HONOLULU -- It's the biggest capital improvement project in the history of the state, but on Wednesday night, the Honolulu City Council adjourned with no decision on the preferred technology for Oahu's planned $3.7 billion transit system.

Honolulu City Council members spent more than eight hours listening to testimony and discussing the preferred technology for a planned transit system, but were unable to reach a majority vote.

Despite the gridlock, Mayor Mufi Hannemann said he is moving forward with the city's transit project.

"That's what you saw today, political gridlock in its worst form," he said.

Council Chair Barbara Marshall was absent on Wednesday because of a family emergency, which left hopelessly deadlocked when it came down to a vote on the type of train technology to use on the planned rail. Council member Ann Kobayashi said she voted to remain undecided on Wednesday night because she didn't think the council had enough information on the three types of rail technology -- steel wheel, rubber tire and magnetic levitation -- to make a final decision.

"If you want to know what a train wreck in Honolulu looks like, look no further than this. This is a mess," Council Member Charles Djou said.

The hearing included a contingent of union members pushing for steel rail technology. But there was also the appearance of a new lobbyist, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta.

"The dependability of use of rail transit has been proven over and over again, and there is really no reason to have to reinvent the wheel," Mineta said.

Hannemann told the council he would not let the city leadership's failure in selecting a technology delay the project.

"I have directed my director of transportation services to begin inserting steel on steel as the technology into the draft (documentation) and the preliminary engineering as of tomorrow," he said.

The council will reconsider a bill that would again look at all three types of technology used in rail transit systems. The council will take up a vote at the next full council meeting on April 23.