Group Fights Oahu Mass Transit Project

HONOLULU -- An opposition group is fighting Oahu's planned $3.7 billion mass transit system.

Group members passed out T-shirts that boldly proclaim their goal. The group is called Stop Rail Now. They want to put the transit issue on the ballot and let voters have their say.

"The ordinance that we are proposing says that Honolulu mass transit shall not include trains or rail rapid transit. That's what we're proposing and we think the public is going to vote for it in huge numbers," said Dennis Callan of Stop Rail Now.

The group said it is not opposed to mass transit. They said they feel there are better solutions than a rail system.

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Read Daryl Huff's blog on his look at the transit issue. | Petition Web Site

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"It's crazy to spend billions and billions of dollars on something that will not get rid of gridlock. We need to stop the spending right now," said Mike Uechi of Stop Rail Now.

The group is starting a petition drive. They need signatures of 30,000 registered voters, but hope to get 40,000 to force the issue on to the ballot.

"The City and County of Honolulu may be the only city where the public has not been able to vote on such a huge government project as rail. Therefore we are conducting this petition campaign to let the public vote," said Dan Douglas of Stop Rail Now. The group said it wants to stop rail, rather than advocate alternative solutions. However, they do say elevated high-occupancy vehicle lanes might be one possibility.

The Honolulu City Council is scheduled to meet again to decide the system's technology. The council was deadlocked on the issue last week.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann said he will pull the plug on the whole project if the council continues to waver and does not choose steel wheels on steel rails.