Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 1953 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to enhance traffic and pedestrian safety by requiring that:

The Kailua Neighborhood Board and concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. The Department of Transportation supported the intent of this measure.

Pedestrian safety has been a growing concern in Hawaii. Recent pedestrian accident tragedies, along with the increasing number of pedestrians being injured or killed over the last several years, point to a need to increase pedestrian safety. Your Committee finds that areas around schools and elderly housing areas are places that are more susceptible to serious accidents. It is the hope that by installing flashing yellow lights near school driveways and traffic control signals at crosswalks around schools and elderly housing areas will enhance traffic and pedestrian safety.

While your Committee recognizes that other areas besides driveways may serve as an access to and from a school and that there are tremendous cost implications involved in carrying out the purposes of this bill, public safety is the primary concern of this measure and therefor deserves further discussion. Your Committee respectfully requests the Committee on Judiciary evaluate the implications of broadening the scope of this measure.

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. 1953 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.