HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

64

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO COORDINATE THEIR RESOURCES TO DEVELOP A "SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL" PROGRAM IN HAWAII.

 

 

WHEREAS, a new movement is emerging across the nation that is focused on getting kids back on their feet and onto their bicycles; and

WHEREAS, neighborhood groups, traffic engineers, local officials, and the state department of transportation are working together to make streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists along school routes; and

WHEREAS, communities all across the country are discovering the many benefits of providing safe routes to schools; and

WHEREAS, kids walking and riding to school reduce morning and afternoon traffic congestion in and around schools, reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, and learn and realize the benefits of walking and peddling as healthy and safe forms of exercise, which rejuvenates and prepares young minds and bodies for a full day of learning and studying; and

WHEREAS, in order to provide safe routes to schools, several models have been developed to assist communities interested in implementing programs, including:

(1) The Engineering model - that focuses on changes to the pedestrian and bicycle environment to promote safety, such as crosswalks, expanding sidewalks, traffic calming, and bicycle lanes and paths;

(2) The Enforcement model - that uses police enforcement of traffic laws around schools to change driver behavior that may endanger schoolchildren, such as speeding and reckless driving;

(3) The Encouragement/Education model - that works with schoolchildren and parents directly to foster interest and enthusiasm about walking to school; and

(4) The Dedicated Resource model - that is based on legislation that directs significant funding to safe routes to school programs at the local level;

and

WHEREAS, creating a truly safe route to school requires a combination of engineering, encouragement and education, enforcement, and dedicated resources; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Education, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Health, through its Keiki Injury Prevention Program, are requested to coordinate their resources to develop a Safe Routes to School Program in Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education, through the Superintendent of Education, is requested to act as the lead agency in developing this Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education, with the assistance of the Department of Transportation and the Department of Health, is requested to report its findings, recommendations, and progress to the Legislature, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2003; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education, the Director of Transportation, and the Director of Health.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Safe Routes to School Program