Acting FTA Administrator K. Jane Williams sent a very strong message of alarm on the rail project (“Feds tell HART to find extra $134 million for Honolulu rail,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 25): the need to identify cost savings, and the lack of sufficient funding.

As rail trudges toward our historic waterfront city, Honolulu (defined as “sheltered harbor”), our alarm bells ring loudly. We are on a small island in the Pacific, building the most expensive rail system in the world, per capita — $9 billion.

End rail sensibly at the main city bus center, with express buses leaving the center and connecting with current city bus routes, taking riders to their eventual destinations. Don’t tear up Honolulu and plunk ugly pillars in town. Avoid condemning businesses along an ill-planned city route. Stop rail at Middle Street.

Buses can run along the original planned station stops. Forget the planned public-private partnership. Ride the rail and the bus.

Bob Vieira

Pauoa Valley

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