To cut costs, city gets approval to shorten rail route, eliminate park-and-ride facility

The plan would end the rail line 1.25 miles short at Halekauwila Street in order to keep the...
The plan would end the rail line 1.25 miles short at Halekauwila Street in order to keep the overall cost under $10 billion.(HART/File)
Published: May. 24, 2022 at 7:15 PM HST
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A council committee Tuesday unanimously approved the city’s new plan for a shortened rail route.

The plan would end the line 1.25 miles short at Halekauwila Street in order to keep the overall cost under $10 billion. The new route will stop two stations short of what was initially proposed.

In addition to shortening the project, the recovery plan also eliminates an expensive park-and-ride that was planned to be constructed in Pearl City.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said he’s gotten good feedback from federal officials as they consider releasing another $750 million for the project.

“I realize there are people out there who feel like we should go to Ala Moana and should have built that garage. Our intent was to say how much money do we have and how far can we possibly take this,” Blangiardi said.

The city said it hopes to open the route to Halekauwila Street in the next seven years.

Blangiardi stressed Tuesday that this is only Phase One. His team still hopes to one day build the route to Ala Moana and beyond.

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