STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1812

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 98

       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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 98, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF THE TRAFFIC SAFETY FUNCTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to examine the Department of Transportation's traffic safety function to determine how traffic safety may be increased.

     Specifically, the measure requests the Auditor to conduct a performance audit of the traffic safety function of the Department of Transportation by determining how traffic safety information is collected and used and to recommend improvements, particularly concerning pedestrian safety.

     The Department of Transportation submitted comments on the measure.

     Your Committee finds that the State has the obligation to provide for highway and pedestrian safety to the greatest possible extent, and pursuant to section 26-19, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Department of Transportation is charged with planning, developing, promoting, and coordinating various transportation systems management plans, including traffic safety.  Your Committee recognizes that traffic safety, and particularly pedestrian safety, has become an increasingly critical issue due to the recent rise in highly-publicized traffic accidents, often involving fatalities.  Your Committee further recognizes that the data relating to traffic safety, including traffic accident location, frequency, and severity; pedestrian accident frequency and location; speed limit violations, and traffic signal timing, is not readily accessible to the public.

     Accordingly, your Committee believes that an audit of the Department of Transportation's performance regarding the collection and use of traffic information by the Auditor will provide transparency and accountability and help to improve traffic safety.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 98, S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair