Bill 71 was voted through unanimously on its first reading in the council on Wednesday, and if it becomes law it would revoke the city’s $214m rail construction subsidy, minus $70m that has already been incurred in earlier budgets.
The bill follows the council’s announcement that it was withdrawing support from the light rail P3 project, which is being procured by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit (HART).
HART has insisted it will continue with the procurement, which is currently at shortlist stage, and could still be able to deliver the project via the planned federal funding.
A board meeting of the agency is due to take place tomorrow, where the executive director is to lay out the plans for the future of the P3 scheme.