STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1111

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 497

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Transportation and International Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 497, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the expenditure of at least two per cent of eligible federal moneys in the State Highway Fund to establish bike paths and bike lanes in the State's Master Bicycling Plan.

     This measure also requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to include the bicycling community in a public involvement process to plan bikeways, and requires an allocation of highway maintenance funds to ensure the safety of bikeways.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Hawaii Bicycling League, Kauai PATH Committee, Sierra Club, Hawai‘i Chapter, Democratic Party of Hawaii, and ten individuals.  Testimony in opposition was received from the Department of Transportation.

     Your Committee finds that bikeways are urgently needed to encourage commuters, particularly on Oahu, to take advantage of the opportunities Hawaii's ideal weather and gentle terrain provide for comfortable and healthy traveling via bicycle between home and workplace.

     The intent of this measure is to increase the number of bike paths and bike lanes by ensuring a minimum allocation of funds for bicycling projects, as well as to increase the safety of bicyclers by including them in the planning stages of bikeways and increasing the maintenance of bikeways.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by replacing its contents with S.B. No. 152, S.D. 2, a similar measure, with the addition of clarifying amendments made on mutual recommendation of the DOT and the Hawaii Bicycling League to:

     (1)  Expend the funds to establish multi-use paths, bicycle paths, and bicycle lanes;

     (2)  Install signage and safety devices along bikeways;

     (3)  Require the DOT to include the public in determining the location of multi-use paths, bicycle paths, and bicycle lanes, and the installation of signage and safety devices along bikeways; and

     (4)  Insert a definition for bicycle paths, bicycle lanes, and bikeways, which are as defined in section 291C-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 497, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 497, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and International Affairs,

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair