By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi met in Washington, D.C. with Federal Transit Administrator Nuria Fernandez, the Administrator’s senior headquarters staff and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region 9 Administrator Ray Tellis to discuss the way forward for the Honolulu rail transit project (HRTP).
“It was important to meet face-to-face with the Administrator,” said Mayor Blangiardi. “We have been in indirect and virtual talks for some time, but I felt it important to come to Washington to meet in-person with Administrator Fernandez and her staff to explain the actions that I, HART and the Honolulu City Council have taken in support of the HRTP, including the dedication of a portion of the City transient accommodations tax to the project. In addition, given my communications background, I know that sitting directly across the table from a major project partner is the best way to forge a strong, collaborative relationship that will drive execution of this critical transit project.”
Joining Mayor Blangiardi at the FTA meetings were Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) CEO Lori Kahikina and Honolulu Department of Transportation Services Director Roger Morton. They updated the Administrator on project construction progress, the system operating plan and potential elements of the Recovery Plan that HART is preparing for the FTA’s consideration.
Mayor Blangiardi said, “Even though this was a very quick turn-around trip for me, the time I spent with the Administrator was well worth the trip. I wanted her to know that I, personally, the City and HART will be strong partners with her and her agency and that we are committed to making sure that the transportation benefits that were envisioned when this project began are realized for the residents of O‘ahu, especially our transit dependent community.”