In all 16 University of Hawaii students worked 1,000 hours and made 300 computer simulations all to compare the fixed guideway rail project with transportation alternatives.

They said the study proves there are better solutions available.

The mayor said not so fast, there are rules he must follow.

One of the traffic study alternatives is to build underpasses or small tunnels at the busiest intersections in Honolulu to allow free flowing traffic to continue without stopping and clogging surface streets.

Another main alternative is to build high occupancy toll lanes or hot lanes. It would allow vehicles with five or more people to travel for free and other users would have to pay a toll.

Professor Prevedouros said it would reduce traffic by 34 percent.

"Bottom line, there are far better ways to solve our problems, much cheaper, much more cost effective and people will use them and it will solve their problems," said Professor Panos Prevedouros, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

The professor also suggests building a two lane tunnel underneath Pearl Harbor that would significantly reduce drive time from Ewa to downtown.

But the city said that would cost billions and they would need approval from the military, which would be very difficult to get.

There were various state lawmakers and a city councilmember that came to hear about the professor's alternatives.

"Lets find a project that is not going to bankrupt all of us, it may not bankrupt the city as he says but it will certainly bankrupt a lot of taxpayers," said Ann Kobayashi, Honolulu City Council, District 5.

"I think if the general public was better educated about the cost differential and the fact that this will not do anything for congestion they would stop and take another look," said Colleen Rose Meyer, 47th Representative District. "So I'm all for the professor's plan."

"The probability now is that the train has already left the station. That's the big worry many people have," said Gene Ward, 17th Representative District.

The mayor said the professor's alternatives are not that simple. Money the city has raised cannot be used on highways. It has to be used for a fixed guideway transit project.

He also said the professor's ideas have already been studied and they cost much more than the professor realizes.

"If one of those ideas were such a hot item someone at some level of government would have picked up on it so it's all old ideas being rehashed and recycled and brought back out again," said Mayor Mufi Hannemann, City & County of Honolulu. "Panos will always be Panos. Panos will always object. Panos will always criticize. I recognize that but I'm not going to let one person or one group of people stop us from doing what is right. This is the right thing to do. It has broad based support from our congressional delegation, state leaders and city council leaders. We're just going to make this happen and I really believe if we fail now it won't happen in our lifetime."

Some state lawmakers said Tuesday that if given the chance they would change the law to allow the excise tax money to be used on the alternatives rather than the rail project.

One lawmaker is already trying to push an amendment through to change some of the spending restrictions.

Click here if you would like to read the full study on the transportation alternatives or click here to read the executive summary.

---