When we assign blame we are pointing the finger to who or what is responsible for a fault or for a wrong doing. We are trying to make others accountable. Blaming does not solve a problem it usually only makes people defensive. Alot of people are all talk, what they say and what they do are two different things. As the saying goes, talk is cheap. Without actions behind the talk, it is all useless. - Catherine Pulsifer

1. RESPONSIBLE FOR SAFETY – HART RAIL PROJECT
Governor David Ige, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, HART Interim CEO Lori Kahikina
FUNDAMENTAL TO IMPROVING SAFETY MANAGEMENT AT AN ORGANIZATION
IS THE ROLE OF ITS TOP LEADERSHIP. Decisions executed by top management
determine the priority assigned to safety within the organization, for instance through financial
control. As highlighted previously, a well articulated and communicated safety policy is a
prerequisite for an effective safety management system, and it is the responsibility of senior
leadership to articulate and communicate the safety policy. [Emphasis Supplied]
Source: Handbook on High-Speed Rail and Quality of Life Edited by Yoshitsugu Hayashi,
KE Seetha Ram, and Shreyas Bharule, Asian Development Bank Institute, 2020
<https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/571691/adbi-handbook-high-speed-rail-quality-life.pdf#page=446>
___________________________________
Department of Transportation, Secretary Anthony R. Fox letter to Governor David Y. Ige
April 3, 2016
Dear Governor lge:
I am writing to notify you that on March 16, 2016, the Federal Transit Administration (FT A)
published a final rule for the State Safety Oversight (SSO) of rail fixed guideway systems that
promotes safety by significantly strengthening States' authorities to prevent and mitigate
accidents and incidents.
The new SSO rule requires each State with a rail fixed guideway public transportation
System-which includes any light, heavy, or rapid rail system; trolley; streetcar; or other types
of automated guideway- to have a compliant SSO Program with adequate enforcement
authority certified by FTA. For your awareness, States have until April 15, 2019, to fully
comply with the new SSO rule. This extended period of time was implemented in statute to
allow States to take the necessary steps, including any required legislative action, to establish
a fully compliant SSO Agency. Congress has authorized FTA to withhold Federal funds from
a State that has not been certified as compliant by that time.
Under the new rule, in order to achieve and maintain program compliance, the SSO Agency
must: I) be financially and legally independent from any rail fixed guideway public
transportation system that it oversees; 2) have, or be able to obtain, investigative and
enforcement authority regarding rail transit safety; 3) have, or be able to obtain, the authority
to require, review, approve, oversee, and enforce the implementation of each rail transit
agency's public transportation agency safety plan; and 4) require all State employees and
other SSO program personnel to be certified through the FT A public transportation safety
certification training program. States also will be responsible for the non-Federal share of the
costs of the SSO Agency activities that will be financed with Federal financial assistance.
We are confident that the resources and support of FTA will provide your State with the
capability to ensure safe and effective oversight of our Nation's critical rail fixed guideway
public transportation systems. Hawaii received Federal Transit Administration (FTA) State
Safety Oversight (SSO) programs, that includes the HART Rail Project on March 19, 2018.

2. SAFETY ISSUES – THE HART RAIL PROJECT
FROGS
Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Interim CEO Lori Kahikina said some train
wheels do not properly fit track crossings in some sections of the project.
“On the train, when we have to cross rails ... it's called a FROG. it's where the tracks cross.
and this crossing, THERE'S FIVE OF THEM ON THE WEST SIDE, the wheels that
(are) on the cars, it doesn’t fit correctly during the crossing. “I’m thinking the proper way to
address this issue is to change all those frogs. They're very expensive, and they're built on the
mainland, and they need to be manufactured and shipped here. That could delay one year.”
Source: Honolulu rail authority CEO says another delay possible The Associated Press, MARCH 18,
2021 <https://apnews.com/article/transportation-honolulu-4b36b1cc89ac6355cace53c41d4bfa55>
HART CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Board of Directors Meeting, MARCH 18, 2021, Honolulu, Hawaii
<http://hartdocs.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-25003/_20200318-construction-and-traffic-update.pdf>
TRACK ISSUES
1. SWITCH SLIDE PLATES
2. CRACKING IN THE FROGS
3. WHEEL/RAIL INTERFACE
4. SPEED THROUGH THE DOUBLE CROSSOVER IN THE TANGENT POSITION
_____________________________________
BOGGED DOWN IN THE MUCK & MIRE
FINGER POINTING – THE BLAME GAME
With 16 miles out of 20 built, the rail is continuing to grapple with repairs needed for track
infrastructure. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is disputing claims with
contractors about who is responsible for several track problems.
There are three issues with the rail tracks that were presented to the Honolulu City Council on
Monday—one dating back to pieces installed six years ago. SEVENTY SIDE SWITCH
PLATES, which are what tracks rest on when they switch, were not properly welded along
the edges, HART Interim Chief Executive Officer Lori Kahikina explained during the Council
transportation committee meeting. The authority originally attributed the issue to "shoddy "
workmanship by the contractor Kiewit. However, that has been determined to not be the case.
“After further investigation, it appears the switch plates were provided to Kiewit by HART,”
HART Director of Government Relations and Public Involvement Joey Manahan said in an
email. “The only field welds that Kiewit was contracted to perform have not failed to date.”
HART is still investigating who is responsible for the substandard welding, as it is not yet
clear whether it was the manufacturer's fault or a maintenance issue of the side switch plates.

