Hot Air About HOT Lanes

At the August 23 media event for the signing of Bill 40, the Mayor issued "The Facts Behind HOT Lanes," a two-page commentary on the HOT lanes proposal. Our primary concerns with this commentary are as follows:

The Mayor says that a two-lane HOT lanes facility would only carry 1,400 vehicles per lane hour as opposed to the 1,800 and 2,000 vehicles that we have used.

See this URL: http://tinyurl.com/73spn

The Federal Highway Administration's "Guide for HOT lane Development," Chapter 6, page 1, says that the Orange County SR-91 HOT lanes carry 1,800 vehicles per hour and that traffic instability only occurs for vehicles in excess of 2,000 per hour.

The Mayor shows little understanding of how HOT lanes operate when he computes the total cost for an average family using it every day. In practice, as the tells us, hardly any motorists use the HOT lanes on a daily basis.

Across income groups, HOT lanes are used sporadically for those times when the cost of the toll is less than the cost in time and/or money for being late to pick up children from day care, being late for work, missing a doctor's appointment, etc. They are favored heavily, across income groups, even by those who rarely use them because they are seen as a reliable option that can be used when necessity dictates.

The Mayor says that the HOT lanes will be twice as wide as a transit guideway so it would cost twice as much. First, the fact is that the rail line would be 35 feet wide and the HOT lanes will be 42 feet wide (two lanes @ 12 feet and two safety lanes @ eight feet with two one foot barriers).

That means that the HOT lanes will be only 20 percent wider than the rail line would have been. Second, the idea that a simple highway - a bid project - would cost more than a non-bid rail project with all its trains, stations each with stairs, elevators, escalators, rails - and few potential suppliers - is ludicrous.

We can always provide you with federal government citations for any statements we have made about rail transit and HOT lanes - just ask.

References: http://tinyurl.com/73spn, http://www.honolulutraffic.com/lexuslane.htm, http://www.honolulutraffic.com/pillarwidth.gif

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Don't Blame Governor Lingle for Tax Increase
In Sam Slom's Small Business Views (September, 2005) he comments that Linda Lingle could have stopped Act 247 (GET increase) with a veto. I have to assume he was joking. I guess a veto would have been symbolic, but I'm assuming Senator Slom attended the recall session where 12 vetoes were overridden. It would have taken a few more minutes of his time to make it 13. The Democrats introduced the bill, they passed the bill and they would have overridden a veto.

I also find the heading of John Fund's article "Aloha Also Means Goodbye" quite appropriate. As an optimistic conservative, I would very much like to say "good-bye" to Mr. Fund and his pontifications on Hawaii. I hope he is so disenchanted that he won't return and will keep his nose out of Hawaii's business.

I would very much like to speak to the "leading conservative" he anonymously quoted. If the person recognizes him or herself from this quote I would appreciate a call.

I think there is RINO loose in this zoo and I think Small Business Hawaii should look in a mirror to find out exactly what the creature looks like. Reasoned criticism is acceptable. Blaming the Governor for actions taken by a Democrat legislature is not acceptable.

Aloha,
Shirley Hasenyager

Artist

October 2005 SB News Front Page

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