STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2505

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2590

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred S.B. No. 2590 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAFFIC,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve bicyclist safety by allowing a bicyclist to proceed through an intersection from a right turn only lane if they cannot safely merge into the traffic lane; provided they signal intention to merge left, proceed in the right turn only lane, and do not pass a stopped vehicle. The bicyclist is required to exercise reasonable safety when passing a moving vehicle.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation; Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu; Kauai Path, Inc.; Cycle On Hawaii; and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that currently, bicyclists who are in a right turn only lane but wish to proceed straight through an intersection must first merge into the middle lane. Your Committee finds that this is a potentially dangerous maneuver, as the bicyclist is attempting to merge left while vehicles are attempting to merge right. This measure improves the safety of bicyclists by allowing them to proceed straight through an intersection even when in a right turn only lane.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2590, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2590, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair