher demonstration of cost to benefit per passenger than a Salt Lake alignment initial operating segment and thereby improve the opportunity to obtain Federal Transit Authority funding and avoid the possibility of loss of federal funding for the light rail project that would force the taxpayers and the State of Hawaii to make up the loss through higher taxes; and

     WHEREAS, postponing the servicing of the Honolulu International Airport will result in a need for billions of dollars of additional taxpayer funding for the rail project; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii is being forced to pay for the collection of the additional excise tax for the rail system; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, that the Honolulu City Council is urged to reconsider the choice of the initial minimum operating segment by voting to realign the proposed light rail system to service the Honolulu International Airport; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, the Honolulu City Council, and Hawaii's congressional delegation.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

City and County of Honolulu; Light Rail Re-alignment.