HART agrees to help state replace traffic signals along rail’s western half
STAR-ADVERTISER
Daniel Grabauskas: He is the executive director & CEO of Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART).
The agency overseeing Honolulu’s rail project has agreed to help out the state by replacing outdated traffic signals along the future transit system’s western half, as construction proceeds there.
Under the deal, which members of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board approved Thursday, the state Department of Transportation will reimburse HART with federal dollars for the upgrades at some 23 intersections, officials say. The board agreed to a provisional sum of just over $16 million.
“We’re trying to work together to minimize the impacts to the public but not adding costs to the project.”
Dan Grabauskas
Executive director, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation
HART had already agreed to replace the older poles that come into direct contact with rail there, but the new deal will have the agency’s contractors replace more such traffic fixtures along the project’s first 10-mile stretch.
It’s not clear how many will be replaced there; a HART spokesman was unable to provide those details Thursday.
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Nonetheless, the coordination, the agency says, would spare the public that commutes along Farrington and Kamehameha highways in West and Central Oahu from having to endure another round of construction there to replace those decades-old traffic signals with newer, larger ones that can withstand heavier wind and meet new state code.
“We’re trying to work together to minimize the impacts to the public but not adding costs to the project,” HART Executive Director Dan Grabauskas said last month, when the board first discussed the move.
However, Kiewit Infrastructure West, which is building the first 10 miles of elevated guideway, disagrees on the cost of that replacement work — and HART staff has said they could be back before the board to approve a larger reimbursement cost.
Kiewit has estimated the work will cost some $23.9 million, according to Kainani Kraut, HART’s West area contract manager. “There’s a big delta there,” HART board member Terrence Lee said Thursday of the nearly $8 million difference in estimates. HART officials said that much of Kiewit’s bigger estimate is based on “overhead.”
In an email Thursday, Kiewit deferred to HART all questions on the cost to replace the traffic signals.
“Once we receive the change order, we will work with HART to determine the exact impacts to the construction schedule for this additional scope of work,” Kiewit spokeswoman Alyssa Tenorio said in the email.
At their February meeting, board members considered the deal but opted to delay approving it largely out of concerns that the necessary reimbursement agreement with DOT hadn’t been finalized yet. That agreement has since been completed, according to HART spokesman Bill Brennan.
27 responses to “HART agrees to help state replace traffic signals along rail’s western half”
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What a scam.
Watch the price rise and rise as change orders come up as they get closer to actual work.
Italian police search Hitachi offices as acquisition of Honolulu rail car maker still up in the air
Mar 17, 2016, 2:26pm HST
All I can say is that for those of you who voted for the rail— you got it!
I vote for it, and loving it!
Nope. The city seems to do this better than the state.
Oh My God, HART is generously going to pay $16 million–for a $24 million project, but who’s counting! And we’ll just be taxed a little longer to raise that $16- or $24- or $32 million? UB is right, they are Heaven-sent to make our lives so much better! We should cheerfully hand over another billion or two–because they are so thoughtful and generous. And they’ll probably give UB a bonus. How much should that be???
Oops, never mind, the state is going to pay the $16 million, so just more work and income for HART. But who’s counting? It’s the thought that counts, and HART is really thinking up great ideas to help us little guys. Very sweet! <3 <3 <3
Federal dollars so the entire US pays for this. umm…well…those who pay taxes anyway.
Why is this a story? Where does Hart get their money from? Exactly; we are paying for it, and will be for generations to come. Good job all our fine elected fellows and those of you clowns that voted for this fiasco.
“Kiewit Infrastructure West, which is building the first 10 miles of elevated guideway, disagrees on the cost of that replacement work — and HART staff has said they could be back before the board to approve a larger reimbursement cost.”
So no one is even pretending anymore that these cost estimates have basis in reality. Sure, just lowball the public with any old number and then sign the change orders later.
They can’t even agree on how much it costs to replace a bunch of street lights. Not even close in their estimates.
OMG! These people don’t have a clue!
Canʻt even afford to pay for the actual project.
mil here mil there. Hart just throwing around mills. Throw some mills this way. thought HART=STATE one in the same i think.
Sure, give them more work to do and delay the rail project further so we can pay higher fees and interest. DOT will just have to go back over the next 10 years and replace the poles one intersection at a time like they always have done.
Why hire Keiwit? Bid the project out as a DOT project. Why have them only put on a markup to watch the subs do all the work? We taxpayers want to see the best bang for the buck and this Hart/Keiwit scenario has not worked out. Change order after change order. It will never end!
Airport guideway section will be bid next week. Will it be in budget? Liquidated damages are huge for this section of the project, you think all contractors will be cheap? I don’t think so!
Another payout for Keiwit by the politicians. Why not hire a local contractor and keep as much money in Hawaii as possible.
“It’s not clear how many will be replaced there; a HART spokesman was unable to provide those details Thursday.”
So, no one knows the scope of the work, but one estimate is $16 million and the other $8 million more. So, what are the “estimates” based on if no one knows the scope?
Clueless, absolutely clueless.
Just another day in the little backwater, banana boat republic, 8th world of Hawaii Nei.
It means double the cost, or $48 million. Captain Kirk, a lot of mobile trailers can be bought with that dough to help your homeless.
Italian police search Hitachi offices as acquisition of Honolulu rail car maker still up in the air
Mar 17, 2016, 2:26pm HST YAKUSA + COSTA NOSTRA + HAWAII “GOOD OLE BOYZ” & GOILZ = “Who da fool–FOOL(?)”!! SHMUCKS!!
Why does the headline say “HART agrees to HELP state…”? They’re not doing us any favors; it’s just another job they can charge for The estimate is “$16 million” now, but let’s see in the end how much they exceed the even higher “$24 million” projection. The nightmare gets worse and worse.
MillionMonkeys: Your comment is totally on target. Oahu tax payers continue to be siphoned and our government keeps sucking.
End this project at Middle Street and save taxpayers billions of dollars. The nightmare is going to get worse if they try to go through downtown Honolulu.
GCI approach to government contracting, whether the City or State…we taxpayers all pay the bill.
“HART officials said that much of Kiewit’s bigger estimate is based on “overhead.”” . No the word starts with a G: Greed.
Since when did HART get all this power to fund non-Rail projects???
What happened to the original $7 million? How did it get up to $16 million in one month?