It was refreshing to read John Henry Felix’s article, “To preserve Hawaii’s sense of place, stop rail at Middle Street” (Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Feb. 14). Finally, someone with the ability to make a difference who “gets it.”

While many are adamant about building rail to Ala Moana regardless of having any idea of how much it will really cost and how long it will take, Felix shows his true love for this island and its future. Hopefully he can get others to “buy in” to stop at Middle Street and take a hard look at many other viable and less-costly options.

I’ve often wondered why rail was designed to end at Ala Moana Center and not Waikiki or University of Hawaii-Manoa. Anybody remember Todd Apo? As former City Council chairman, he was a staunch proponent of rail, and was instrumental in gathering enough votes to barely approve this project at the ballot box. After getting voters to buy in, he jumped ship to work in private industry as an executive with the Howard Hughes Corp., building exclusive condos in … the Ala Moana area.

Brian Yamane

Moanalua

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