HONOLULU, Hawaii — The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s board chairman has resigned suddenly, two years before the end of his term.
Honolulu Civil Beat reports Toby Martyn resigned Friday, with HART saying the move was for personal reasons, and that Martyn refused to discuss the move when reached by phone.
Martyn joined the board in a non-voting capacity in 2017, moved into a voting seat in 2018, and was elected chairman in September 2019. His term was to extend through 2023.
Martyn had been under fire because he may have benefitted from the sale of rail construction bonds, leading the lone Republican in the state Senate to ask federal agencies to probe “possible criminal acts” [see “Digest: Canada’s TSB to investigate season increase …,” Trains News Wire, June 24, 2021]. The board is also under scrutiny for its handling of two consultant contracts, including one to a former board chairwoman.
The board will select a replacement at its July 30 meeting.
This thing is as screwed up as the California High Speed Rail debacle.