Today’s critical crossroads for rail is the latest in a decade of fits and starts for Oahu’s biggest public-works project, which harken back to the days of the late Mayor Frank Fasi, but really started becoming reality in the last 10 years. As Oahu rail officials prepare to meet Monday with Federal Transit Administration execs on how to proceed with the cash-strapped $8 billion project, here’s a glance at key milestones:
>> 2005: State Legislature passes enabling legislation allowing City Council to levy a tax to fund transit improvements; collections, from the 0.5 percent GET surcharge, start in 2007.
>> 2006: Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project Alternatives Analysis Report is completed, evaluating four transit options: Do nothing, transportation system management, express buses in dedicated lanes, fixed-guideway system.
>> Jan. 6, 2007: Mayor Mufi Hannemann signs into law Bill 79, passed by the Council, committing Honolulu to a fixed-guideway transit system.
>> 2007: After thousands of public comments, City Council picks a fixed-guideway from East Kapolei to Ala Moana, via Salt Lake Boulevard, as the locally-preferred alternative.
>> November 2008: Oahu voters pass charter amendment supporting a steel-wheel on steel-rail transit system. Also: Council members propose altering rail route to go past airport instead of Salt Lake; the airport route is OK’d the following January.
>> 2009: City signs first, $483 million rail construction contract, three years before groundbreaking occurs, with Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. In 2011, Kiewit wins another big contract, plus another contract via joint venture Kiewit/Kobayashi. Those three contracts to build the first 10 miles of rail’s guideway and operations center totaled $1.05 billion when issued, but change orders and delay claims would drive the three contracts up by over $246 million combined.
>> June 2010: Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approves final environmental impact statement for rail.
>> January 2011: Lawsuit filed by Native Hawaiian cultural practictioner Paulette Kaleikini, claiming work was improperly started without a full archaeological survey of burial sites for the whole 20-mile route.
>> February 2011: Groundbreaking for rail in East Kapolei near Kroc Center (groundbreaking initially had been planned for December 2009, with 2018 completion).
>> March 2011: State judge sides with city on Kaleikini’s lawsuit; plaintiff appeals.
>> July 2011: First meeting of new, Charter-created Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART).
>> August 2012: Hawaii Supreme Court rules in favor of Kaleikini’s lawsuit, saying archaeological survey for the entire rail route must be completed before project can proceed; construction halts.
>> December 2012: FTA and city sign $1.55 billion full funding grant agreement (FFGA) for estimated $5.2 billion project
>> August 2013: Completed archaeological survey is approved, and year-delayed construction resumes the following month.
>> Fall 2014: News of rising costs/funding shortfall surfaces.
>> December 2014: HART puts out bid for the first of three rail station packages (Farrington Highway Station Group of West Loch, Waipahu Transit Center and Leeward Community College stations).
>> April 2015: Legislature OKs city extending Oahu’s 0.5 percent general excise tax rail surcharge through 2027, a 5-year extension, to help pay for rail, now pegged at $6.57 billion; City Council OKs extension in early 2016.
>> June 10, 2015: Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. gets $79 million contract for the Farrington Highway Station Group (As a financial strategy, the original contract package of nine West Side stations was divided into three smaller contract packages in 2014 to encourage bid competition).
>> July 2015: Nan, Inc. wins $56 million bid to build three stations in the West Oahu Station Group (Hoopili, East Kapolei and UH-West Oahu stations).
>> December 2015: Nan, Inc. receives s$115.8 million contract for the Kamehameha Highway Station Group (Pearl Highlands, Pearlridge and Aloha Stadium stations). Also: Five miles, or one-fourth, of elevated guideway is built.
>> April 2016: Don Horner, HART board chairman, resigns amid concerns over skyrocketing costs.
>> June 2016: Rail projected at $8 billion, with “risk model data” showing an “upper bound” figure of $10.79 billion, and a December 2024 completion for the 20-mile rail. These figures emerge a week after city politicians broach that rail end, for now, at Middle Street amid funding shortfall. FTA demands a recovery plan from HART by Aug. 7; that deadline gets extended to year’s end.
>> July 2016: Shimmick/Traylor/Granite, a California- and Indiana-based joint venture, wins $875 million bid to get project as far as Middle Street — building rail’s next 5.2 miles of guideway (from Aloha Stadium to Middle Street) and four stations (Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Honolulu Airport, Lagoon Drive and Middle Street).
>> Aug. 18: HART CEO Dan Grabauskas resigns under pressure after 4.5 years; Mike Formby is named HART’s acting CEO.
— Compiled by Star-Advertiser staff
