Opponents of Honolulu's proposed transit project used a variety of tactics over the years in their attempts to block it. One was an ongoing campaign to build the rail line at ground level, where trains would interact with cars, buses, trucks, and pedestrians.
Yes2Rail took pains to point out the inherent danger of at-grade transit, and the photos in the blog’s right-hand column showed what can go wrong when vehicles occupy the same space as at-grade transit.
Click on these headlines to read the posts:
LA Residents Fighting for Grade-Separated Transit; At-Grade Rail Unsafe for Kids, Elderly, All
And to think Yes2Rail’s critics once said the blog's content wasn’t worth the expense. For political expediency, they attacked Honolulu rail's Public Involvement Team, the entity with the least firepower to fight back. (I'm talking to you, Tulsi Gabbard.)
We could continue linking Yes2Rail posts on elevated rail’s safety, but let’s leave the last several words to Wayne Yoshioka, former director of the City’s Transportation Services Department, in discussing elevated versus at-grade safety:
“Let’s go back logically and look at this. You’re elevated. You’re totally separated from the roadway. You’re in a protected environment and completely separated out…. What cars are flying at that level above the ground? And what people are flying through the air at that level above the ground? As opposed to an at-grade transit that’s crossing active streets with active vehicles turning in front of the train, with pedestrians crossing in front of the train. That (comparison) doesn’t seem to make logical sense to me."
Thankfully, safety was a critical consideration in building Honolulu's elevated Skyline. Our description of the project has always been "fast, frequent, reliable, and safe." Go forth, Honolulu, and ride safely.
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