Scoping Process Seeks Public Input

The City is excluding our two-lane reversible HOT lanes, (also known as Managed Lanes), from the upcoming environmental process. They justified this by saying it was not cost effective.

First, abetted by Parsons Brinckerhoff, the City totally distorted the Alternatives Analysis by greatly exaggerating the cost to build HOT lanes. They forecast that it would cost seven times that of the recently opened Tampa Expressway, a similar highway, which is ridiculous. Second, they added the requirement of 5,200 parking stalls when no other HOT lanes facility in the U.S. has parking stalls. Third, they put in a requirement for 50 percent more buses than they had for the do-nothing alternative but said that would only result in 5 percent more riders (but greatly add to the operating expense). In addition, to add insult, for the HOT lanes alternative only, they did away with the zipper lane.

It is the shibai that we have all come to know and love from the City and Parsons.

However, in order for the Federal Transit Administration to grant approval to the City for Rail Transit, the City must follow certain procedures. One of those is the scoping process, whereby the City must go to the Community, explain all of the alternatives, and get input from the population.

The scoping process was done last year. However, Honolulu has to do it again, and will be starting the process on March 29 at a special session for "resource agencies" at The Auditorium Diamond Head of Honolulu Hale.

A grassroots organization called honolulutraffic.com is seeking cost-effective ways to reduce traffic congestion in Honolulu and is planning to picket the meeting at the Auditorium by Honolulu Hale starting at Thursday morning at 9:15 March 29, 2007.

Please join us and bring a friend.

If you can't come then please write letters to the editor asking why the media have not told the public that the city and county of Honolulu does not explain in the Alternatives Analysis that traffic will be far worse with rail in the future that it is today. Moreover, ask them why they have not told the public that there will be 31 stations, each 5 stories high.

Or, ask them why they have not reported on what the effects of this regressive tax (with more to come) will do to our population, especially those that can least afford it. Alternatively, ask them if they have given their employees a cost of living allowance to cover the additional taxes they were hit with this year.

Remember that this is not a done deal and it is your town.