Rail was not the preferred option.  Managed Lane was.  The Final Environmental Impact Study dismissed Managed Lane outright even though the cost would have been much much cheaper than rail and at the same time Managed Lane would have provided commuters travel without traffic congestion same as rail.  Plus Managed Lane would be over $100 million a year in savings without rail.
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Not the Jetsons. This is what the State DOT or City DTS needs to do to relieve congestion
(1) install a modern technology that takes control of traffic lights 
(2) remodel existing intersection design of intersections with heavy traffic as in downtown Honolulu to a new one that eliminates the of stopping  traffic to allow left turns, a design that allows vehicles to make a left turn simultaneously with vehicles moving forward.