STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1434

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 1191

      S.D. 2

      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 S.B. No. 1191, S.D. 2, 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:

(1)  Requiring the Department of Transportation (DOT) to:

(A)  Work with the counties and nonprofit organizations to identify and implement immediate improvements to high-risk crosswalks and road crossings;

(B)  Conduct a pilot study to identify state and county intersections where the time to cross the intersection is insufficient for elderly pedestrians;

(C)  Develop additional design, funding, and installation plans to make crosswalks and road crossings safer for pedestrians; and

(D)  Submit 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 detailing the accomplishments, findings, future plans, cost estimates, and any proposed legislation recommended by the study;

(2)  Appropriating funds for DOT to:

(A)  Work with counties and nonprofit organizations in identifying and implementing improvements to high-risk crosswalks and road crossings;

(B)  Conduct the study to identify state and county intersections where the time to cross the intersection is insufficient for elderly, child, and disabled pedestrians;

(C)  Develop additional plans to make crosswalks and roadways safer;

(D)  Purchase and install traffic countdown timers at state-controlled intersections;

(E)  Conduct a public awareness campaign on pedestrian safety;

(F)  Purchase and install pedestrian activated signals; and

(G)  Conduct pilot projects such as the painting of advanced crosswalk markings, hand-carried signs and flags, and enforcement of crosswalks laws for drivers and pedestrians;

          and

(3)  Appropriating funds for grants-in-aid to the counties for the purchase and installation of traffic countdown timers, provided that the counties provide matching funds.

     The Governor, DOT, AARP Hawaii, Hawaii Bicycling League, McCully-Moiliili Neighborhood Board No. 8, Waikiki Neighborhood Board No. 9, and numerous individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Health 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.

     Your Committee notes that an additional reason for the high fatality rate among pedestrians is that both drivers and pedestrians are often inattentive to their surroundings.  This is especially true around signalized crosswalks where vehicles are turning or cars run red lights.  While both the pedestrian and driver may be to blame for their lack of attention to their surroundings, when a vehicle runs a red light, the pedestrian will always be the one paying the highest price.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill to increase traffic and pedestrian safety, especially at intersections, by inserting language that:

     (1)  Establishes a Photo Red Light Imaging Detector System Program (Program) to improve enforcement of the traffic signal laws;

(2)  Allows counties to implement the Program;

     (3)  Revises fines collected under county Programs to be deposited into a Photo Red Light Imaging Detector System Program Account (Account) within the general fund; and

     (4)  Requires funds from the Account to be expended in the county in which the fine was collected for the establishment, operation, management, and maintenance of the Program;

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 S.B. No. 1191, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1191, S.D. 2, 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