HART board approves Grabauskas as CEO, rail project director

Yesterday, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s (HART) board voted unanimously to hire Daniel Grabauskas as chief executive officer and executive director to oversee the Honolulu Rail Transit project.

Grabauskas will begin his new role in mid-April, HART officials said in a prepared statement. He will oversee the agency responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of the $5.2 billion project, which calls for building a 20-mile, 21-station elevated rail system to connect East Kapolei with Ala Moana Center.

“I am fully committed to helping bring this project to reality,” said Grabauskas, who formerly served as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and transportation secretary for the state of Massachusetts.

At MBTA, Grabauskas oversaw a 6,100-employee operation with an annual operating budget of $1.4 billion and an annual capital budget of more than $500 million. During his tenure, the agency completed several capital expansion projects, including an 18-mile commuter-rail line.