3. The plates will need to be reset, and the welding will need to be redone. HART is still
deciding who will do the repairs, and assessing the cost and schedule impacts.
In the Monday update Kahikina estimated that the repair would cost about $130, 000 and take
about three months. However, those estimates could change with the new information.
Another pressing issue is the rail's wheels being about half an inch too small to fit in the area
where the tracks cross, called FROGS. “That does pose a safety issue when the train has to go
over the crossing,” Kahikina said.
The repairs will need to be made before the rail can start interim service. A final solution to
the issue has not yet been determined. HART is debating whether to modify the wheels or the
96 AFFECTED FROGS. There are several options under discussion by HART and the
suppliers to determine the safety, cost and long-term impacts of each of the options,” Manahan
said.
“All of the parties are working diligently to find an option that can be implemented quickly to
restore the testing schedule.” He added that if needed, a different, permanent solution will be
implemented when parts can be created and installed. The cost and scheduling impacts are still
being assessed but will not affect the overall rail delivery date of 2031. The issue was
discovered late last year under previous CEO Andy Robbins, but Kahikina was notified only a
few weeks ago.
Kahikina explained during the Council meeting that the issues with the wheel alignment are
the responsibility of the core system's contractor, Hitachi. The language is pretty black and
white ; the interface of the wheel and the tracks is on Hitachi, " she said. The language is tight
already. Now it's just a matter of disputing what their claim is against what I believe is
correct.”
The last issue was with three of the frogs on the west side that have cracking issues. During a
sandblasting process, voids were created. However, the cracks could not be identified until
force was put over the rails and external pieces were cracked off. Kahikina expected the
repairs to take about two to three days and cost about $20, 000. The cracks are “superficial”
and “easily fixed,” and the repairs will include welding the frogs back down. This is not the
first time faults were discovered in the rail track. it was found that plastic parts of the rail
guideway that give the tracks a level surface were cracking.
Kahikina is turning to the city Department of Budget and Fiscal Services and Department of
Environmental Services, where she was director, for advising on how to make sure HART
contracts hold contractors accountable who have done substandard work.
“They're looking at our current contracts right now,” she said, answering Councilwoman
Radiant Cordero's question about the issue.
“They're going to help us to package a better contract vehicle going forward. ... Some of the
language I'm used to seeing there didn't exist in HART's contracts. So I want to make sure the
teeth that we had there, we have also have in HART's contracts.”

4. Kahikina also has implemented a policy at HART where before applying for a permit through
the city, designs must be 100 % completed. In the past, HART had an agreement with the city
that permits could be expedited for the project if designs were at least 90 % completed. It has
to be done so that the city departments can do their proper review,”she said.
Cordero, who chairs the Transportation, Sustainability and Health committee, appreciated
Kahikina's transparency with the Council on the rail's issues.
“I do believe it's helpful,” she said. “I have to understand all ... the past issues that past
Council decisions have now dealt our current members, is the same thing that the new
leadership at HART is dealing with.”
The cost of the rail has ballooned to $12.4 billion. The final stretch through the Dillingham
corridor to Ala Moana Center has yet to be completed. HART officials are still working on
readjusting the route through the Dillingham corridor, shifting it closer to the sidewalk to
avoid putting both makai and mauka Hawaiian Electric power lines underground.
Source: Honolulu rail project still determining who is responsible for needed rail track repairs
By Ashley Mizuo, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, March 26, 2021. Posted in Yahoo Life
<https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/honolulu-rail-project-still-determining-161100768.html>
Underwater In More Ways Than One
John Pritchett