STAND. COM. REP. NO. 707

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1471

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 1471 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require and appropriate funds for the Department of Transportation to install traffic actuated signals, including leading pedestrian interval and accessible pedestrian signals and detectors; and

(2) Impose an additional fee of $5 for a certificate of registration for a motor vehicle, to be deposited into the Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one member of the Kauaʻi County Council; People for Active Transportation Hawaii; Hawaii Self-Advocacy Advisory Council; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Hawai‘i Bicycling League; Ulupono Initiative; Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization; Hawai‘i Public Health Institute; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds a particularly high number of pedestrian injuries occur at signalized intersections, where conflicts with turning vehicles are common. This measure addresses these safety concerns by requiring the installation of leading pedestrian interval signals and accessible pedestrian signals and detectors, which have been shown to reduce pedestrian-vehicle collisions by increasing pedestrian visibility and reinforcing their right-of-way.

Your Committee further notes that the Department of Transportation is currently working on installing traffic actuated signals, including pedestrian interval and accessible pedestrian signals and detectors throughout the State and that this provision may not be necessary.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language related to the installation of traffic actuated signals, including leading pedestrian interval and accessible pedestrian signals and detectors, and the appropriation;

(2) Changing the additional fee for a certificate of registration to an unspecified amount;

(3) Deleting language that would have required the Department of Transportation to use the Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund to match any federal funds received for costs related to sidewalk and other infrastructure planning, development, and construction;

(4) Specifying that this measure shall take effect one year after its approval to allow counties sufficient time to educate the public and adjust their systems accordingly;

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an additional fee for a certificate of registration in an amount of $5 and an effective date of July 1, 2026.

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. 1471, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1471, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DARIUS KILA, Chair