City MD’s Response Covers Elevated Rail’s Pluses

Blogger Ian Lind seems surprised the City would want to respond to his commentary on Hawaii Public Radio lauding at-grade rail. Of course a response was indicated, inasmuch as Lind appears to have swallowed the AIA’s transit stance hook, line and pole.

Managing Director Kirk Caldwell’s equal time response was aired yesterday in the same time slot on KHPR. Listen to the entire commentary (less than 2:30) if you have time, but if you’re pressed, focus on this:

"Elevated rail will deliver commuters to their destinations far quicker than trains running at ground level in the mix of other traffic, red lights, pedestrians and cross streets. A faster train will be more successful, because it will be more attractive to potential riders than slower surface rail."

If the City doesn’t build a system that attracts riders, it truly will be stuck with the white elephant the AIA fears so much. It’s ironic that the chapter's self-described urban planners have fallen so hard for a concept sure to fail.

That’s why the City has relied on transit planners to design its transit system.