Mayor Carlisle Announces Governor’s Acceptance of Final
Environmental Impact State for Honolulu Rail Transit Project
(Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010)–Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle today
announced the acceptance of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project by Gov. Neil
Abercrombie, clearing the way for the project to move forward.
With the governor’s acceptance of the project’s Final EIS on the
state level, the City anticipates that the Federal Transit
Administration will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) that would
allow the City to break ground on the rail transit system.
“Moving forward with rail transit creates much-needed jobs for
our communities, provides long-term traffic relief and offers a
dependable transportation alternative that starts us on the right
path toward our preferred future,” said Carlisle.
The EIS, which had been submitted to the State Office of
Environmental Quality Control, identifies environmental, community
and economic benefits and impacts of the rail system as well as
mitigation procedures for addressing these issues.
“The rail project EIS has been done prudently and is in
compliance with state environmental law,” Carlisle added.
The Honolulu Rail Transit Project is a 20-mile elevated rail
system connecting East Kapolei with Ala Moana Center. There are 21
stations in communities including Waipahu, Pearl City, Aiea,
Kalihi, Chinatown, Downtown Honolulu and Kakaako. There will also
be stations at activity centers such as UH-West Oahu, Leeward
Community College, Pearl Highlands, Pearlridge, Aloha Stadium,
Honolulu International Airport and Honolulu Community College.
The City has already awarded two construction contracts for the
project: one for the first phase of the elevated rail guideway from
East Kapolei to Pearl City; and the other for the train storage and
maintenance facility in Waipahu. The city is scheduled to award two
more contracts next year for the second phase of the rail route
from Pearl City to Aloha Stadium and for the “core systems,” which
consists of the train vehicles and the control center for the rail
system.
“Many people contributed to this important journey,” Carlisle
said. “I want to thank Gov. Abercrombie for accepting the project’s
EIS, the former mayor, the City Council, Hawaii’s Congressional
delegation, the state Legislature, labor and business
organizations, the Federal Transit Administration and other federal
partners who have helped us and pledged funding.”