[Olog-hai]

This has to be the most outrageous cost for light rail since the one across the river from New York (in Jersey City, over $100 million per mile)—the Oahu system will be a colossal $255 million per mile. (That is $155 million per mile more than the largest estimate for California HSR, for the record.)

[DManA]

This is why roads are falling apart.

[Da Coyote]

Hey, keeping the fact that the dork has no real HI birth certificate costs.

And you and I get to pay....for their railroad.

[muawiyah]

That money could be better spent investing in Google’s automated automobile system. That way they could have hundreds of thousands of stops and no track at all. PLUS, a really big benefit, the blind could travel on the system without the use of special trip hazard rubber mats.

[DManA]

This is why roads are falling apart.

[andyk]

Mahalo!

[killermosquito]

How about tunnels that connect island to island?

[mnehring]

Reminds me of the monorail episode of The Simpsons.

[DManA]

Jason Lewis’ law is “Spending begets Spending”.

If the Federal Government spends $billion for a Hooterville Trolly for Minneapolis how can you not build one in Oahu.

[freekitty]

Wow a new money laundering scheme.

[doorgunner69]

Article did not bother to mention the majority of Oahu residents are against the rail. Particularly since only a very small part of the island could possibly benefit, but everyone gets raped for the costs.

Lots of bullsqueeze about traffic, but the effect for most commuters will be nothing. A total waste of money.

[bigheadfred]

WHERE on a 30 mile wide island couldn’t you get to by walking?

[RJS1950]

How many bridges to nowhere does this add up to.

[RightWingConspirator]

I’m not surprised at this. I arrived at Hickam AFB in March 1969. The construction of H1 was in progress. A mainland construction company, Kaiser, I think, had been awarded the contract for construction for about 20 miles of H1 from west of Barbers Point NAS to near Pearl City and had completed it on time. The local union goons (the ILWU controlled the islands) didn’t like that and prevailed on the Johnson administration to break up construction into about 1 mile chunks. H1 still had not been completed when I left the islands in late 1972, and the cost was astronomical.

[GeronL]

sounds crazy

[Squawk 8888]

If the area has a population density comparable to Chicago or Toronto it would make sense, but somehow I don’t think that’s the case. If it were a full-on subway the cost would be reasonable but for light rail it’s ridiculous.

[benasawin]

Guess the yahoos responsibile for this haven’t noticed we are broke. Horribily irresponsible.

[publius911]

Clearly, a reward to Hawaii for “losing” the phony illegal ‘birth certificate...’

[Proud2BeRight]

If the incompetent government(s) estimate it at $5,100,000,000 you can count on it being two to three times that figure.

Bet the taxi, bus, and rental car companies are thrilled too. A lot of locals can watch their jobs evaporate.

[matt04]

Suddenly the 9 mile busway they are building in CT seems like a great deal. Only 569 million.

[nascarnation]

Will there be a stop at the Baraq Hussein Obama Presidential Library and Choom Gang Museum?