Special Report

Off Track

December 2016

Thursday, December 15

Mayor’s Prediction Of More Rail Problems Comes True Immediately

Wednesday, December 7

Feds Extend Deadline for Honolulu Rail Recovery Plan

November 2016

Wednesday, November 2

Formby Would Serve As Hanabusa’s Chief of Staff In Congress

October 2016

Monday, October 3

Honolulu Tries To Buy Even More Time To Come Up With Rail Plan

September 2016

Thursday, September 29

HART Raises Estimate For Total Cost Of Rail To $8.6 Billion

August 2016

Tuesday, August 30

Feds To Honolulu: Finish Rail Route Or Give Us Back Our Money

Friday, August 26

Secret No More: Rail Subcontractors Received $235M In One Year

July 2016

Friday, July 22

FTA Gives Honolulu More Time For Rail Plan

Tuesday, July 19

HART Signs $875M Contract To Build Rail To Middle Street

May 2016

Tuesday, May 24

HART Has Bigger Problems Than Utilities

Martin Makes Curious Pick For HART

Thursday, May 5

Rail Contractor Gets ‘Public Apology’ After Bitter Lawsuit Ends

Monday, May 2

Here’s A 360-Degree View Inside Honolulu Rapid Transit’s First Train Car

April 2016

Thursday, April 28

‘Final’ Price Tag For Rail Not Expected Until Next Year

Wednesday, April 20

Caldwell Taps Insurance Exec For HART

Friday, April 15

HART Continues Its Assault On Audit That Criticizes Rail Project

Thursday, April 14

Grabauskas: Honolulu Rail Audit ‘A Mess’

February 2016

Thursday, February 25

Rail Vote Suit Dismissed, Appeal Likely

Monday, February 1

Caldwell Signs Honolulu Rail Tax Extension

January 2016

Wednesday, January 27

Honolulu City Council Approves Rail Tax Extension

Wednesday, January 13

Tax Extension Revenue For Honolulu Rail Chugs Ahead

Tuesday, January 12

Five Unanswered Questions About Honolulu’s $6.6 Billion Rail Project

December 2015

Tuesday, December 22

HART OKs New Contract For Rail Stations

What Could $1.5 Billion Buy You (Besides More Of The Rail Project)?

Thursday, December 17

Rail Contracts Delayed Until Tax Passes

Wednesday, December 9

City Council Considers Killing Proposed Cap On Honolulu Rail Tax

Friday, December 4

When Half A Train Is Better Than None

November 2015

Tuesday, November 24

Honolulu Rail Budget In Limbo Until City Council Acts

Monday, November 23

Under The Microscope: Honolulu Included In Federal Rail Audit

Wednesday, November 18

Honolulu Rail Tax Extension Gets Preliminary OK

Tuesday, November 17

HART Finds Savings With Latest Honolulu Rail Bids

Monday, November 16

Caldwell: Honolulu Would Be ‘Lolo’ To Imperil Its Federal Funds for Rail

Friday, November 13

Caldwell: Feds Withholding Honolulu Rail Funds Until Council Acts

Thursday, November 12

Is Honolulu Rail Project’s Future At Stake In Dispute Over Council’s Budget Role?

Monday, November 9

Caldwell Urges Council Not To Cap GET Surcharge For Rail

Thursday, November 5

Martin to HART: Is It Time For A Shake-Up?

October 2015

Wednesday, October 21

City Budget Committee Mulls Tougher Line, Possible Cap on Rail Spending

Honolulu Rail’s Big Cash Problem

Friday, October 16

Honolulu Rail Project Eclipses $6.5 Billion

September 2015

Tuesday, September 15

Higher Costs and More Delays on the Way for Honolulu Rail

August 2015

Thursday, August 20

Key Rail Contractor Tangled Up in Fraud Allegations in Hawaii Courts

July 2015

Wednesday, July 29

Mayor Hires ‘Fresh Set of Eyes’ to Monitor Honolulu Rail Project

Wednesday, July 15

Honolulu Rail Project Gets a Boost as Ige Signs GET Extension Bill

June 2015

Friday, June 26

Did Kirk Caldwell Mislead the Legislature on Rail Taxes?

Tuesday, June 16

A Ray of Hope for Honolulu Rail?

