STAND. COM. REP. NO. 250

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1191

       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 S.B. No. 1191 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Transportation to conduct a pilot study to identify intersections where the time to cross the intersection is insufficient for elderly pedestrians, and to appropriate funds for the implementation of the pilot study.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation (DOT), the City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services (DTS), Kokua Council, Hawaii Bicycling League, and AARP Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's elderly pedestrians should not have to rush to cross the street.  The length of a flashing indication should be sufficient for elderly pedestrians to cross the street safely.  A 2004 Elderly Pedestrian Integration Report prepared by SMS Research & Marketing Services, Inc. for the DOT indicated that there are approximately five hundred sixty pedestrian injuries in Hawaii each year, and that an average of twenty-eight pedestrians die each year after being struck by a car.  Elderly pedestrians, age sixty-five and older, constituted the highest number of pedestrian fatalities when compared to all other age groups in Hawaii.

     The intent of this measure is to protect pedestrians of all ages while they are in a crosswalk.  Adjusting the timing of crosswalk signal indicators is the first step in this direction.

     Your Committee has amended this measure on the recommendation of the DOT by:

     (1)  Adding to the study the impacts on current traffic volumes when pedestrian walk times are lengthened;

     (2)  Allowing the DOT to involve the DTS, since city streets are quite likely to be affected;

     (3)  Deleting reference to AARP Hawaii data in the interests of conducting an independent study;

     (4)  Allowing the DOT to contract out the study to a consultant;

     (5)  Delaying the final reporting requirement by one year and requiring that an interim report be submitted to the Legislature prior to the 2008 Regular Session; and

     (6)  Inserting an appropriation of $1,000,000 for the study.

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