Honolulu Rail Recovery Plan advances at city council

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) Board approved 2022 Recovery Plan was unanimously approved by the Honolulu City Council Committee on Transportation, Sustainability and Health. 

The plan proposes a contractual amendment to the Full Funding Grant Agreement and a truncated scope that is 1.25 miles shorter than the original scope in order to keep the overall cost to complete Honolulu’s rail system under $10 billion. 

The new route will stop two stations short of what was initially proposed. In addition to the shorter route, the 2022 HART Recovery Plan also proposes to defer the construction of the Pearl Highlands Parking Garage until a less cost-prohibitive and more feasible plan can be achieved. 

“Yesterday, the Honolulu City Council’s Committee on Transportation, Sustainability and Health approved HART’s FTA Recovery Plan. It was clear to the committee that approving this recovery plan is critical to ensure the timely completion of the rail project, and security of the federal funding expended and pledged to complete the project,” said Councilmember Radiant Cordero, committee chair. 

The City Council’s approval of this plan is the final step before HART submits the recovery plan to the FTA by June 30, 2022, in order to secure the remaining $744 million in federal funding for the construction of the rail system.