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The Obama’s administration supports the city’s rail transit project and "will continue to work through whatever issues need to be worked through," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Thursday.
U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye questioned LaHood about the project during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development in Washington. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation issued a news release with an attached link to a YouTube video of the hearing.
LaHood was testifying in support of the Department of Transportation’s fiscal year 2013 budget request to Congress, which includes $250 million for the city’s rail project.
Inouye said the $250 million request is the largest single New Starts request being made by the department this year, and thanked LaHood for seeking funding for the $5.27 billion Honolulu project.
The city is counting on $1.55 billion in New Starts funding to help pay for construction of the 20-mile project, which will extend from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center.
Asked by Inouye to describe the Transportation Department’s stance on the project, LaHood replied, "We’ve talked about this project. You were kind enough to convene a meeting about this and other projects in Hawaii. I want you to know that we are committed to this project. This is an important project."
"This will deliver people all over the island. It’s an important project, and at this point we will continue to work through whatever issues need to be worked through," LaHood testified. "We’re committed to this. We’re committed to the money; we’re committed to the project. And, until we hear differently from others who are intimately involved in this, I see no reason why we won’t go forward."
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