EDITORIAL
Rail transit: Now it's time to get on board

On this much we're entirely clear: O'ahu needs mass rail transit, and it won't get it without dedicated funding.

Beyond that there remains a very long list of question marks. Every one of those question marks, however, becomes a moot point if we don't resolve to build a mass-transit system, and to dedicate funding for it, very soon.

Yet to be determined, for instance, are what technology the new system would use, exactly what route it would follow, how it would interface with the minimalist and thus far unpopular in-town BRT system, and many more issues.

Nor is it certain that the latest proposal, a half-cent statewide excise tax increase, is the best and fairest way to raise the money. Certainly Neighbor Islanders will need to be persuaded that they have an interest in paying for this O'ahu project.

What's important to understand about the funding is that the state's commitment to do its part to go forward is demonstrated to officials in Washington. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. But if for some reason the project is later abandoned, the add-on tax can be abandoned, too.

We've grown weary of the naysayers who oppose such a system because it won't cure O'ahu's growing traffic problems. They miss the point: All great cities provide sophisticated transit for their citizens because providing world-class amenities is what makes cities great.