Honolulu rail's camera investment questioned
Under the terms of the $223,000 agreement with EarthCam, HART is installing cameras at the future sites of all 21 rail stations as well as the Maintenance and Storage Facility. Critics are concerned with the project's costs increasingly rising, overall.

Photo courtesy John Seung-Hwan Shin

Photo courtesy John Seung-Hwan Shin
HONOLULU — The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) is under fire from critics for its decision to spend $223,000 on time-lapse video cameras when it is already reportedly facing cost overruns, according to KITV.
Just last month, Honolulu’s rail project announced the lowest bid for construction of the first nine rail stations came in $100 million over budget. HART had estimated the contract at $184 million, but the lowest bid by Nan Inc. was pegged at $294.5 million.
Under the terms of the agreement with EarthCam, HART is installing cameras at the future sites of all 21 rail stations as well as the Maintenance and Storage Facility. The contract calls for the ability to automatically create “time-lapse construction videos that can be posted to a website or embedded in a Web page.” For the full story, click here.
More Rail

FRA Announces $5.3B in Rail Investments, Including $2B for Amtrak
Funding will support grade-crossing improvements, infrastructure upgrades, and new Amtrak equipment in 23 states.
Read More →
Finding the ‘Happy Medium’: Optimizing Maintenance Without Sacrificing Reliability
The key to maintenance optimization isn’t doing less work—it’s doing the right work at the right time on the right assets.
Read More →
OKC Streetcar Makes Zero-Fare Service Permanent
Ridership increased an average of 71% compared with the same period a year earlier during the fare-free pilot.
Read More →
DART Customer Satisfaction Reaches Six-Year High
Overall satisfaction rose to 74.9%, while the agency’s Net Promoter Score reached a record 33.7.
Read More →
How DART's GoPass Is Redefining Regional Mobility
Serving 14 transit agencies, GoPass simplifies multimodal travel by allowing riders to plan, pay for, and manage an entire trip through one app.
Read More →
Amtrak Board Advances Plan to Restructure Organization, Seeks Public Input
The proposal, developed by Amtrak management and approved by the board for further consideration, is intended to modernize the organization's structure while improving accountability, operational efficiency, and customer service.
Read More →
Biz Briefs: STV teams with Amtrak, Motorcoach Operators Boost Fleet and Land Contracts, and More
From manufacturers and suppliers to transit agencies and motorcoach operators, these updates offer a snapshot of the projects, partnerships and business moves driving the industry forward.
Read More →
Metra Celebrates 100 Years of Electric Rail, Looks to the Future
The event was also a celebration of recent reforms to public transportation in the Chicago area, changes that could be as transformative in the future as the major civic achievement a century ago, said officials.
Read More →
LA Metro Marks Banner Year, Sets Ambitious Goals for New Fiscal Year
Incoming LA Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joined outgoing Board Chair Fernando Dutra and LA Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins to review accomplishments from fiscal year 2026, which included the opening of new rail extensions, advancement of major transit projects, expanded safety programs, and new rider amenities.
Read More →
DART Taps Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. as Next President/CEO
Since 2012, Ford has served as the CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority
Read More →