Oahu planners up to old tricks

The Hawaii Community Development Authority has plans to require less parking in the Kakaako district to force residents to use the rail.

This smells of the plan developed 40 years ago, whereby a Second City would be built in Kapolei, where people would live and work, thus lessening the need to build roads across the island.

Result? An $8 billion rail to move those people across the island.

These same governmental architects are now aghast that such a costly monstrosity is being built.

How can?

Fool me once …

The Kakaako transit-oriented development plan purposely proposes less parking to reduce driving by half and have people utilize rail transit.

Where do you park half a car? Can you visit friends and family in Hawaii Kai and Windward Oahu by rail?

We know how this benefits the developer, but how does this benefit those captive residents?

Fool me twice …

Bill Santos

Kaneohe

Have buses use elevated section

A lot of money has been spent building the elevated rail, and it would not be prudent to tear down what has been built so far.

Yes, the elevated section should stop at Middle Street, but instead of rail, use it for buses only.

This would save commuters from the Leeward side a lot of time and reduce traffic on the H-1 freeway.

And wasn’t that what the idea was in the first place?

Wim Blees

Mililani

H-3 turned out to be worth it

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation CEO Dan Grabauskas is taking a lot of heat for the rail. But I compare what’s happening now to the H-3 freeway here in Kaneohe.

Old-timers may remember that the freeway faced a lot of opposition, lawsuits, major changes, many years of delay and huge cost overruns.

But, wisely, the project’s administrator persisted.

Thanks to his tenacity and hard work, H-3 was finally completed nearly four decades later, and many Windward commuters benefit from this forward thinking.

Today, the H-3 tunnels are named the Tetsuo Harano Tunnels.

Dianna Lee

Kaneohe

Support bigger marine sanctuary

It’s time to separate fact from fiction regarding the proposal to expand the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

Expansion would have no effect on the longline fleets’ catch, as those quotas are set by national and international agreements, which are completely separate and independent from the proposal. Further, 95 percent of longline fishing already takes place outside of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

For the 5 percent of fish that are caught in or near the monument expansion zone, longliners would simply catch fish elsewhere, and until they reach their standard quotas.

There would be no change in the economic value of the longline fishery after the expansion.

I hope the president, policymakers and residents look to the vast number of scientists, conser- vationists and Native Hawaiian leaders who rightfully support expanding Papahanaumokukea Monument for the economic and environmental benefit to all of Hawaii’s people.

Gerrit Osborne

Waialae-Iki

TSA PreCheck not universal

To help reduce the time going through security at airports, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is encouraging travelers to enroll in TSA PreCheck.

I enrolled two years ago and was issued a card — but not all airlines participate in the program, so unless one is flying on these carriers, TSA PreCheck cannot be used.

I suspect airlines have to pay a fee to TSA to participate in this program and few are willing to do so.

Gordon Yamasaki

Aiea

Ceremony at stadium ruined

I pity anyone attending a graduation ceremony at Aloha Stadium, as I tried to on May 15 for Mililani High School’s event.

Parking was $7, but the lot had many access roads blocked off, forcing many to wait at locations far from the meet-and-greet areas until the graduates marched out.

I am a disabled person who wasn’t allowed to park in handicapped parking or near the meet-and-greet area. I attempted to walk from Section 12 to Section 5 but became too tired and ended back at my car, never seeing my niece that evening.

Aloha Stadium authorities ruined this day for me.

LeeAnn Tsarnas

San Francisco