Mayor Peter Carlisle will lead a delegation of top city officials to Washington, D.C., next week to reaffirm the city’s support for the beleaguered $5.26 billion rail project and to brief federal officials on the Hawaii Supreme Court decision that has stopped rail construction.
Daniel Grabauskas, executive director of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, said officials with the Federal Transit Administration have been "very encouraging" in the wake of the Aug. 24 court decision that halted construction.
Grabauskas told members of the HART board this week that FTA officials suggested that "the court has not put a roadblock, but a different path before us. It’s a longer path, but they do not see it as an impediment to our moving forward."
Also traveling to Washington to meet with federal officials will be City Council Chairman Ernie Martin and HART Chairwoman Carrie Okinaga.
The delegation will meet with FTA officials at a critical time for the rail project.
Honolulu has submitted an application to the FTA for a full funding grant agreement that seeks $1.55 billion in federal funds for the rail project, or about 30 percent of the total funding for the train system.
After the city submitted its application, the Hawaii Supreme Court issued its ruling that the city must stop construction and complete an archaeological survey of the entire rail 20-mile route before it can resume building.
The court ruling also invalidated a special management area permit issued by the city for the rail project.
The city now predicts it could take nine months to complete the archaeological survey, and the delay could be longer if the city is unable to persuade property owners along the rail route to grant the city access to their land to conduct the survey.
City officials have estimated each month of delays costs $7 million to $10 million, and the city has already paid more than $22 million in contractor delay claims that are unrelated to the court case.
The project also faces other political and legal challenges.
A group of rail opponents including former Gov. Ben Cayetano has filed a separate lawsuit in federal court to try to block the rail project, arguing the environmental impact statement for the train system does not comply with federal law.
Cayetano is also running for mayor, and promises to stop the rail project if he is elected. In the November general election, Cayetano will face former Managing Director Kirk Caldwell, who supports the rail project.
Carlisle, who has been a strong rail supporter, finished third in the August primary election and leaves office in January.
Grabauskas said the delegation to Washington plans to brief FTA officials on the progress the city is making toward completing the archaeological survey as well as progress on continuing engineering and design work on the project.
"It is important for us to continue to communicate closely with the FTA as the project proceeds, and we’re looking forward to our meeting in Washington," Grabauskas said in a written statement. "Our main goal is to discuss our Full Funding Grant Agreement submittal, which is on track and moving through the approval process."
Martin said he wants to affirm the City Council’s support for the project.
"I am also interested in determining FTA and Congress’s assessment of the recent (archaeological inventory survey) decision and whether this may unduly delay their review and approval of our Full Funding Grant Agreement," Martin said in a written statement.
Carlisle’s office did not respond to a request for a comment on the Washington trip.
The Hawaii group is scheduled to meet with FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff on Thursday.
