Caldwell and Cayetano spar over transit plans

Mayoral contenders Kirk Caldwell and Ben Caye­tano continued to poke holes in each other’s mass transit plans during a final forum on live television Thursday night.

A majority of the hourlong "Insights on PBS Hawaii" program on KHET was devoted to the city’s $5.26 billion rail project, which Caldwell supports, and Caye­tano’s alternate $1.5 billion Flexible Affordable Smart Transportation plan.

Cayetano was put on the defensive first, with Caldwell questioning its actual cost and funding sources.

Tunnels through the Kapiolani corridor that are part of the FAST plan will cost more than anticipated, Caldwell said, because "you will basically have to trench or tunnel for long distances right through the heart of our city."

Further, he said, "there’s no financing for this project."

Cayetano said Caldwell’s questioning of the tunnel segments "shows his ignorance" of the FAST plan.

"The tunnels are short," he said. "They’re basically underpasses."

As for his plan’s Nim­itz flyover, Caye­tano said that Gov. Neil Abercrombie told him just before the forum that "he’s game" for a partnership with the city.

Cayetano said the rail project would be more disruptive, and require major construction along the state-owned Farrington, Kamehameha and Nim­itz highways.

The rail project starts in empty fields on the Ewa plain "because it doesn’t show people how much of a disruption it’s going to be."

Cayetano also grilled Caldwell about the cost of the town portion of the rail project.

Caldwell said a cost can’t be given for the downtown segment because it has not yet been put out to bid.

"We’ve got to see what the bids come in at," he said, adding that the bids for the first segments came in significantly lower than anticipated.

Toward the end of the hour, "Insights" host Dan Boylan read a question from a viewer who questioned whether either candidate loved the city as much as they did their positions on rail.

Cayetano said he loved the city enough to come out of retirement to run for mayor when no one else would fight against rail.

"People who come here don’t come here to see Chicago; they come here to see Hono­lulu," he said.

Caldwell said the rail project provides a sustainable mode of transportation with a smaller footprint than Caye­tano’s plan.

"We’re not talking about massive freeways and highways anymore," he said. "It’s really going to change how we live in the urban core."

Thursday night’s program was the second time on consecutive nights that the two men faced off on live TV — and the last before next month’s general election.

KITV held an hourlong debate Wednesday night. Caye­tano declined invitations to appear live on Hawaii News Now and KHON.