Hawai'i state lawmakers are still struggling to find the best option to fund the cash strapped Honolulu Rail Transit project.
Light Rail routes can carry three times the number of passengers as buses. Photo: Auckland Transport
The $US8.2 billion plan needs another $2.5 billion from taxpapers to extend the tracks to the Ala Moana shopping center.
The issue was discussed at a hearing this week, two weeks before a special session of the Legislature on August 28.
The Honolulu mayor says the state's general excise tax should be increased to pay for the project, but other tax options are on the table.
The project was originally priced at $US5.2 billion and some locals say it is the most expensive rail project per capita in the United States.