STAND. COM. REP. NO.  454

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 261

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 261 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is ensure that the Honolulu Rail Transit Project is carried out in an effective and efficient manner by providing rulemaking authority to semi-autonomous county public transit agencies.

     The Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu testified in support of this bill.

     Populations continue to grow statewide, especially on the central plains and the Leeward coast of Oahu.  Housing increases over the past several years and future projected housing increases are expected to add an estimated 138,000 residents to these areas by 2015.  As a result of this growth, a substantial increase in the number of vehicles using our roadways is inevitable and will result in greater traffic congestion over the next decade.

     As a result of these concerns, the Legislature provided the City and County of Honolulu with the authority to levy a county surcharge on State tax to fund a public transit system.  In response, the Honolulu City Council enacted legislation to levy a surcharge to generate the necessary revenues for the Honolulu Rail

Transit Project.  Currently, the Honolulu Rail Transit Project is in its final planning stages with groundbreaking on the initial phase of the project to begin in the very near future.

     In 2010, the voters of Honolulu approved a Charter Amendment to establish a semi-autonomous county public transit authority and charge this authority with the planning, construction, operation, maintenance, expansion, and management of Honolulu's fixed guideway mass transit system, known officially as the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART).  This measure provides HART with rulemaking authority to carry out its mandate efficiently and effectively.

     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 H.B. No. 261 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair