HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1081
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		S.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO SIDEWALKS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that sidewalk networks are integral components of streets and roadways in Hawaii's communities, where pedestrians need safety, comfort, accessibility, and efficient mobility. Sidewalk networks increase pedestrian safety by separating pedestrians from vehicle traffic. Sidewalks produce positive public‑health outcomes by encouraging walking, making communities more accessible, and contributing to more sustainable communities by decreasing dependence on motor vehicles. The department of health's 2020-2030 Draft Healthy Hawaii Strategic Plan sets a goal to increase the total miles of safe pedestrian infrastructure by fifty miles.

The legislature further finds that there is significant disparity in the installation, maintenance, and improvement of sidewalk networks, even within the same county. There is also little to no transparent information about the installation, repair, and maintenance of sidewalk networks available to ordinary citizens.

The purpose of this Act is to improve equitable access to safe sidewalk networks by requiring:

(1) The department of transportation to maintain a list of statewide sidewalk installation and pedestrian improvement projects;

(2) Each county's transportation department to create and maintain a list of sidewalk installation and pedestrian improvement projects; and

(3) The department of transportation and the counties to post the priority list on their respective websites to promote transparency and public accountability.

SECTION 2. Chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§264-   Sidewalk project priority lists. (a) The department of transportation shall maintain a priority list of statewide sidewalk installation and pedestrian improvement projects, including potential alternatives to sidewalks that may be better suited for individual communities. The priority list shall be updated no less than once per year.

(b) Each county's transportation department shall create and maintain a priority list of county sidewalk installation and pedestrian improvement projects, including potential alternatives to sidewalks that may be better suited for individual communities. The priority lists shall be updated no less than once per year.

(c) Each priority list required by subsection (a) and (b) shall include information about the type, cost, and location of the projects on the priority list.

(d) In establishing a priority list required by subsections (a) and (b), the department of transportation and each county's transportation department shall incorporate considerations for a project's:

(1) Cost;

(2) Impact on pedestrian safety;

(3) Importance to a larger pedestrian network; and

(4) Importance for providing first- and last-mile connectivity to transit.

(e) Each priority list required by subsections (a) and (b) shall be published on the respective websites of the department of transportation and county transportation departments."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.

Report Title:

Sidewalks; Priority List; Department of Transportation; Counties

Description:

Requires the department of transportation and each county's transportation department to maintain a priority list of sidewalk installation and pedestrian improvement projects and to publish the priority list on their respective websites. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.