Ruling affirms choice of rail

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 03, 2012

~~<p>A federal judge's acceptance of the city's overall environmental assessment of Oahu's rail project is a welcome stamp of approval. More-detailed review of cultural properties ordered by his ruling must now proceed with due diligence to enable construction to resume, but it brings huge relief that the judge rejected principal legal objections to the project.</p>
<p>From the outset, opponents of the rail project contended that alternatives — such as an express highway similar to the three-lane expressway in Tampa, Fla.; alternative rail technologies; or an improved bus system, embraced by lawsuit plaintiff and former Gov. Ben Cayetano —&ensp;had been inadequately assessed in the project's final environmental impact statement.</p>
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A federal judge's acceptance of the city's overall environmental assessment of Oahu's rail project is a welcome stamp of approval. More-detailed review of cultural properties ordered by his ruling must now proceed with due diligence to enable construction to resume, but it brings huge relief that the judge rejected principal legal objections to the project.

From the outset, opponents of the rail project contended that alternatives — such as an express highway similar to the three-lane expressway in Tampa, Fla.; alternative rail technologies; or an improved bus system, embraced by lawsuit plaintiff and former Gov. Ben Cayetano — had been inadequately assessed in the project's final environmental impact statement. Login for more...