August 1992 Home   Newsletters

September 1992

October 1992

President's Message (Arlene Ellis)
Bus Rapid Transit vs. Rail
League Testifies - on the General Excise Tax Surcharge - 1 (Arlene Ellis)
League Testifies - on the General Excise Tax Surcharge - 2 (Astrid Monson)
League Testifies - Rail
League Testifies - Resort Mixed Use
League Testifies - Annual Development Plan
Oahu Silver Legislature
Viewpoint
General Membership Meeting on Proposed Charter Amendments
Olelo
Letter to the Editor (Lawrence H. Gordon)
Membership
Honored
Education Forum

League Testifies - Rail

TESTIMONY BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL ON BILL 122

AUGUST 26, 1992

City Officials and other rail transit promoters keep saying that cheaper alternatives to rail are impractical pipe-dreams, way-out fantasies, unrealistic, untried, impossible for Honolulu. Because they decided 25 years ago that rail was the way to go, rail is the way to go, period.

It's time the public knew that there is a practical, down-to-earth, realistic, proven, alternative that has been in successful operation in Ottawa, Canada--a bus rapid transit system. It has more transit passengers than we have in Honolulu and has a peak hour capacity as great as projected for our city's rail project. People can get on the 19 mile bus transitway from all over Ottawa's metro region and go wherever they want, often without transferring. It cost about one-seventh as much as projected for Honolulu's rail.

Because the City refuses to consider this alternative, the League of Women Voters will be describing it each Wednesday at 5:30pm on Channel 22, beginning September 2.

We respectfully refer it to the City Council's attention while they try to decide whether to waste three billion dollars.

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