For the second week in a row, the City Council was deadlocked on which rail technology to use in a proposed mass-transit system, essentially leaving the decision to Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

The council has been debating for months whether the transit system should use steel wheels, rubber tires or magnetically levitated vehicles. In a 4-4 vote last night, the council was unable to select a technology.

Given the council's inability to reach a decision, the mayor has said he will push ahead with steel, the option he prefers.

The clash between the mayor and council on technology could mean more difficult transit votes in the future.

"This is a big project," said council member Charles Djou. "There's constantly going to be votes coming up.

"In the future, is the council going to bend over backwards to accommodate the mayor given his attitude? I don't think so."

Hannemann, who was at a community meeting at Waipahu Elementary School to discuss the planned transit project, said the council may have balked on technology, but still supports the project.

"They've basically said they support mass transit," Hannemann said. "What they got hung up on is the technology."

Hannemann said that as he had promised, he issued a 90-day notice-to-proceed on the project on Friday and that he does not believe the perception of public support for the project was diminished by last night's vote.

MORE VOTES TO COME

The council had voted several times in the past to support a mass-transit project of some sort, he said.

A city-appointed expert panel in February recommended the steel option as potentially the most reliable and cost-effective. Steel is considered more reliable but noisy. Rubber and mag-lev are less tested but may be quieter.

Council Chairwoman Barbara Marshall was absent for the vote because of a family emergency.

While Hannemann has said he has the ability to move ahead with a steel-wheel system, he will need the support of the council at many steps along the way.

The project still faces numerous critical council votes and potential pitfalls that could derail plans to begin operations in phases from 2012 to 2018. Each year the council will need to appropriate money to plan and build what will be the largest public works project in state history.

Later this year, the council is expected to set rules governing development near future rail-transit stations and develop a framework for creating a transit authority. The City Council also has yet to approve budgeting $251 million in fiscal 2009, which starts July 1, for transit-related plan, design and construction costs.

Council members also will need to approve the specifications for any future transit bid solicitation.

Council members Ann Kobayashi and Donovan Dela Cruz both lamented the fact that the council lost the ability to choose transit technology.

Dela Cruz said he'll introduce a bill today that will select rubber tire technology. However, the bill will face an uphill battle in garnering the council votes needed to pass or override a likely Hannemann veto.

"There's still a number of ways that we can select the technology," Dela Cruz said. "There's still an opportunity to make sure we provide checks and balances and more transparency and accountability" over the transit project.

NOISE STILL AN ISSUE

The current rail effort marks the fourth time in three decades the city has tried to develop a new mass-transit system for O'ahu. Previous efforts — including two rail projects and one bus rapid-transit system — failed because of cost concerns or changes in political priorities.

The technology debate is driven in part by concerns that steel wheels could cause noise problems for neighbors of the elevated commuter rail. The noise could hurt some property values. Other properties near transit stations could increase in value.

Those concerns were acute in the Salt Lake area.

Council member Romy Cachola, who represents the Salt Lake area, said he would have preferred continuing to consider quieter technology options. However, Cachola said he'll still support the project.

"If that's the selection of the (Hannemann) administration - steel on steel — and I said I support mass transit, that's what I'll do."

It's unlikely the council's current division will spill over into future transit votes, Cachola said.

"It's a possibility, but I doubt it," he said.