{"id":1195040,"date":"2016-07-14T10:37:54","date_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:37:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.civilbeat.org\/?p=1195040"},"modified":"2016-07-15T14:11:48","modified_gmt":"2016-07-16T00:11:48","slug":"in-honolulu-mayoral-forum-its-all-about-rail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.civilbeat.org\/2016\/07\/in-honolulu-mayoral-forum-its-all-about-rail\/","title":{"rendered":"In Honolulu Mayoral Forum, It’s All About The Rail Project"},"content":{"rendered":"
On the final day to register\u00a0to vote in\u00a0the Aug. 13 primary, the three best-known candidates for mayor of Honolulu squared off for the first time this election season.<\/p>\n
And if there was any doubt among participants as to what issue would dominate, it evaporated quickly.<\/p>\n
Mayor Kirk Caldwell exchanged views on tourism, homelessness, affordable housing, ethics and vacation rentals with challengers Charles Djou, a former congressman, and Peter Carlisle, who preceded Caldwell in office.<\/p>\n
But the one-hour forum was mostly about the Honolulu rail project \u2014 what went wrong, who’s to blame and how to fix it.<\/p>\n Caldwell, who said rail was also the “hottest issue” when he ran for mayor in 2010 and 2012 \u2014 “and deservedly so” \u2014 defended his proposal\u00a0to halt the rail line at Middle Street for now, citing insufficient funding to go farther. He reiterated his commitment to build the full 20-mile rail line from East Kapolei, where construction began, to Ala Moana Center.<\/p>\n But time will be needed to secure more funding, he said, adding that his appointments of Colleen Hanabusa and Colbert Matsumoto to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board, where his transportation director, Mike Formby, also sits, was\u00a0a good decision because it “takes\u00a0politics out of the mayor’s office.”<\/p>\n Carlisle also wants to build the full rail line. He said litigation that happened during his term as mayor delayed the project and added to its costs. He\u00a0expressed confidence in the professionalism and expertise\u00a0of\u00a0\u00a0Dan Grabauskas, the executive director and CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation<\/a>, whose performance was being discussed by the HART board Thursday.<\/p>\n