Mainland and Canadian leaders who developed fixed guideway transit systems in their cities will share their experiences and challenges in Honolulu this month at the city's second annual Transit Symposium.

The Nov. 13 public symposium at the Neal Blaisdell Exhibition Hall will focus on transit systems as well as "transit-oriented development" surrounding stations.

"There is much that we can learn from these cities about what works and what doesn't," said Mayor Mufi Hannemann. "The symposium presenters represent a tremendous amount of expertise and experience, and I'm excited by this opportunity for the people of Honolulu to hear about best practices, and adopt and adapt those methods here in our island home."

The city has said it plans to break ground on its planned multibillion-dollar fixed guideway system — its largest public works project ever — in 2009. Several key steps must be done before construction can begin on the transit system, which is to run from Kapolei to Manoa and Waikiki.

They include completion of an environmental impact study and preliminary engineering for the transit system. PB Americas was awarded an $86 million contract in August to do the work, which is expected to take more than two years to complete.

The environmental study will evaluate a direct route to Honolulu International Airport as well as the controversial Salt Lake Boulevard path chosen by the City Council in February, an indication that the route could later be changed.

City transit planners say they are not pushing to switch the route back to the airport, but some City Council members have indicated they hope to do so if possible.

The transit project is to be funded in part by a 0.5 percentage point excise tax surcharge, on O'ahu, that was added to the state's 4 percent general excise tax in January. Planners also expect to receive between $800 million and $1.2 billion from the Federal Transit Administration.

Hannemann prefers a rail-transit system, but a specific vehicle technology has yet to be officially selected.

This month's symposium is "a chance for people of Honolulu to come and hear how well transit works in some cities, the challenges that other cities faced in building theirs, and lessons learned from those cities," said city spokesman Bill Brennan.

The symposium will feature more than a dozen presenters from cities such as Los Angeles; San Francisco; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Denver. They include former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, incoming American Public Transportation Association chairman Michael Townes and Los Angeles Expo Line Construction Authority CEO Rick Thorpe.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.