The governor today announced she has signed a petition calling for a public referendum on O'ahu's rail transit system.

According to a news release, Gov. Linda Lingle is not advocating a position for or against the current rail plan, and is remaining neutral at this time on whether people should vote "yes" or "no" on the ballot issue.

"My reason for signing this petition is to give the people of O'ahu the opportunity to make an informed decision on what will be the most expensive project in state history," Lingle said in a statement.

The statement said Lingle's support for putting the rail issue before voters is consistent with her long-standing position of letting the people decide on major public policy decisions such as local school boards and whether or not to hold a Constitutional Convention.

The statement also said Lingle's past support of rail transit has not changed, and that she believes a rail system could be a viable transportation alternative for the island.

Opponents of a rail system launched a petition drive April 21 with a goal of garnering 40,000 signatures needed to get an anti-train ordinance on the November ballot. The group now claims to have reached that goal with three weeks remaining until an Aug. 4 deadline.

However, the City Clerk's office maintains the group will need valid signatures of at least 44,525 registered voters. That means Stop Rail Now could need significantly more signatures to ensure a vote on the issue.

City rules allow citizens to adopt measures via referendum, but they must first gather enough signatures to get their issue on the ballot. Stop Rail Now's proposed ordinance reads: "Honolulu mass transit shall not include trains or rail."