Acting chair for the Seattle Monorail Project, Kristina Hill, said she believes that with the support of the Seattle City Council and the community, the Monorail Project still has a chance to emerge as a successful mass transit system for the city.

Hill said since the project originated with the people, the project is not getting a fair share of attention from the state or the city.

"I think they see us as a different kind of project than Sound Transit who had two years to do a turnaround," said Hill. "It's an unfortunate reality, but I have heard from many elected officials that the general thought is, if you come from an initiative you should rely on the people for funding, not government."

Nevertheless, the Seattle Monorail Board hopes they will be able to come up with a plan to satisfy both the City Council and the people.

City Council support for the monorail has waned in the past months, and with elections nearing for four council seats, Hill said some council members seem wary to go against the public majority on contentious issues.

"I think a lot of council members have been scared by the headlines," said Hill. "A lot of them need to have public support to endorse things that are controversial."

After weeks of searching, an interim director was finally appointed by the Seattle Monorail Project's board of director's last Wednesday.

The new interim director, John Haley, is currently a principal with Booz Allen Hamilton in San Francisco where he regularly consults with transit organizations nationally. Monorail hopes Haley will unsnarl the many challenges that have emerged since the $11 billion, 50 year financing plan was presented to and rejected by the board.

"He is here to help us with the turnaround and figure out the next step," said Hill. "He could be used to close up shop, but if things work out we will most likely want to hire him."

Hill said it is important to acknowledge that the board isn't sure they will be able to go ahead with the project, which is why they have only hired Haley on an interim basis.

"John Haley has experience in transit, in monorail, in finance and in contracting," said Cleve Stockmeyer, one of only two elected monorail directors.

"That real world transit-building experience is what we need to move forward. He is known as a no-nonsense executive who thrives on tackling difficult challenges and works effectively with elected leaders."

Stockmeyer chaired the Board's search committee who began looking for someone to replace the original director, Joel Horn, in July.

Mayor Greg Nickels recently proposed a deadline to the monorail board giving them until September 15 to come up with a new plan for the flailing monorail project. But Hill claimed that the board had already set a similar deadline for themselves for September14.

"I didn't find the mayor's request particularly difficult," said Hill. "We were already hoping to come up with a feasible finance and scope plan for around that time."

Bellevue recruiting firm, Jensen and Cooper, was hired to find someone that could help put the monorail back on track and it found 16 highly qualified people from all over the country, said Hill, which monorail narrowed to Haley.

"It reflects how interested people are in this project," said Hill. "It really gives us hope. I think we'll come to a good outcome with integrity. I don't know whether we can do that without a financially responsible plan and without support from the City Council."

The board's goals are to create a credible finance proposal with the help of Kevin Phelps, their newly hired finance advisor. Hill said it is possible the finance plan could be shortened to around 30 years instead of the earlier 50-year proposed plan.

Also on the agenda is a plan for shortening the 14-mile Green Line by "cutting off the tails," said Hill, which would mean the monorail would go from Alaska Street in West Seattle to Market Street in Ballard. Shortening the monorail line could require another vote, she said.

"We could build the Morgan Junction connection later," said Hill. "We are working hard and everyone is trying to keep their calm so they can work."

According to a Seattle Monorail Project news release, Haley has managed and consulted with many large transportation projects nationwide, and has substantial experience with the design-build-operate-maintain contracting approach employed by Seattle Monorail Project.

Haley has said he is thrilled to be working on a project that he called "the most exciting transportation project in the country right now." He said in a news release there are challenges, but said he feels confident that "with a reasonable finance plan and project approach, this project can work and that the Monorail Green Line will be an important part of Seattle's rapid transit system."

Besides being general manager for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, in Boston, Haley led the effort to develop and implement a plan for re-opening the Las Vegas Monorail after its shutdown and led a similar effort for the Newark Airport Monorail. He has also held executive positions with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Bay Area Rapid Transit in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Haley is scheduled to start work today.

In the meantime, Hill said the board is working to answer tough questions quickly.

"If we don't build it now, will it be even more expensive later to build," said Hill. "I think the voters would push for money to go to transit."

The Seattle Monorail Project plans to start what they call Monorail Days, setting up information booths within communities, at events and grocery stores, to better explain to the public the mission of the project. We need community support, said Hill.