Meanwhile, Mayor Jeremy Harris announced that bus service cuts that were to go into effect Sunday have been postponed for 30 days to give the council time to come up with the fare package bill that could avert a citywide bus strike.

The public will have a chance to comment on the latest bus fare proposal when the Council meets in special session to hear Bill 55 Monday at 10 a.m.

The 25-cent-a-ride proposal by the administration was easily the most assailed part of the original Bill 55 as it came under criticism by seniors used to paying $25 for a two-year pass that gave them free rides.

The new draft also increases the cash fare for youths, now 75 cents, to $1 instead of the proposed 85 cents. Adult cash fares, which went up a quarter on July 1 but were not increased in the original bill, would stay at $1.75.

The new draft places greater stress on the concept that riders of all ages need to pay a "premium" for using express buses, which arrive more frequently and have fewer stops.

The new draft continues to charge 25 cents more, regardless of age, for riding an express bus. Even those with a regular monthly pass would need to fork over a quarter, unless they purchase a different, more expensive premium pass.

A regular adult monthly pass that now costs $30 would go to $35 rather than the $37 originally proposed, but the new monthly premium pass would cost $45.

Youths, defined as those 6 to 17, now paying $13.50 for a monthly pass would have to pay $20 as opposed to the $18.50 originally planned, but would have to pay $30 if they want to buy a monthly premium pass and avoid the additional quarter to ride express routes.

Seniors would pay $30 for a monthly premium pass.

The new plan also sets up day passes for adults and youths that would allow them to ride all day for one set price. Adults would pay $5 for such a pass, youths $2.50.

Transportation Committee Chairman Nestor Garcia said the plan is still in flux and he urged the public to review the latest draft, available from the city clerk’s Committee Services Office on the second floor of Honolulu Hale, and then attend Monday’s meeting.

Meanwhile, the mayor’s delay in the proposed service cuts received favorable reaction.

The cuts are a key sticking point in contract talks between O'ahu Transit Services and the Hawai'i Teamsters and Allied Workers Local 996, which represents the city’s 1,300 bus workers. The cuts amount to 100,000 service hours per year, or about 6 percent of TheBus operations.

Teamsters leaders last night were preparing what they called their "last and final offer" to OTS. Union president Mel Kahele said they have lowered their proposal for 10 percent annual raises for each of three years to 2 percent to 3 percent per year. The effect of the proposal would increase employee salaries by 40 cents to 60 cents an hour, he said.

Union leaders also modified their last pension proposal, although Kahele would not specify how. He said he believed union members would be happy with the newest proposals.

All of the movement yesterday eased tensions on what had been tense contract talks.

"We believe if everyone works together we can avoid disruption to our city bus service," Harris said.

Kahele said last night that he was happy with the decision to postpone planned service cuts. But he added that it was only one of the issues making union members unhappy.

Harris said he wanted to give the council time to pass a fare package that would bring in $6.8 million in new revenue to avoid cuts. At the same time, he warned that if fares are not increased within 30 days the cuts in bus service may be even deeper.

The union and OTS sides are negotiating a new three-year contract, and the union has set a Tuesday strike date. Talks are set to resume Monday.

Garcia said he was happy with the mayor’s 30-day reprieve, but said it’s uncertain if that will be enough time for the council to reach a compromise on a bill that would be able to generate enough revenue to avert layoffs.

Bill 53 is supposed to generate an additional $6.8 million, enough to restore some 80,000 hours of bus service and negate the need to lay off up to 40 drivers.

To help ease traffic congestion in the event of a strike, the state Department of Transportation announced last night it will make two changes to the H-1 Freeway zipper lane, which runs from Waikele to the Ke'ehi Interchange. The zipper lane, which normally shuts down at 8:30 a.m., will be kept open until 9:15 a.m. for vehicles with two or more passengers. Normally, at least three occupants per vehicle are required from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., and two occupants from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.