STAND. COM. REP. NO. 987

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 727

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation and Energy, to which was referred H.B. No. 727, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOTORCYCLES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow motorcycle lane filtering under certain specified circumstances.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Street Bikers United Hawaii and numerous individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Transportation, Honolulu Police Department, and AAA Hawai‘i.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

     Your Committee finds that allowing motorcycles and motor scooters to filter through same-bound lanes of stopped traffic, when safe to do so, will reduce the risk of motor vehicle rear-end collisions with motorcycles and motor scooters.

     Your Committee further finds that motorcycle lane filtering will also allow motorcycles and motor scooters to move through stalled and stopped traffic, especially during gridlock on Oahu's freeways, and will allow some modest alleviation of the traffic congestion for all motorists.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the Department of Transportation shall determine the roadways on which lane filtering shall be allowed; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Energy that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 727, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 727, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

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

________________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair