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A majority of Oahu residents support the Honolulu Rail Transit project, according to the results of a May poll that were released this week by Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle and the City Council Transportation and Transit Planning Committee.

Fifty-seven percent of the respondents said they support transit rail and 40 percent said they opposed the project, according to a survey of 900 Oahu residents conducted by QMark Research for PB Americas Inc., the project’s engineering consultant. Supporters cited environmental and traffic concerns, the need for reliable and convenient transportation, and rail's benefit to the economy as reasons they back the project.

The $5.5 billion Honolulu Rail Transit project calls for building a 20-mile, 21-station elevated rail system connecting East Kapolei with Ala Moana Center. The first leg is scheduled to open in 2015 and the entire route is slated for completion in 2019.

Although 70 percent of the respondents believed rail would bring much-needed jobs to Oahu and help the overall economy, and 58 percent said they believe rail is a good investment in the island’s future, “concerns over cost underscore the importance of bringing the project in on time and on budget," said Carlisle in a prepared statement.

Residents' feedback on the project is important as the city prepares to transition governance to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART), which will begin overseeing the project on July 1, he said.

“[The survey] provides useful information for the HART board of directors as its members prepare to make major decisions that will guide the rail project,” said Carlisle.