THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	119
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

recognizing the importance of BICYCLING.

     WHEREAS, bicycling can provide multiple and cross-cutting benefits in policy initiatives that seek to address transportation needs, limit climate change and energy consumption, and improve public health; and

WHEREAS, bicycle commuters help reduce traffic by leaving automobiles at home, thus also saving on fuel costs, vehicle maintenance, and parking expenses; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii is home to nearly 1,300,000 people; and

     WHEREAS, in 2007 there were 1,167,240 registered vehicles in the State, where the number of motor vehicles nearly equals the number of residents in the State; and

WHEREAS, the rising demand for energy in the global economy strains the world's dwindling natural resources and contributes to the increase of harmful environmental pollutants; and

     WHEREAS, the bicycle, as transportation equipment, creates zero emissions driven by efficient and abundant human power; and

     WHEREAS, 35.1 per cent of the State's population is considered overweight; and

     WHEREAS, riding a bicycle is an easy way to incorporate cardiovascular exercise into an active lifestyle, especially for senior citizens; and

     WHEREAS, a bicycle allows children to be "free range" and provides for independence for people too young to drive; and

     WHEREAS, the National Governors Association states that "walking and biking are fundamental for transportation and recreation.  There can be no compromise on this issue."; and

     WHEREAS, the people of Hawaii have shown their support for, through polls and initiatives, riding bicycles, showing an awareness and appreciation for bicyclists, and sharing the streets with the automobile's two-wheeled counterpart; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the House of Representatives concurring, that Hawaii residents are encouraged to ride bicycles for transportation as well as recreation; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is urged to embrace "Complete Street" policies that acknowledge the contributions of bicycles as a means to reduce vehicle miles by integrating bicycle use into standard street design; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the Director of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu, the directors of the agencies responsible for public works for the respective counties of Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii, the Chairperson of the University of Hawaii's Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and to the Director of Transportation, who in turn is requested to transmit copies to the Chairperson of the Hawaii State Transportation Commission, the Chairperson of the Highway Safety Council, the Chairperson of the Strategic Highway Safety Plan Steering Committee, the Chairperson of the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum, the Chairperson of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Task Force, the President of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Hawaii Section, the President of the Maui Bicycle Alliance, the Executive Director of Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii, the Executive Director of the One Voice for Livable Islands Coalition, and the Executive Director of the Hawaii Bicycling League.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Bicycling; Transportation