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KGMB9 News at 10
Group Wants Public Transit Vote Print E-mail
Written by Brooks Baehr - bbaehr@kgmb9.com   
April 21, 2008 06:25 PM

 
A group of people against Oahu's mass transit plan claim they have been railroaded. The fixed rail system, they say, has been forced on voters and they believe most are against the plan.

They are collecting signatures on a petition that could kill the rail project by putting the issue on the ballot in November's General Election. Moiliili resident Judy DeVilbiss was among the first to sign the petition against rail.

"First of all, I don't want that in my neighborhood, and it has like 3 or 4 stop near me. I don't want that. But number two, hey, let the people decide," DeVilbiss told KGMB9. DeVilbiss and other members of the group Stop Rail Now, have a long list of reasons why they do not want a train on Oahu."

"Well, I live within 200 yards of where this fixed guideway would be, going down Salt Lake Blvd. So I would be hearing it every three minutes at peak times," said Salt Lake resident Dan Douglass.

We simply can not afford the rail. At $3.7 million and counting. Every year it goes up with inflation. By the time it's ready to actually be built, who know what the figure's going to be," said Stop Rail Now co-chair Michael Uechi.

Stop Rail Now is collecting signatures from registered voters in person and on-line at stoprailnow.com. If the group can get support from 10% of voters who were registered for the last (2004) mayoral election in Honolulu, it can have the rail issue put on the ballot. The group needs 44,525 valid signatures.

"We feel that a large majority of the public is strongly opposed to this, and yet they've never had a chance to vote for it," said Stop Rail Now co-chair Dennis Callan. If the petition is successful, voters would get a chance to vote yes or no on a proposed city ordinance. It simply states, "Honolulu mass transit shall not include trains or rail transit."

"We are not opposed to mass transit. We are in favor of better solutions for our traffic problem. And there are much better solutions available than this rail system which would solve nothing," Callan added.

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann and at least half the City Council are in favor of rail. A spokesman for the Hannemann administration voters have had lots of chances to voice their opposition during community meetings and public hearings.


Find for more information about Stop Rail Now at their website, http://www.stoprailnow.com/.



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Last Updated ( April 21, 2008 06:25 PM )
 

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