Former state transportation director Rod Haraga only had to go a few blocks to land a new job with the city.

City and court documents shed some light on his working conditions with the state.

Haraga, who had served under Gov. Linda Lingle, has said that Lingle told him in December that he would not be retained for her second term.

The highly visible engineer said the governor did not give him a reason for letting him go.

Haraga could not be reached to comment this week, but in December he said Lingle told him he wouldn't fit in with her plans.

In a deposition he gave in December, Haraga told attorney Margery Bronster that from August 2005, the day-to-day operations of the Transportation Department were run by his deputy directors, who reported to Lingle's chief of staff, Bob Awana.

Awana could not be reached to comment yesterday.

Haraga's sworn statement was taken as part of a lawsuit by Pacific Wings against the state. Pacific Wings had objected to deputy transportation director Brian Sekiguchi's decision to place go! airlines in the Honolulu commuter terminal, which is used by Pacific Wings.

Lingle has declined to discuss why Haraga wasn't asked to stay on.

In the statement, Haraga said: "The governor was in charge of the deputies. I was not in charge of the deputies. The deputies reported directly to her."

Haraga said in response to questions that Sekiguchi acted as airport administrator and briefed Awana (with Haraga present) about airport operations. Asked if he would participate, Haraga replied that he would "pretty much sit there and listen."

After Lingle told Haraga in December he would be replaced by deputy director Barry Fukunaga, Haraga approached Mayor Mufi Hannemann to inquire about the possibility of going to work for the city, according to Hannemann spokesman Bill Brennan.

Hannemann became familiar with Haraga when Haraga served as a project manager in the private sector who worked on the city's Manana development project in the district that Hannemann represented as a council member.

"The mayor was impressed with the good job that Haraga had done out there," Brennan said.

On Jan. 16, Haraga, an engineer, went to work as a special projects manager in the city Department of Design and Construction. Brennan said Haraga will monitor numerous projects in Waikiki and urban Honolulu with the intent of preventing traffic gridlock during critical construction projects.

His other duties might include appearing at neighborhood boards and other public meetings to keep people informed, he said.

His salary will range from $65,000 to $85,000, less than his salary as state director, Brennan said.

Brennan said the city needs engineers and knew Haraga's work.