STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2941

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2470

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2470, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve pedestrian safety within the State.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Authorizes and appropriates moneys for the Department of Transportation to evaluate intersections for the possible installation of leading pedestrian intervals and accessible pedestrian signals; and

(2) Requires the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the counties, to develop and maintain a program that allows pedestrians and community members to request the installation of accessible pedestrian signals at specific intersections.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, Hawaii Association of the Blind, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Hawaii Bicycling League, and one individual.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that the alarming number of pedestrian deaths within the State in recent years requires urgent action. You Committee also finds that leading pedestrian intervals and accessible pedestrian signals have been shown to improve safety and should be installed to help reduce the likelihood of pedestrian fatalities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Making the state highway fund, rather than general revenues, the source of funding for the measure's appropriation;

(2) Changing the appropriation from $1,200,000 to an unspecified amount; and

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2470, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2470, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair