A proposal to place the city’s rail, bus and paratransit operations under the existing Department of Transportation Services might go before Oahu voters in November’s election.

The Honolulu Charter Commission voted Thursday to give tentative approval to the plan recommended by a four-person subcommittee last month that calls for wresting authority over rail operations from the appointed, semiautonomous Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.

The proposal now goes to the commission’s style committee to ensure the language conforms to the Charter.

Transportation Services, led by a director appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council, now oversees all bus and HandiVan operations while HART makes all decisions involving the rail project, although which agency should be responsible for rail operations has been a subject of debate.

Accountability for the rail project is a growing concern as frustrated Oahu residents see the project’s price tag continue to rise — a current estimate sets the overall cost at about $8 billion.

The subcommittee’s report said that merging transit operations under Transportation Services would make operations more responsible — and responsive — to the public and noted that the much-maligned HART consists of members removed from public accountability. Opponents, however, maintain that HART was designed to guard against political influences and public pressure.

The proposal also calls for the creation of a new, seven-person advisory transit system rate commission that would meet at least annually to review fares and other charges and make recommendations to the Council, which would have final say over what the public is charged.

HART would continue to be the agency tasked with construction of the rail system.

HART Board Chairwoman Colleen Hanabusa, speaking in an individual capacity, said she supports placing the proposal on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Hanabusa pointed out that the Charter amendment that created HART stipulated that the agency’s board “shall not interfere in any way with the administrative functions of HART.”

The language creates a quandary for the HART board, Hanabusa said, because “it could not take on the responsibilities of what I would consider to be something that the public would expect of … any board of directors … or government entity.”

“HART has its challenges, as we all know, and a lot of it has to do with public confidence and public perception of how HART is operating,” she said. “So what we’re hoping that this will do is to give us the necessary tools to revamp our rules and to come into a structure where everyone does not conclude that somehow we’re pointing fingers against each other, which is not the intent. And we must all work together to push this project forward.”

Mark Garrity, Transportation Services deputy director, reiterated Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s support of the proposal. Caldwell first called for melding all municipal transportation options under DTS in his State of the City address in March.

“We think that that’s a fair and equal way to run the transit system,” Garrity said. “It’s typical of other midsized cities to have something like this under one entity run by the city, so I think we’d be in good company.”

Garrity said the administration also supports the provision that it would be DTS’ responsibility to identify, create and recommend new, nonfare sources of revenue.

Transportation Services suggested that the transition take place July 1, 2017, instead of Jan. 1 as stated in the original proposal, to ensure it aligns with the city’s fiscal calendar year.

The commission amended its proposal to require the transfer take place July 1, 2017.

While it appears commissioners have consensus on putting the proposal before voters, final decisions on all proposed amendments won’t be made until the end of July, Commission Chairman David Rae said. Prior to that, the commission will hold evening meetings in Central, West and Windward Oahu.

The commission must submit proposals to the city clerk by Aug. 22 for them to appear on the November ballot.