Federal transit aid at risk
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
State and city transportation officials must do a better job of financing and implementing projects to ease O'ahu's traffic congestion, or risk losing federal money for future work — including a proposed $2.6 billion rail line from Kapolei to Iwilei, federal officials warned.
"Time and again, we see problems with projects not being completed in a timely manner. That weighs heavily on us," said Leslie Rogers, head of the Federal Transit Administration region that includes Hawai'i.
"Given the history of the region, it's impossible for us to give credence to your plans unless there's a reasonable assurance that local funding is available," Rogers told members of the O'ahu Metropolitan Planning Organization's Policy Committee, which oversees transportation projects using federal money.
Rogers' warning came Thursday after a federal review of OMPO criticized local officials for developing projects without sufficient financing, and failing to plan more short-term projects and fully implement a federally required congestion management system for the island.
"O'ahu transportation continues to be hampered by growing congestion, with little progress in the delivery of large transit and highway projects," the review said.
The report also said a lack of coordination among state and county officials continues to delay, and in some cases kill, projects designed to ease traffic congestion.
Existing congestion management programs "appear to be carried out independently and are limited to a few specific projects, corridors or strategies," the report said. No deadline was given for Hawai'i to address concerns listed in the report.
Members of the OMPO Policy Committee, made up of elected and appointed state and city transportation officials, said some progress is being made in the areas of concern raised in the review, but more remains to be done.
"There's always things we need to do better, but I don't think they were seeing all of the things we've already done," said Rep. Mark Moses, R-40th (Makakilo, Kapolei, Royal Kunia).
He cited expedited plans for a widened Fort Weaver Road, a North-South Road in 'Ewa, the Nimitz Highway contraflow lane, and changes along the H-1 Freeway as some of the short-term work being done to ease congestion.
The city has been moving ahead with many smaller-scale projects, including converting bus routes to a hub-and-spoke system, that will improve traffic conditions, said city Transportation Services Director Cheryl Soon.
Some said conflicting state and city responsibilities for transportation continue to hinder progress. "I've always thought the responsibility for highways should rest solely with the counties," said City Councilman Charles Djou.
After hearing from federal officials Thursday, policy committee members took actions designed to address concerns raised in the review, said Gordon Lum, OMPO's executive director.
The committee passed a motion supporting a possible rail project, even though officials have not yet settled on a local source of money.
"That's a big problem for us," said City Councilman Romy Cochola. "Without a revenue source, we are in deep trouble."
"It's a big problem for everybody," replied Ray Sukys, the FTA's Region 9 director of planning and program development. Still, dozens of cities across the country have developed local financing for transit initiatives and are moving ahead with their programs, while Honolulu seems to lag, he said.
Because so many cities compete for federal transit money, the FTA in recent years has limited its contribution in most cases to 50 percent of a project's capital costs, for a maximum of $500 million.
OMPO chairman state Sen. Cal Kawamoto asked Rogers about statements made by U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie and others that Hawai'i would miss its chance for federal mass transit money if it did not have its local funding plan in place by the time Congress passes a six-year transportation bill this spring.
Rogers said Hawai'i still could ask for federal rail-transit money when it gets its local money source and other details resolved. But the longer the state waits, the farther back in line it will be.
City officials challenged the FTA assertion that money for a large new project such as rail or bus rapid transit could be lost unless a local money source is locked in first.
Requiring that could exclude many projects, including rail, from the next islandwide transportation plan that has to be finished in two years, Soon said.
"I'm alarmed at the possibility that we couldn't put ideas on the table without knowing exactly how we'll pay for them," Soon said. "First you figure out what you need, and you figure out how to pay for it. That's the way planning works. Do we throw all the other plans away just because we don't know how we'll fund them?"
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
