Honolulu City Council approves rail question

The Honolulu City Council on Wednesday voted 9-0 to allow voters to have a direct say on a proposed rail system.

The resolution requires two more readings before it can be adopted and it can still be vetoed by Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

Councilman Charles Djou had introduced two resolutions, including one that asks voters if Honolulu should establish a steel-on-steel rail system, as is favored by Hannemann.

Content Continues Below

A second resolution, connecting voter approval of a transit authority to voter approval of the proposed rail system, was deferred.

Amendments to the city charter must receive 6 of 9 council votes to be adopted by Sept. 5 for placement on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

The mayor may also veto any proposed amendment resolutions, a veto that cannot be overridden by the City Council.

Hannemann, who is running for reelection, faces several challengers this fall.

They include Ann Kobayashi, who gave up her Council seat Tuesday to run for mayor. She favors a rubber wheel-on-concrete fixed guideway system.

Panos Prevedouros, a University of Hawaii engineering professor, is also running. He opposes a rail system in favor of building new high-occupancy lanes for cars and improving existing roads.