STAND. COM. REP. NO.  242

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 806

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 806 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to improve pedestrian safety, especially for elderly persons by requiring the Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct a pilot study to identify state and county intersections where the time to cross the intersection is insufficient for elderly pedestrians.

 

     DOT, AARP Hawaii, Kokua Council, Hawaii Bicycling League, and the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Health and Department of Transportation Services (DTS) of the City and County of Honolulu supported the intent of this measure.

 

     Pedestrian fatalities among Hawaii's elderly population is extremely high.  In fact, the pedestrian fatality rate for those aged 65 years and older in Hawaii is 169 percent higher than the rest of the nation.  One possible reason for the high number of these pedestrian fatalities is that a number of intersections in Hawaii do not allow sufficient time for elderly individuals to cross.  Identifying these intersections and correcting this problem is paramount to pedestrian safety.

 

     However, your Committee notes that a majority of the intersections in each county fall under the jurisdiction of the county and that questions were raised by DOT and DTS regarding the impact of lengthening the walk signals would have on traffic and the length of time it would take to conduct this type of study.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring that DOT conduct the study in conjunction with each county;

 

     (2)  Focusing the study on state and county intersections where there:

 

          (A)  Are significant elderly populations;

 

          (B)  Is significant elderly pedestrian traffic; and

 

          (C)  Are questionable timeframes for elderly persons to cross the street safely;

 

     (3) Requiring the study to include any impact the lengthening of pedestrian walk times will have on current traffic volumes and congestion;

 

     (4) Requiring the study to provide remedies to alleviate negative effects of the lengthening of pedestrian walk times; and

 

     (5) Requiring an interim report to the Legislature prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2008 and a final report prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009.

 

     Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 806, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 806, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair