I was heartened to learn that the state Legislature was considering bill 1580, with a directive toward achieving 100 percent renewable transportation by 2045. While this is a general goal, it would signal a move toward forward-thinking transportation planning and development, which would ultimately increase the quality of life for those living here, would benefit the economy and the environment, and would help to preserve all the reasons people visit, spend time or conduct business in the state.

What we’ve learned from transportation planning decisions since the 1950s, as small towns have built into cities, is that it’s not possible to build your way out of congestion. More than that, we’ve learned that automobile-based transportation systems are incredibly expensive to build and maintain, with the cost burden borne by government, taxpayer and individuals alike.

The few municipalities with the vision and leadership early on to set a course to develop around multimodal systems — integrating rail with bicycle and pedestrian systems, along with roadways — have become the most desirable places in the country to live and do business.

They also enjoy lower transportation infrastructure and maintenance costs, not to mention related costs from the toll automobiles take on life and limb, and achieve more affordable living relative to transportation costs, as families can reduce the overall number of cars they own from two or three to one, or even zero.

Rail can be run from the electric grid, which ultimately can be powered by solar, or other forms of clean and independent energy. And, once good rail systems are in place — systems integrated into solid urban design standards and growth boundaries, perhaps using well-designed, small and enjoyable bus routes as an intermediary stage — people love rail. They also love to walk and ride their bike when given the chance. London, a city of 8 million, functions without a single 8-lane highway running through it, and with people on the street everywhere, enjoying the beautiful English weather.

Imagine what Honolulu and the island of Oahu would look like today had the city developed around the existing streetcar structure, rather than tearing it out. As you can move as many people in one rail line as in eight lanes of traffic, you can imagine a different landscape entirely.

To the city’s credit, not as much was known then about transportation planning realities as is today. Plus, transportation decisions have been made at a political level, rather than around a user-pay system, or we would have developed around rail throughout the country, which is an inherently more efficient and hence ultimately less expensive — and our landscape everywhere would look and feel differently today, with more open space and real estate available for other uses.

Those cities and towns whose leaders had vision 30, 40 and 50 years ago, enjoy the benefits today of living in thriving, healthy, pedestrian-oriented communities, towns and cities. In addition to the importance of committing to cleaner energy sources, and all the other benefits that would derive from this, visionary leadership in working toward a multimodal transportation system with 100 percent clean energy as a goal, would steer Hawaii toward a more beautiful, more enjoyable and more affordable future. It would also help to preserve the beauty and reefs and all the other reasons people might wish to visit, live or do business in the islands.

I hope that our Legislature will have the vision to revisit and reconsider an action in this direction again soon, with the foresight to take concrete steps in this direction. There is no reason why Hawaii cannot take the lead.

Tania Howard is executive director of the Waimea Ocean Film Festival.