HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

133

THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

urging the department of transportation to conduct a study to establish safe routes to school.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, transforming Hawaii's surface transportation systems and infrastructure to prioritize walking, rolling, bicycling, and public transit is at the nexus of the State's commitments to public health, safety, economic vitality, and environmental sustainability; and

 

     WHEREAS, the most important component of this transformation is ensuring that every child in Hawaii enjoys the infrastructure, social support, confidence, and skills to walk, roll, bike, or bus to school; and

 

     WHEREAS, as a result of decades of automobile—centric planning and development, there are formidable barriers to this transformation; and

 

     WHEREAS, barriers include a lack of complete, safe, and comfortable bike and pedestrian networks; burdensome and complicated funding mechanisms for safe routes to school programs and community engagement; a lack of a state safe routes to school plan that creates performance measures, goals, strategies, and accountability; and a lack of coordination among state and county agencies and community—based organizations to promote safe routes to school; and

 

     WHEREAS, providing students with a safe route to bike or walk to school promotes their health and safety, which is especially crucial in rural and low socioeconomic communities where there is a higher risk of pedestrian and bicycling injuries; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Transportation is urged to conduct a study to establish safe routes to school; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to submit the results of the study, including any findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the Regular Session of 2024; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation; Chairperson of the Board of Education; and Superintendent of Education.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Department of Transportation; Safe Routes to School; Study