In reply to:
"Problem with the new report is that it recommends street level rail which aggravates congestion by removing one lane from our already congested streets." Reuban Reyes

(Regarding the report that proposes making the Middle St. to Ala Moana leg of rail at street level vs elevated)

Reuban, if you check out the www.salvagetherail.org website under FAQ ( on the report page) it notes that if the last 5 miles of rail are constructed at street level it would only take 3 minutes more from Middle St to Al Moana then it would take if the rail was elevated. At grade "rail can maintain 30 MPH throughout  downtown and managed lanes (for trains and buses only) keep trains running independently of auto traffic speeds..."  One of the report/proposal authors Chuck Wilson addresses lane usage/congestion on the website video interview.  

The report appears to be well researched and the consulting technical expert is a top international rail designer with 45 years of experience.