The Honolulu City Council last night delayed for at least another week a decision on whether a $3.7 billion mass-transit system will use steel wheels, rubber tires or magnetic levitation.

The council was expected to cast the fourth and final vote on transit technology yesterday but could not reach a decision after more than seven hours of testimony, debate and repeated deadlocked votes.

The failure to select a technology isn't likely to delay the project significantly but illustrates increased division within the council over the issue.

"If you want to know what a train wreck in Honolulu looks like, look no further than this," said council member Charles Djou, who opposes the rail project. "This is a mess."

Steel wheels on steel rail was the technology with the most support going into yesterday's vote. A city-appointed expert panel in February recommended steel-wheeled trains as the most reliable and cost-effective technology.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who favors steel technology, said he would move forward with steel despite the council's inability to reach a decision.

Hannemann "will not allow the stalled council to delay the important project," the mayor said in a news release.

"Starting immediately, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Preliminary Engineering reports that are under way will specify steel-on-steel technology," Hannemann's news release said. The EIS is the next major step in the rail project.

Still, several council members continue to push for alternatives to steel, such as rubber-tired and magnetically levitated vehicles.

Council member Romy Cachola, who represents the Salt Lake/airport area, cast a key vote in support of rail last year. Yesterday he joined three other council members who oppose rail or prefer a non-steel option. Those four members prevented the council from selecting steel.

In addition to Cachola and Djou, Donovan Dela Cruz and Ann Kobayashi voted against the steel option. Todd Apo, Nestor Garcia, Gary Okino and Rod Tam voted in favor of steel.

A ninth council member, Barbara Marshall, was absent yesterday due to a family emergency. Marshall opposes the rail project.

The technology debate is driven in part by concerns that steel wheels could cause noise problems for neighbors of the elevated commuter rail. The noise could hurt some property values. Other properties near transit stations could increase in value.

Noise and property value concerns are acute in Salt Lake, Cachola's district, where the commuter rail is expected to run down the middle of Salt Lake Boulevard.

Cachola said he wanted more time for his constituents to explore noise and property value issues.

The council plans to reconsider the technology issue next week at which time Marshall is expected to be available.

If council members cannot agree on a technology, steel technology would eventually take effect by default based on a previous bill passed by the council. That bill stated that the decision of the expert panel would stand if the council didn't opt for another technology.

The train technology question is the last major council decision affecting the overall aesthetics, noise and costs of the system, which is expected to open in phases between 2012 and 2018.

Hannemann said in his news release that "further delays could drive up costs by an estimated $10 million per month, jeopardize thousands of jobs, stall completion of crucial preliminary engineering work, and jeopardize the key Record of Decision that's necessary before breaking ground next year and securing approximately $900 million in federal funding."

Garcia said he was disappointed the council could not decide to support steel technology.

"I'm concerned what transpired today (and) what did not transpire today will send mixed signals," to the federal government, which is expected to provide $900 million to fund the project, Garcia said. "I hope that we will make a final decision come next week at this time."