GOOD RESPONSE TO CITY’S TRANSIT TECHNOLOGY RFI

All Eligible Modes Represented

Twelve submittals have been received from suppliers of a range of fixed guideway transit system vehicles in response to the City and County of Honolulu’s Request for Information (RFI).   The RFI is intended to supplement and expand the City’s understanding of available fixed guideway transit system vehicle technologies that meet the City’s requirements for its planned transit system.  The submittals include all four technology options discussed in the City Council Resolution 07-367.  They are “steel wheel on steel rail”, “rubber tire on concrete”, “monorail”, and “magnetic levitation”.  Information received will be reviewed and evaluated by a five member independent panel which will select the fixed guideway vehicle technology.

“January 24, 2008 was the deadline for submissions.  The RFI was issued late last year, and the following manufacturers or technology supplier groups responded,” stated Department of Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka: 

§       Advanced Public Transport Systems, submitted rubber tire vehicles that run on concrete;

§       ALSTOM Transport, submitted steel wheel/steel rail vehicles;

§       AnsaldoBreda Transportation, Inc., submitted steel wheel/steel rail vehicles;

§       Bombardier Transportation, submitted steel wheel/steel rail vehicles;

§       Hitachi America, submitted monorail vehicles;

§       IHI  Corporation, submitted rubber tire vehicles that run on concrete;

§       Mitsubishi-Itochu, submitted magnetic levitation vehicles;

§       Mitsubishi-Sumitomo, submitted steel wheel/steel rail vehicles;

§       Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc., submitted steel wheel/steel rail vehicles;

§       Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc., submitted rubber tired vehicles that run on concrete;

§       Thales, submitted specialized train control systems;

§       Translohr, submitted rubber tired vehicles that run on concrete.

Photos of some of the vehicles produced by these manufacturers are available at the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project website at http://www.honolulutransit.org

“I’m very pleased by the tremendous response we’ve received,” said Mayor Mufi Hannemann.  “The interest being expressed by a wide variety of vehicle manufacturers ensures that this will result in a rigorous, competitive procurement process in the future. I’m confident that Honolulu is going to get the technology that best meets our needs at an extremely competitive price.”

In accordance with the resolution passed by the Honolulu City Council establishing the technology selection panel, the transit vehicle technology will be selected within 30 days of receipt of the RFI submittals.  In keeping with that time line, the independent technology panel is scheduled to make a technology selection by the end of February.