Thursday, June 11

Rail Operating Costs: A Looming Financial Crisis That Will Cost Taxpayers Billions

May 2015

Wednesday, May 13

Inside the Rail Checkbook: More than $1 Billion Spent but Few Details to Go Along With It

Tuesday, May 5

Honolulu Rail Tax Extension Clears the Legislature

Council Chair: No ‘Easy Sell’ for Honolulu Rail Tax

Friday, May 1

Honolulu Rail Tax Lives Another Day, Heads For Floor Vote

April 2015

Wednesday, April 22

Civil Beat Poll: Most Voters Oppose Honolulu Rail Tax Extension

Monday, April 13

Secret Subcontractors: What Honolulu Rail Officials Aren’t Telling You

Tuesday, April 7

Senators Give Honolulu Rail ‘A Great Deal of Opportunity’

Monday, April 6

Is Ige On Board With Extending Honolulu Rail Tax?

Wednesday, April 1

Tension Bubbles Between Honolulu City Council and HART

March 2015

Wednesday, March 25

Frequent Fliers: Nearly $500K Spent on Rail Travel to Date

Thursday, March 19

Honolulu Rail Tax: How Long Will It Go?

Wednesday, March 4

Hawaii Legislature: Not So Fast on More Taxes for Rail

Math Problem: Does Honolulu Rail GET Shortfall Really Add Up?

Tuesday, March 3

Honolulu Rail Construction Proposals Millions Higher Than Expected

February 2015

Tuesday, February 24

Behind Closed Doors: Honolulu Rail Officials Planned Political Strategy in Executive Session

Thursday, February 19

Schatz: Protecting Federal Money for Rail a Top Priority

Thursday, February 12

Honolulu Rail Tax Alive, But Ige Still Has Questions

Wednesday, February 11

HART: Rail Could Run Out of Cash By This Summer

Monday, February 2

Large Rail Contractors Dump $1.3 Million into Local Campaign Coffers

January 2015

Friday, January 30

At Least $1.25B Has Been Spent on Rail So Far, But Where Has All the Money Gone?

Mayor’s Prediction Of More Rail Problems Comes True Immediately Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Mayor’s Prediction Of More Rail Problems Comes True Immediately

After Caldwell's surprise appearance at at HART board meeting, the staff reveals a problem with aluminum beams in the rail cars.
Feds Extend Deadline for Honolulu Rail Recovery Plan Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Feds Extend Deadline for Honolulu Rail Recovery Plan

The new deadline of April 30 is not as late as officials wanted, but avoids a due date later this month
Formby Would Serve As Hanabusa’s Chief of Staff In Congress Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Formby Would Serve As Hanabusa’s Chief of Staff In Congress

He'd be returning to federal service after working as a lawyer, city transportation director and HART interim director.
Honolulu Tries To Buy Even More Time To Come Up With Rail Plan Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Honolulu Tries To Buy Even More Time To Come Up With Rail Plan

The federal government may extend the deadline for a final recovery plan until mid-2017.
HART Raises Estimate For Total Cost Of Rail To $8.6 Billion Ryan Ozawa

HART Raises Estimate For Total Cost Of Rail To $8.6 Billion

At that price, there's a funding gap of $1.8 billion. Meanwhile, the completion date has been moved back to December 2025.
Feds To Honolulu: Finish Rail Route Or Give Us Back Our Money Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Feds To Honolulu: Finish Rail Route Or Give Us Back Our Money

The city now has no choice but to ask the Legislature for more help with the rail project, says Council Chair Ernie Martin.
Secret No More: Rail Subcontractors Received $235M In One Year Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Secret No More: Rail Subcontractors Received $235M In One Year

For years, HART officials refused to release how much money subcontractors were being paid on the biggest infrastructure project in state history. Until now.
FTA Gives Honolulu More Time For Rail Plan Anthony Quintano / Civil Beat

FTA Gives Honolulu More Time For Rail Plan

UPDATED: But with a new deadline set at year's end, the feds balked at giving the city as much time as it wanted to figure out what's next.
HART Signs $875M Contract To Build Rail To Middle Street Cory Lum/Civil Beat

HART Signs $875M Contract To Build Rail To Middle Street

There's not enough money to go any farther on the project. City officials are now scrambling for solutions.