Transportation officials predict that a proposed mass-transit system could account for more than 120,000 passengers a day by 2030.

But yesterday in West O'ahu, the area where officials say the transit line could provide the most relief from traffic congestion, many people doubted the project would be completed in time for them to use it.

"I would like to see it in my lifetime so that if I chose to use it, it would be there," said Tina Grice, 51, of Kapolei, who was shopping for holiday flowers at the local Safeway store. "But I don't see it in the near distant future."

Mayor Mufi Hannemann said he hopes construction on the line could begin by 2009 and be finished 10 years later. A first segment, perhaps six to 10 miles long, could be running by 2012, he said.

Based on her view of Ho-nolulu's past projects, Grice predicted the construction would take three times longer than planned and would cost that much more as well.

Domingo Carino agreed about the timetable. He drives on Fort Weaver Road from 'Ewa Beach five days a week to get to work in Kalihi and described it as a nightmare.

"Sometimes you'll see the light turn green three times before you can even make it through an intersection," said Carino, 50, who was shopping yesterday with his grandson, Chance Kuhlman, 2.

"Of course I would use the transit. Traffic gets so bad here," he said.

But Carino was skeptical about the timetable for completion. He said the Fort Weaver Road widening project was supposed to be done already.

"It's still not finished," he said. "Usually every time there are delays, delays, delays."

Akiki Irons, 56, of 'Ewa Beach was delighted that the transit line would actually be built.

"And the sooner the better," exclaimed Irons, who said he doesn't even have bus service where he lives in Iroquois Point. "To me it doesn't matter if it's rail, or tires, or whatever, as long as we get out of this Fort Weaver Road traffic mess. Imagine people not being able to move in 'Ewa Beach because of all that development and all those houses coming in."

Figures included in the city's $10 million alternatives-analysis study for transit predict that population will increase 74 percent in the 'Ewa-'Ewa Beach area and a whopping 587 percent, to more than 81,000 people, in the Kapolei-Ko Olina-Kalaeloa area by 2030.

"Without transit it would take us — what? — 10, 12 hours just to get from St. Francis Hospital to Star Market in 'Ewa Beach," Irons said.

Lori Torres was not convinced that the transit system would live up to its billing.

"I really don't think it's going to alleviate traffic that much," she said. "It will help some people. But I think the next generation of kids will want to drive. They're not going to want to use transit."

Brandon Lozano of Ma'ili was excited about riding some form of transit to his job in downtown Honolulu — provided the starting point was in a convenient location, such as Kapolei.

"I work in town and catch the bus every morning," said Lozano, 22. "So I'm all for transit. It will relieve this traffic, and we'll save on gas. Pretty much all the people I know who work in town, we all catch the bus together. They're all for it."

Lawanda Romine of Kapolei was pleased about the City Council's transit decision, although she said it should have been done years ago.

Told that the line might carry more than 120,000 passengers a day by 2030, she replied, "I'm in my 70s. I won't be riding it then."

"I just hope that whatever they decide to do will be beneficial for the most people."

Reactions were mixed among the homeless people camped at Ma'ili Beach. Some said they might use a transit system. Others doubted they would.

Alice Greenwood, 60, wasn't sure it would ever make much difference to the homeless population living along the Wai'anae Coast. Still, she said it would be convenient to take a bus to Kapolei and switch to a transit line that would carry her straight to downtown Honolulu.

Kaleo Bush, a carpenter who lives on the beach, said transit might make life more convenient for homeless folks to get around the Island in the short term. But in the long run, he said it probably wouldn't really matter.

"In another five, 10 years from now there's going to be even more people living on the beach, because of the high cost of living," said Bush, 34. "There won't be houses, there will just be all homeless shelters."

Whether or not people get around via transit will be the least of government's problems, he said.

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com and Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.