HONOLULU -- The city council's transportation chairman has proposed adding a third line to the city's bus rapid transit system through Kakaako.

The city has held meetings with "working groups" in four neighborhoods on Oahu, to go over the city's proposed bus rapid transit system. Out of those meetings have come some suggested changes to the plan.

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The billion-dollar bus rapid transit plan project would run along Dillingham Boulevard from Middle Street, through downtown Honolulu.

It would then split into two spurs, one along Kapiolani Boulevard to UH Manoa, the other on ala Moana and Kalakaua through Waikiki.

But council transportation chairman duke Bainum proposes adding a third spur, called the "Kakaako makai" branch.

"With the possibility of a new medical school, research center, as well as a possible aquarium," Bainum said. "We felt like this area definitely needs to be on the bus rapid transit route."

The new line would run down Bishop Street, onto Aloha Tower Drive and Ala Moana Boulevard then head makai on Channel Street by the U.S. immigration office continuing along Ilalo Street and head back out onto Ward Avenue.

The system will use buses that serve stops every two to four minutes in urban Honolulu.

Bainum is unsure how many on-street parking places or loading zones will be affected by the changes, but he says the impacts will be "minor."

He also proposes moving a bus rapid transit line to Pensacola Street, between King Street and Kapiolani Avenue. That will move it from Ward Avenue, which is already extremely crowded.

"Ward Avenue is very congested, currently," Bainum said. "Also, by changing the route to Pensacola, to get from king street down to Kapiolani, we're able to better service McKinley High School, as well as Kaiser Hospital."

Bainum said that the changes won't cost much money since they just require the addition of more bus stops. However, they will delay the project by another three months.

"We feel like the changes to make the system better and also to meet our obligation to listen to residents' concerns is worth the three-month delay."

The city originally hoped to get the transit plan's Environmental Impact Statement approved by the federal government this month. That was delayed to January of next year. The changes will delay things further until March of next year.

A controversial transit center planned for the Kamehameha drive-in site in Pearlridge has been scrapped, after complaints from nearby residents who didn't want lots of bus noise near them.

Instead, the transit center will be located on the ground of Aloha Stadium.