Rail is Honolulu’s most important public transportation project and its current funding crisis cannot be resolved with campaign rhetoric.

It is one of the reasons I decided to serve out my term on the City Council and see rail through to completion — all 20 miles and 21 stations with an eventual extension to the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Despite the latest “upper bound” risk analysis, the most probable current projections show that we have enough money to build a shortened, but operable system from Kapolei to Middle Street.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) and its board must update the financial plan to reflect that and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) needs to agree to the change without penalty under the existing funding agreement.

But we cannot simply stop all work there. Gov. David Ige and House Speaker Joe Souki agree with me, along with countless supporters of rail, especially those who are most likely to ride it.

Contrary to recent headlines, the real worst-case scenario would be to build a system that is largely underutilized.

To ensure that rail is built as planned, we need a fresh focus on the Middle Street to Ala Moana Center portion. There are sources of funding other than raising property taxes.

>> The city might be able to tap Community Development Block Grant funds to pay for eligible portions of the project that serve distressed areas.

>> The state could invest a share of federal highway funds to support rail construction.

>> The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 108 program money could be used for public infrastructure upgrades or utility relocation in areas along the route where underserved communities could benefit.

>> Although it is pointless to ask the state Legislature to further extend the general excise tax surcharge, Speaker Souki correctly pointed out that some of the money we need is already there. HART calculates that the state will collect nearly $600 million up until the surcharge ends in 2027. Most of this rightfully belongs to the rail project, and going forward, the state could give the city a more equitable share of this tax.

>> And, with all the benefits rail will provide to our visitors, a link could be established with the tourist industry to generate funds for rail.

Landowners, developers and businesses who stand to benefit the most from rail need to get into the game in a serious way.

They could fund the final eight stations in return for naming rights or concessions.

They could also receive incentives and zoning exemptions that would allow them to recoup their investment in a relatively short time.

The city needs to be aggressively pursuing changes to the Land Use Ordinance that would accommodate transit-oriented development and accelerate private sector involvement.

The Hollywood Station in Los Angeles is a prime example of what is possible under a public-private arrangement.

At each level along the way, HART and the HART board must exert every ounce of its managerial authority to ensure cost containment.

I still question whether we have the right management and expertise in place, and intend to hold HART fully accountable until my concerns are allayed.

The city must continue to work closely with HART on the existing plan for the remaining route and stations to avoid the need for another time-consuming environmental impact statement.

The Council will likewise exercise its full oversight authority to scrutinize all financial requests.

If each partner fulfills his role, it will be far easier to chase an amount less than the estimated additional $1 billion now needed to get from Middle Street to Ala Moana Center and possibly beyond.

Most important, we can deliver the rail system that was promised to the people.