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Hawaii rail project may create 9,100 jobs
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| Contributor | Gerald Farinas |
| Last Edited | Gerald Farinas Feb 17, 2008 11:50am |
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| Category | News |
| News Date | Sunday, February 17, 2008 05:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | The Honolulu Advertiser
Probably the largest public works project in Hawaii history, Honolulu's $3.7 billion elevated commuter train project could generate an average of 9,100 jobs during the nine year construction period, boosting the economy.
The project's massive scale, Hawaii's low jobless rate and the specialty skills required to build the rail transit system may result in an influx of workers from the Mainland. These are some of the findings in a preliminary economic analysis of the transit system by the project's main consultant, New York-based Parsons Brinckerhoff.
University of Hawai'i economics professor Carl Bonham. said the transit system will boost construction and the economy. "That's roughly the equivalent of building a major resort or a Trump Tower each year," he said. "It helps because it is keeping people at work. It's a stabilizing force." The activity generated by the transit project could occur at an opportune time for Hawai'i, which is expected to see economic activity flatten out in future years.
Mayor Mufi Hannemann says he wants to break ground on the mass-transit system late next year with the first segment starting service between east Kapolei and Waipahu in 2012. The full 20-mile route from east Kapolei to Ala Moana Center would begin service in 2017, according to city plans. The transit system is not expected to improve traffic conditions. Rather, the project is aimed at giving commuters another option and accommodating growth in the H-1 corridor.
The city is considering four technology options for the transit system: steel wheels on a steel rail; rubber tires on concrete; monorail technology; and a magnetic levitation system. |
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