Acting city Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka won tentative City Council confirmation to his post yesterday after repeatedly promising to recuse himself from key decisions regarding a major city contractor he had long worked for.

Yoshioka said his wife still works as an accounting supervisor at the consulting firm PB Americas Inc., which last year won an $86 million contract to do the preliminary engineering and environmental impact study for the city's planned $5 billion mass- transit system. She does not supervise administrative tasks related to the transit project, he said.

Yoshioka, 53, was manager of transportation planning and traffic engineering, and a senior supervising transportation engineer for the company, formerly known as Parsons Brinckerhoff. He was also an 'Iolani School classmate of Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who named him to the city post in November.

Several council members questioned whether Yoshioka's past employment would create a conflict of interest, since much of his work will revolve around the massive transit project the city is paying his former employer to plan.

To address such concerns, Yoshioka said he would have deputy transportation director Richard Torres decide on approval of any invoices, change orders or contract amendments related to PB Americas.

Yoshioka said he still owned about $5,000 in PB Americas stock as part of a retirement plan because a fund manager cannot divest it until early 2009. He said he has requested guidance from the city's Ethics Commission.

Yoshioka said his personal friendship with Hannemann made him even more determined to avoid controversy or conflicts in his new job.

"I think it's my duty to properly advise him, and I would not want him to go into something that's not good," Yoshioka said.

He pledged to pay close attention to city transportation needs besides the transit project, and to be respectful and non-confrontational with the project's critics.

The council's executive matters committee, which includes all council members, unanimously approved the nomination. A final vote is expected Jan. 23.

"I think Mr. Yoshioka's appointment is very timely," said Councilman Gary Okino. "He's an expert who has the experience and integrity to make sure this project get done right."

The transit system is expected to run from Kapolei to Ala Moana, with spurs to Waikiki and Manoa. Hannemann hopes to break ground next year.

Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com.