Myth vs. Fact (Part I)
Myth: Rail is Noisy
Fact: It is actually quieter than buses, mopeds and many cars. With a modern rail transit system, the relatively low level of sound is almost all generated where the wheel contacts the guideway. This is very different from city buses, which generate noise from the engine and exhaust system. A very short barrier of between 2 and 4 feet in height will block the wheel sound generated by rail transit. A rubber-tired guided bus would require an 8 to 12 foot high barrier to mitigate noise.
Myth: Rail is old technology
Fact: The automobile has also been around for a while. Modern light rail is like a Prius, not a Model T. Rail is a proven technology that is by far the most-utilized rail transit technology today. There are a large number of suppliers in the rail business, which enhances flexibility and minimizes costs over time. Rail has the best long-term operating performance characteristics, including higher passenger carrying capacity, better ride quality, lower noise impacts, better energy efficiency, lower air quality impacts, and lower long-term operating and replacement costs.
Myth: Rail is too expensive
Fact: Critics often claim that rail transit is more costly than bus or automobile transport, but this merely reflects faulty analysis. Critics usually consider just a small portion of total transit benefits and underestimate the actual costs of accommodating ever-increasing individual automobile travel under the same conditions. They fail to take into account the high costs of increasing road and parking capacity on major urban corridors. When all benefits and costs are considered, rail transit turns out to be more cost-effective.
Much of the cost of building the transit system will be paid for with federal funds — more than $900 million — which will result in a long-term infusion of new money into Hawaii’s economy. And, the money that is spent by our local government will stay right here in Hawai‘i, used to pay salaries that will be spent on goods and services throughout our economy.
The questions should be: What is the cost of NOT building a rail system now? Rail transit will revitalize Oahu’s economy for years to come, providing high-paying, skilled jobs for 15 to 20 years. New businesses are expected to spring up around the transit stations, creating new jobs and new sources of tax revenue for the state. The rail project will create 90,000 person years of employment, or 11,000 direct and indirect jobs annually.
Myth: Rail will not relieve traffic congestion
Fact: Rail transit is projected to have the system equivalent to six more freeway lanes of traffic and is expected to reduce traffic congestion by 11 percent. The system is being designed to move 9,000 people per hour and will be within walking distance of 32 percent of Oahu jobs.
Rail opponents want you to think the answer to Oahu’s traffic congestion is more cars. Their solution is an elevated highway from Pearl City into Honolulu that will dump more cars, buses and vans onto Honolulu streets during rush hour. This is not a solution. Rail transit combined with city buses and carpools will all work together to ease Oahu’s traffic and give options to the people of Oahu.
Myth: Rail will be an environmental blight
Fact: Passenger vehicles consume 35 percent more energy per passenger mile than mass transit. In addition, passenger vehicles emit more than 10 times more carbon monoxide than rail. Facilities that generate electrical power for rail must meet rigorous emissions standards. Automobiles and buses are not subject to any emissions controls and pollution varies considerably from one vehicle to the next.
Myth: Given Hawaii’s salt air environment, rust will shorten the life of major components of Honolulu’s rail.
Fact: The most important factor in modern rail design is to assure that the rail is well drained and free of collecting water that supports the chemical reaction that causes rust. Wheels remain relatively dry due to rotation, protection from the side body of the vehicle and routine cleaning and inspection of the underside of the vehicle. A modern rail transit system will provide a long service life of more than 30 years, as proven in systems around the world in climates similar to Hawaii. The salt air conditions will be considered in the design of all elements of the system, including reinforced concrete guideway structures, stations furnishings and appliances.
Myth: Honolulu is simply too small for any light or heavy rail system
Fact: The density of a population is much more important in determining transit ridership than simply the total number of people. The 2000 census showed Honolulu’s urbanized area ranked SIXTH in population density among U.S. cities with populations of 500,000 or more. Rail succeeds in high-density corridors, especially where there are few transportation options. Congestion is overwhelming in Honolulu because we have only one high-density corridor into Honolulu, which is precisely the reason that fixed guideway rail transit is considered the right choice for our island by the Federal Transit Administration and independent experts.
Myth: Elevated Highways are the answer
Fact: Rail opponents want you to think the answer to Oahu’s traffic congestion is more cars. Their solution is an elevated highway from Pearl City into Honolulu that will dump more cars, buses and vans onto Honolulu streets during rush hour. There’s a better option: rail transit. It actually takes cars off the road and provides an alternative to sitting in traffic.
Myth: "HOT lanes" are an alternative to rail transit
Fact: The anti-rail minority would like you to think they have a better plan than rail transit. They like to call their plan HOT lanes . . . probably because it sounds better than toll road. On the continental United States, they have another name for them: Lexus Lanes. That gives you a pretty good idea of who can afford to use them.
The anti-rail side neglects to say their solution will make you pay twice. First, the Toll Road would be built with your tax dollars, but you wouldn’t be able to drive on them unless you pay a toll each way. And that’s after you spend a fortune filling up your car. And they want to add more buses and vanpools. So what they’re really saying is make people pay a toll to drive, add more of the same things we already have now, and put more vehicles on our roads and highways.