Posted on: Tuesday, November 25, 2003

ISLAND VOICES
Light rail isn't the solution

By Johnny Dollar
Ka'a'awa resident

Light-rail transit is the latest diversion of municipal follow-the-leader. Aside from heavy rail, the light-rail system would be the most costly solution to O'ahu's congestion and traffic problems; in fact, it may be the worst solution.

Hawai'i driver support for the rail transit is based on a hope that other drivers will use rail transit and open up the highway; in fact, the majority of rail riders are taken out of buses, not cars. The misinterpretation of the reasons for public support of transit systems also produces serious overestimates of likely ridership, which leads to disastrous economic forecasts.

U.S. Department of Transportation economist Don Pickrell argues that the funding practices encourage local transportation planners to exaggerate ridership projections. Transportation expert Wendell Cox finds that construction costs are 50 percent higher than projections, and operating costs are 80 percent higher. Fewer riders and higher costs lead to operating costs per passenger mile exceeding 250 percent of projections.

Crime is also a matter that must be considered in evaluating decisions to implement any transit system. Of all the transit modes, light rail has the worst crime rate (six times higher than the rate for bus transit), according to the Public Transit Serious Crime Statistics.

Also, estimates of rail speed uniformly ignore the time required for the patron to get to the station and wait. Even a hardcore driver might be willing to switch if: a station exists within walking distance of a potential rider's home; he has nothing to carry; the weather is good; the transit is cheap, fast, frequent, no transfers are required; and the station at the other end is within walking distance of his destination.

There is no economic rationale for the proposed $2.6 billion 22-mile long "light-rail" system, and it's likely to cost far more than projected. As drivers and owners of automobiles, we are already paying too much. It makes no sense to increase the gas tax, vehicle registration fees and vehicle weight tax to pay for a rail system that most of us can't use.

What we require is a reasonable solution that can solve our traffic problems with existing revenues. A resolution that will not require increases in taxes or penalties and fees applied to owners of automobiles or raising the general excise tax. There is no need to waste billions of dollars to build and perpetuate an inefficient government monopoly transit system.