The city is spending $400,000 in federal stimulus money on a mural and flowering trellises at two new transit centers.

Questions about those projects arose during an information briefing before a Legislative Federal Economic Stimulus Program Oversight Commission at the Capitol yesterday.

Overall, the city has $102.5 million in stimulus money to spend on construction and services. Those projects are mostly on track so that all funds will be spent before federal deadlines, according to yesterday’s testimony.

The use of stimulus money on aesthetics at two transit centers under construction in Wahiawa and Kalihi drew added attention.

"Art is nice. I like art, but I’m wondering whether or not some of these projects qualify in the need-to-have category," said oversight commission member Ed Kemp.

City Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka said the city is required to spend about 1 percent, or $377,398, of stimulus grant money on "enhancement."

"They’re a set-aside and they cannot be used for anything else," Yoshioka said.

Enhancements can include public art and historic preservation.

Yoshioka likened the transit amenities to landscaping done along highways.

"We don’t want to only be constructing utilitarian looking structures," Yoshioka said. "You could certainly say all you need to do is build a square concrete structure and that’s good enough and I think they’re looking beyond that."

About $200,000 will be spent at a Middle Street bus station on items such as flowered trellises. The Middle Street bus station will connect to a future planned train station.

Another $200,000 will be spent on murals at a transit center being built in Wahiawa. The Wahiawa center will serve as a bus center and park-and-ride.

"We’ll have the necessary research done so that these photos will have captions and while people are using the transit center they can learn about historic Wahiawa," Yoshioka said. "That’s the sort of enhancement that we’re looking at."