Hawaii House Bill HR74

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/6/25
• Refer: 3/14/25

Caption

Requesting The United States Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy To Initiate A Performance Review Of The Honolulu Rail Transit Project.

Impact

This resolution is critical as it highlights the financial and operational challenges faced by the project, which relies on a combination of city, state, and federal funding. Over the years, the state has intervened administratively, providing financial bailouts through additional funding measures. The current push for a performance review under the 2024 Amended Full Funding Grant Agreement seeks to realign the project with its original objectives and accountability measures, ensuring efficient use of taxpayer dollars while addressing systemic issues affecting the transit development.

Summary

House Resolution 74 (HR74) requests the United States Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy to initiate a performance review of the Honolulu Rail Transit Project. The resolution emerges from concerns regarding the project's escalating costs and delays, which have been a significant issue since its inception. The Honolulu Rail Transit Project, managed by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART), was initially budgeted at $5.5 billion but has seen cost projections rise to approximately $12.45 billion, with completion now anticipated in 2030, considerably beyond the original schedule.

Contention

Despite the collaborative effort between HART and federal authorities, there are significant concerns regarding the project's management and execution. Legislative discussions reveal that there are expectations for oversight to ensure that previous commitments and timelines are met. The ongoing delays and funding issues have led to discussions among stakeholders about the need for an independent audit and clearer accountability for HART's management practices, reflecting potential underlying tensions in project governance. Community stakeholders have expressed skepticism about whether the renewed oversight will effectively address existing problems or merely serve as a formality in the face of serious project challenges.