Rail System in Hawaii

I've lived in Hawaii for most of my life. For a few years, I lived in Japan as a volunteer. Until that point in time, I only road in cars for the most part or used the city bus to get to school and back. I love my cars and the freedom that it provides me. I don't want to see the car go away with a rail system in Hawaii. I don't think the necessity to have at least one car per family will go away. But, after living in Japan and seeing how convenient a rail system could be. If only the rail system were as punctual and convenient as in Japan, I could do without driving to every location. But, I do know that Hawaii will never get to that point anytime soon with all the opposition it is getting in the news. I feel that those who are proponents of a rail system should come out in force to derail the anti-rail groups to see that this mass transit project will finally go through. We have waited far too many years to wait for another mayor to come along to propose mass transit again. I don't want to wait til I'm 80 years old to have a mass transit system in Hawaii. Hawaii's time for a mass transit system is now!!!!

I understand there point of view that this system will cost money and feel that the money could be used other ways. Tax dollars can always be used for something else no matter what the dollars are earmarked for. But, in this instance I feel that this project is the best possible way we can use our tax dollar so long as it goes towards the rail efforts. I would rather see tax dollars be spent this way to benefit those coming out from the leeward side then be used to make another city park that goes to waste after a few years.

Some say that the rail system won't alleviate traffic. The effort to build a rail system is important with the population not getting any smaller. The rail system will not (and I repeat not) eliminate the traffic on the highways. A lot of people will still take there cars to town for many varying reasons. But what the rail system does for us is it will give us options other than taking our cars or the bus to town. I believe that it will take some time to get people to buy into the idea of riding the train to work. But, once people see the value of having a train system, people will use the train system. The other thing that needs to be done like it is done in Japan. The bus system is tied into the rail system to promote people to use the train over farther distances and have the bus system utilize smaller buses for shorter runs to the nearby neighborhoods. This will help to make the buses come more timely in a little area to be more efficient.

Others complain about the noise. Depending on what system is used for the rail system, it is not quiet. The trains will make some degree of noise pollution. But this is to be expected with a rail system. After awhile the human ear will get used to this noise pollution. But through careful planning noise pollution can be reduced through having trains not go through major developments.


See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Japan
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805060336
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805050359
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805040339