In announcing his run for mayor earlier this month, former Gov. Ben Cayetano made some statements about Honolulu’s rail project that we thought warranted a closer look.

In particular, Cayetano said “a wall of concrete snaking along its waterfront” would scar the city’s beauty.

The Civil Beat Fact Check grade is in, and we determined the statement was Half True.

Here’s our conclusion:

It’s true that a small section of the route runs very close to the waterfront and a larger segment is in the general vicinity of the ocean. But the line is 20 miles long and in some spots is not particularly close to any water at all. Cayetano uses metaphor and imagery to create the impression that the rail system will be built on the coast, and that’s not entirely accurate.

We measured distances from the water along the route and showed you, via Google Maps, the view down Bishop Street toward the waterfront.

Read the full, updated Fact Check here: Cayetano: Rail A Wall of Concrete Snaking Along Honolulu’s Waterfront

(Photo courtesy Honolulutransit.com)