HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	133
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO ESTABLISH SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL IN WAIPAHU.

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 establish safe routes to school in Waipahu; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu, is requested to consider the construction of raised sidewalks and safer crossings in the Waipahu area; 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, Superintendent of Education, and Director of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu.

Report Title:

Department of Transportation; Safe Routes to School; Waipahu