HB1904 SD1 SSCR3058

 

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3058

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1904

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Transportation and Government Operations and Education and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1904 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAFFIC SAFETY AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Education to conduct a traffic study and develop a plan to decrease hazardous traffic conditions at all public schools throughout the State, and to make an appropriation therefor.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Department of Education, Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawai`i, and Mililani Waena Elementary School.

Your Committees find that there are many hazardous traffic conditions that exist at Hawaii's public schools, particularly during the morning when students are dropped off at school and in the afternoon when students are picked up from school. These safety hazards are compounded when egress and ingress at the schools is slow and frustrating for parents, as well as the faculty and students who attempt to find parking at the same time.

Your Committees believe that a traffic flow study of hazardous traffic conditions at all public schools in the State is necessary. The study would include a review of hazardous conditions relating to parking, drop off areas, pick up areas, ingress and egress, and pedestrian safety at schools.

Your Committees were informed in testimony on this measure that the Department of Transportation has an administrative program in place denominated the Hawaii SR2S program, which is part of the federal Safe Routes To School Program under federal-aid to highways law. The SR2S program would cover the mandates of this measure. Your Committees believe SR2S program should be codified in the interests of securing federal funding and conforming to federal mandates.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Enacting a new statutory section in chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to highways, to establish a safe routes to school program under the Department of Transportation to mirror federal regulations in the interests of consistency and conformity, but are not limited to federal mandates;

(2) Enacting a new statutory section in chapter 302A, relating to education, as a conforming amendment to clarify that the Department of Education would assist the Department of Transportation in the safe routes to school program;

(3) Clarifying the purpose section to reflect the statutory enactment; and

(4) Changing the expending agency to the Department of Transportation in order to conform to federal funding streams.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and Government Operations and Education and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1904, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1904, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and Government Operations and Education and Military Affairs,

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair		____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair