The city's proposed commuter rail line can connect to Honolulu International Airport at a lower cost and on a tighter timetable than originally planned, Mayor Mufi Hannemann said yesterday.

However, the mayor hasn't yet secured financing for the airport spur.

Under the new plan, the city's $3.7 billion elevated train would still run from East Kapolei to Ala Moana via Salt Lake. However, a separate track would connect the airport to the main line at a station near Middle Street with an additional cost of $350 million.

When the City Council approved the train's original route in February 2007, it opted to go through the Salt Lake neighborhood instead of connecting to the airport despite wide support for an airport link. Salt Lake was selected to persuade Councilman Romy Cachola, who represents the area, to cast his swing vote in favor of the rail plan.

The city left open the option of adding a loop to the airport, which would run from Aloha Stadium to the airport and then to Middle Street, sometime after 2018 and at a projected cost of $700 million.

The advantage of the shorter airport spur is it could be done for half the price and construction could begin around 2015, Hannemann said.

"We need to include the airport," Hannemann said. "This is something that the people want. We have found a way to include the airport sooner rather than later."

The shortened 2.1-mile airport spur would bypass Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Force Base, though service to those areas could be added at a later date.

The construction of an airport route could help shore up support for the massive public-works project, which still faces an uncertain future. Project opponents have launched an initiative to gather enough signatures to place an anti-rail initiative on the November ballot.

FEE MAY PROVIDE MONEY

About $3 billion of the project's funds are expected to come from a half-percentage-point excise tax surcharge. Money to build the airport spur could come from a 10 percent fee the state withholds from the tax, Hannemann said.

The state keeps that money to cover the tax's administrative costs, then gives the rest of the money to the city. Those administrative costs, however, are proving to be much lower than expected. As a result, the state stands to gain a windfall of approximately $40 million over three years.

"I believe we could make a very strong case, and I believe there would be support in the Legislature to have that money basically given back to the city to start sooner rather than later on the airport spur," Hannemann said.

Money to build the airport spur won't be needed until sometime after 2010 at the earliest, Hannemann said. However, the city may find it difficult to get the state to part with the $350 million needed to build the airport spur.

The Legislature likely would not favor pumping more money into the transit project, said state Sen. J. Kalani English, D-6th (E. Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i).

"I've got to applaud (Hannemann) for trying to think creatively to find a way to put it in," said English, chairman of the Senate Transportation and International Affairs Committee. "I don't know if it will fly at the (Legislature) for them to come and say, 'We'll take some more state money (and) put it into this.' "

Another potential source for transit construction money is an airport special fund that has about $480 million in assets, Hannemann said.

That money was generated by airport landing fees, rents and concessions. Brennon Morioka, director of the state Department of Transportation, said that fund, which actually holds about $300 million in unrestricted assets, is already earmarked for statewide airport improvements.

"We do think (the airport) is the most optimal route," Morioka said. However, "It would be very unlikely that we could use the airport fund on this proposal so we do look forward to talking with them in more detail about it."

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The city plans to start construction of the elevated commuter rail late next year, with the first segment from East Kapolei to Leeward Community College opening in 2012. Later segments would extend the system to West Kapolei to Manoa and Waikiki.

Hannemann also said yesterday that a trolley-bus system could facilitate transportation between Waikiki and the train's Ala Moana Center terminus station until the Waikiki spur is built.

Cachola, the councilman representing Salt Lake, said yesterday that he supports the airport spur. He said he pushed for the Salt Lake route earlier because it would produce higher ridership and result in less need for subsidies.

"If it's done without sacrificing or trying to scuttle Salt Lake (route) in the future, then I will fully support that (airport spur)," he said.

"We do think (the airport) is the most optimal route. (However), it would be very unlikely that we could use the airport fund on this proposal so we do look forward to talking with them in more detail about it."