Honolulu’s rail system is a reality. Or at least it might be, one day. I’ve been a rail supporter because theoretically it could improve our public transportation system. Whether it will work the way it is planned remains to be seen. My own experience with rail has been in Japan, with one of the best rail systems and decades of urban integration with efficient public transportation.
I believe there’s a lot to be learned from our European cousins. The European system has done an amazingly good job making rail function with high efficiency. This is especially the case with Eurail, which connects 28 countries seamlessly.
My colleague Rob Kay is presently on assignment in Europe riding the Eurail system (as well as local subways/trams/buses in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Austria and Hungary). I asked him to report on what he’s experienced that could be germane to Hawaii.
Here’s what he’s discovered:
Acquiring tickets to ride public transportation in Europe is fast and easy. Vending machines are in place at or near stations that will take cash or credit cards. Bus drivers generally do not take money and thus are not burdened with the hassle of making change. Passengers use credit card-type passes that they swipe upon entering or are subject to inspectors who make certain that passengers have valid tickets.
On longer routes (which Eurail specializes in), you can reserve a seat or an entire itinerary online, or you can buy one at a station from a human being. Eurail trains will sell their tickets for much less if you buy ahead of time much in the way that airlines operate. (Check out raileurope.com.)
Many European cities also utilize subways to move folks around. Most large cities are densely populated — often with numerous historical sites — so like Hawaii, real estate for rail is at a premium. The solution has been to go underground. Of course, trains and trams that do run on the surface don’t use the type of unsightly concrete pillars that are being used on Oahu. Europeans have a strong sense of design and architecture that is missing in our rail scheme.
European rail systems are intricately coordinated with local bus and tram systems so that passengers are easily delivered to the underground stations in their neighborhoods. We need to make it easy to ride the train for residents who otherwise would take a car or park their cars near a rail station. To make rail successful, we might have to add more buses that feed rail.
Bikes are a major commuting component, and in Berlin bicyclists roll their bikes inside the coaches as a matter of course. Fortunately, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, or HART, has designed storage areas to take bicycles and surfboards along.
All of the first-class cars Rob rode in Europe had Wi-Fi, and Deutsche Bahn (the German rail system) will deploy Wi-Fi in all classes of service next year. Our rail cars purportedly will have Wi-Fi, but it’s unclear as to whether there will be bandwidth at the stations.
Rail works like a charm in Europe, but it took Eurail billions of dollars and many years to integrate its network. It’s going to take us a sizable investment to do the same. It’s predictably costly to move part of our system underground, but we should revisit this option to preserve the beauty of our aina. Our entire tourism industry is built on the natural beauty of Hawaii, and we should do everything in our power to safeguard it.
I’m convinced that Europe, which treasures its culture and biosphere just as much as we do, can be a model for Oahu. Of course, the answer boils down to money. Whether the public is willing to pay for this is doubtful.
Mike Meyer, formerly internet general manager at Oceanic Time Warner Cable, is now chief information officer at Honolulu Community College. Reach him at mmeyer@hawaii.edu.
