Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 1729 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to set maximum speed limits for state freeways and through highways.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) submitted comments on this measure.

Recent debate over the Traffic Enforcement Demonstration Project has caused public outcry for the raising of outdated speed limits on the freeways and highways throughout the state. Your Committee believes that, although DOT is currently conducting a study into the feasibility and safety of increasing speed limits, further discussion on this matter is warranted.

However, your Committee notes that this bill sets the maximum through highway speed at 35 miles per hour even though many through highways currently have a maximum speed limit of 45 miles per hour. Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by changing the speed limit for through highways to 45 miles per hour.

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. 1729, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1729, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.