FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                 January 24, 2007

Release No. M-09-07

MAYOR LOBBIES FOR TRANSIT FUNDING IN CAPITAL

WASHINGTON, D.C. – It’s chilly outside, but Honolulu’s mass transit project is drawing a warm reception from congressional leaders and federal officials as Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann updates them on the project.

“We’re getting support and encouragement across the board,” said Hannemann, who arrived in Washington Sunday. “They’re all impressed with the progress we’ve made.”

Hannemann met individually with all four members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation, Senators Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye and Representatives Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono, who all renewed their support for the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project. In addition, the mayor made presentations on the project and the need for federal funding to:

·       Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, chairwoman of the Senate Transportation Appropriations  Subcommittee;

·       Rep. John Mica of Florida, senior Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee;

·       Rep. Joe Knollenberg of Michigan, senior Republican on the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee;

·       James Simpson, head of the Federal Transit Administration, and

·        Key congressional staff members.

Abercrombie joined Hannemann in the presentation for HMica, who indicated strong support for federal funding Honolulu’s transit project.

Hannemann is on a week-long trip to Washington. Last night, he was in the Capitol gallery to see President George W. Bush present his State of the Union address, at the invitation of Hirono.

The mayor is also attending the 75^th Winter Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington. Besides meeting with many of his mayoral counterparts from across the country, he also met privately with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Barack Obama and Ethel Kennedy, widow of the late Senator Robert Kennedy.

Today Hannemann is presiding over his first meeting as chairman of the conference’s standing committee on tourism, arts, parks, entertainment and sports. Other speakers appearing before the Conference of Mayors gathering include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representative John Lewis and Senators Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, Chuck Hagel, and Joe Biden.

Hannemann is also a member of the Advisory Board of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a post he was elected to last year.

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Contact:

Bill Brennan, 527-6928

Mark Matsunaga, 527-5767