Many longtime residents of Hawaii remember the beginnings of the rail project decades ago. Today, I find myself shaking my head thinking of all the time and money that has been wasted on this monstrosity.

As I make my way through the Dillingham Boulevard traffic, I’m left to wonder how the next generation of Hawaii’s people will be able to maintain, sustain and utilize this central Honolulu “Great Wall of China.” I feel for every Hawaii resident, including those who live on the outer islands, who paid increased taxes for a rail system they most likely will never use.

Oahu residents will never consistently ride the rail. Uber, Lyft and TheBus are preferred methods of alternative transportation for most residents and a much more convenient and economical means of transportation for visitors than rental cars. The rideshare industry has made most public transportation systems obsolete in the continental United States.

Building a rail line and station through Kakaako will waste even more time and money. The redevelopment of Kakaako was created for wealthy investors, not affordable housing for the middle class. Rail passing through Kakaako has been, and continues to be, a “selling point” for developers and Realtors, but will never be used by their tenants for various reasons.

Most Kakaako residents today are new, well-off residents to Hawaii who work from home and frequently travel to the West Coast on employer-funded business trips or for personal reasons. Their preference of ground transportation includes walking, Biki-biking, Uber-riding or driving their own personal vehicles. I don’t foresee a large population of central Honolulu residents riding the rail to and from the Kakaako area.

The Ala Moana Center has evolved into a tourist- centered mall and has become largely unaffordable for local people. Visitors from Waikiki flock to Ala Moana daily with credit cards in hand. Liberty House and Sears have been replaced by Nieman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s. Most of the Hawaii residents you’ll see at Ala Moana today are either working in low-paying retail job positions, shopping at Target, or buying and eating an overpriced meal at the food courts.

Oahu residents catch TheBus, take an Uber or drive their own vehicles to Ala Moana, and they will continue doing so in the decades to come. Like Kakaako, I don’t foresee a large population of central Honolulu residents riding the rail to and from Ala Moana Center.

Building rail past Downtown and into Kakaako and Ala Moana makes absolutely no sense. Connecting Kapolei to Honolulu will be completed by ending rail in Downtown as this was one of the goals of constructing rail.

Natural disasters, homelessness, the rising cost of living, affordable housing, overtourism and pollution all demand much more attention than extending an outdated transportation system that will never be consistently used by the residents and visitors of Oahu.

Rail needs to end in Downtown Honolulu as soon as possible so we can focus on much more pressing issues on Oahu and throughout all the Hawaiian islands. We need to think about the future of Hawaii and its people before constructing those massive concrete rail stanchions east of Bishop Street.

Kanekoa Kaumuali‘i Clifton Crabbe, a lifelong Hawaii resident, has been a rideshare driver since 2018.