Episode 15: Homelessness on O’ahu
This week, Mayor Rick Blangiardi joins host Brandi Higa on the One Oʻahu Podcast to talk about his expectations for opening day of O’ahu’s rail system on June 30, 2023, a plan that will soon provide dozens of beds for homeless individuals who are in need of medical respite, and a unified call to protect our aquifer.
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Rail Interim Opening
Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced on May 10, 2023 that the first phase of the City and County of Honolulu’s long-awaited rail transit system will officially begin interim passenger operations at 2 p.m. on June 30, 2023, with a grand opening celebration at the Hālawa rail station featuring dignitaries and entertainment slated for earlier in the day.
“I think really, quite honestly, as I said, this is going to be a very efficient run,” explained Mayor Blangiardi. “This is Kapolei to Aloha Stadium in 21 minutes with buses waiting for people, compared to all of the unknowns of riding on that road in the morning. Coming from there, knowing the density that's out there, I just feel like we're making something happen that most people didn't believe would happen.”
The first phase of the City’s rail project covers a roughly 11-mile stretch between the Kualaka`i Station in East Kapolei and the Hālawa Station near Aloha Stadium. Passenger services to additional stations further east along the rail line are scheduled to commence in phases over the coming years.
All rides on the new rail system will be free for the entire opening weekend, a period spanning between 2 p.m. on June 30, the day the system opens, until the last train runs on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. Additionally, TheBus will also be waiving fares for all riders between July 1 and July 4.
Beds for our most vulnerable
The City’s Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement Program (CORE) started moving in to the Iwilei Resource Center over the weekend. The 24 bed facility is being prepared for its intended mission of helping the most vulnerable in our community.
Another project, in partnership with the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), will be able to provide an additional eight beds at a clinic on Pauahi Street.
“At the end of the day, the solution with the agenda we have, which is to give these people their dignity, is to be able to take them someplace and provide treatment,” added Mayor Blangiardi.
These sites will be able to provide medical respite and wrap-around services to homeless individuals in a clean, safe, and dignified environment.
Protecting our aquifer
On May 9, 2023, in a historic show of solidarity, Mayor Blangiardi joined State and other City leaders at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol to sign a unified statement on Red Hill, calling for aquifer remediation and an integrated approach to resolving the water crisis.
“Defueling the tanks is only one thing,” explained Mayor Blangiardi. “It's more about the ongoing making sure the preservation of our aquifers are going to remain intact. And I think that's what this one voice is more about. It's a long term commitment to the future to make sure, yeah, we didn't get by this hurdle, but what else is going to happen?”
The signed proclamation represents the shared responsibility in Hawaiʻi's leadership to preserve access to safe, pure water and signifies each member's commitment to cooperating across all governmental levels and agencies.
