Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann and City Councilmember Ann H. Kobayashi answered questions about the economy, their transit plans, and the future of the Waimanalo Gulch Landfill at a forum today at Leeward Community College.

The forum allowed each candidate to sit with a moderator while they answered questions from students and staff at noon.

The mayoral candidates were never on stage together.

Kobayashi went first and touted her EzWay transit plan that combines fixed guideways for buses with managed lanes as a cheaper alternative to Hannemann's steel-on-steel commuter rail project.

"We do have a very bad transportation problem. ... The traffic is just horrendous," said Kobayashi. "It's better to have a program that's flexible, affordable and fits our economy especially during these bad times."

Hannemann claimed his experience working as an executive at C. Brewer and Co. Ltd. and as director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism makes him capable of guiding the city through the tough economic times.

"This is not the time for on the job training," said Hannemann.