With more than 140,000 people voting against the proposed rail system on Oahu, the folks at Stop Rail Now (SRN) say there are still opportunities for making their opinions known. According to SRN, several local organizations have made their anti-rail opinion known:

• Na Leo Pohai, the public policy affiliate of The Outdoor Circle, produced excellent research on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), and the "concerns" they have raised should have everyone up in arms.

• Environmental and land use group Hawaii’s Thousand Friends is equally upset, and has written a forceful critique of the project.

• The Hawaii chapter of the American Institute of Architects is in opposition to the elevated structure Downtown and has written an eloquent and well thought out paper on their concerns.

• The Hawaii League of Women Voters has voiced their opposition to this project from the start.

All of these organizations are in favor of public transportation, but given this particular rail transit project's huge cost and unparalleled environmental blight, they have felt compelled to speak.

Currently, Stop Rail Now--which is 100 percent citizen-supported for funding--is working on a detailed response to the Federal Transit Administration on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.  Any citizen can do so as well.

SRN asks people who are against the proposed rail system to do two things as soon as possible.

1. Make sure that you and everyone you know who is opposed to rail are members of Honolulutraffic.com. It’s easy. Just go to Honolulutraffic.com, click on "Who we are" and add your name to the many already there. It is important as we go forward that we represent thousands of Oahu citizens who realize this boondoggle will unalterably ruin our Honolulu. All SRN people should also be Honolulutraffic.com members.

2. Ask people to respond to the DEIS. They do NOT have to be versed in the document itself. Merely ask people to write to the Federal Transit Administration and express whatever concerns they have. The huge issues, of course, are the elevated rail Downtown and the resulting visual blight , as well as the environmental justice issue of the most regressive tax in the country being used to fund the project.

These letters should be emailed or postmarked on or before Feb. 6, 2009 and addressed to:

Mr. Wayne Y. Yoshioka
Department of Transportation Services
City and County of Honolulu
650 South King Street, 3rd Floor
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-768-8303
Email: wyoshioka@honolulu.gov
 
Mr. Ted Matley
FTA Region IX
201 Mission Street, Suite 1650
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-744-3133
Email: ted.matley@fta.dot.gov

In addition, it would be most helpful if copies were sent to:

Governor Linda Lingle
Executive Chambers
Hawaii State Capitol
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Email: Governor.Lingle@hawaii.gov
 
City Council members:
http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/council/ccl.htm

Copies of the statement are available for review at state libraries; the city library; the Department of Transportation Services office at 650 South King St., 3rd Floor; and the DTS — Rapid Transit Division office at 1099 Alakea St., Suite 1700. It's also available online at www.honolulutransit.org.

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii applauds the efforts of Stop Rail Now and hopes GRIH members will express their views by sending in their thoughts to the FTA, media and elected officials. As they say... It's not over till it's over.

-GIR-