HART board chairman abruptly resigns amid continued rail project criticism

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The board chairman of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation abruptly resigned Friday two years before the end of his term.

HART said Toby Martyn decided to leave the the rail authority for “personal reasons.”

Martyn had originally filled a vacant voting seat on the HART board in 2018 and was appointed as board chairman in September 2019. His term was scheduled to expire in 2023.

His resignation comes as he faced criticism for his handling of the rail project. In recent weeks, Martyn also received calls for resignation from some lawmakers and watchdog groups.

As HART board chairman, Martyn did not publicly disclose that his company made money off the sale of rail construction bonds.

The board said it will select an appointee to replace him during their meeting on July 30.

Related Coverage:

• Rail bond deal has financial ties to HART chair, but ethics body finds no wrongdoing
• Senator criticizes rail leadership, saying state should take control of the project
• Lawmaker, watchdog call for investigation into HART’s alleged mishandling of Hanabusa contract

This story may be updated.

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