The Honolulu City Council transportation committee approved preliminary plans Tuesday for a bus rapid transit system route through Honolulu.

The plan clears a lane of traffic on Dillingham Highway, Ala Moana Boulevard, Kalakaua Avenue and Kuhio Avenue. The route travels from Kalihi to the University of Hawaii and Waikiki. It stretches 11.6 miles.

The transit lane could use electric buses running on ground tracks.

The committee's vote today only approved plans for the route of the transit system and not which type of system will run. The technical details must still be worked out.

Some residents, motorists and business owners are concerned about the proposal.

"Traffic jams will be caused by having buses in four of the six lanes of Kapiolani and Dillingham Boulevards," said Wally Bachman, a physics teacher at Roosevelt High School.

They say the dedicated lanes would eliminate at least one lane in several areas and up to two in others. Only the electric buses would be allowed on those lanes and that would leave regular buses to mix in with common traffic.

The plan would also eliminate 591 on-street parking stalls.

"It would impact the neighbors, and the residents, and apartment owners, especially the on-street parking that will be eliminated," Moiliili resident Janet Inamine said.

Business owners said the plan would get rid of 1,777 feet of loading zones they need for deliveries.

The council rejected a controversial plan to build a light rail rapid transit system in the 1990s.

The full council will vote to approve the route on Nov. 29.