HR 48: Urging the counties to integrate the safe system approach into road and transportation design, especially when reducing or eliminating off-street parking requirements, to increase pedestrian safety.

HOUSE RESOLUTION

Urging the counties to integrate the safe system approach into road and transportation design, especially when reducing or eliminating off-street parking requirements, to increase pedestrian safety.

     WHEREAS, to facilitate increased housing development, the counties have reduced or removed off-street parking requirements for certain developments, which, in turn, has caused the demand for on-street parking to increase substantially; and

     WHEREAS, many narrow streets and rural roads do not have paved sidewalks for children, their parents, and other residents to use when traversing their neighborhoods and traveling to schools, parks, businesses, and other community spaces; and

     WHEREAS, the sides of these narrow streets and rural roads are often obstructed by parked cars due to the increased demand for on-street parking, which forces children, families, and residents to walk on the roadways; and

     WHEREAS, drivers are often unable to see young children over the hoods of their parked cars, creating dangerous and potentially fatal situations; and

     WHEREAS, vehicles are a necessity for many residents who must commute long distances or transport tools for work; and

     WHEREAS, vehicles are also necessary for residents who must transport elderly or disabled friends and relatives; and

     WHEREAS, the elimination of off-street parking must be balanced with the counties' investment in infrastructure that prioritizes pedestrian safety, acknowledges the unique needs of blue-collar commuters, and addresses the transportation needs of kupuna; and

     WHEREAS, the United States Department of Transportation has adopted the Safe System Approach as a guiding paradigm to address roadway safety and protect the most vulnerable users of transportation systems; and

     WHEREAS, the Safe System Approach builds on and reinforces multiple layers of protection to prevent crashes from happening and to minimize harm when crashes do occur; and

     WHEREAS, to create safer roads, the Safe System Approach recommends that roadways be designed to mitigate human mistakes and to account for injury tolerances using proven safety countermeasures such as crosswalk visibility enhancements, medians and pedestrian refuge islands, bicycle lanes, and rumble strips; and

     WHEREAS, the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act established the Safe Streets and Roads for All competitive grant program, which appropriated $5,000,000,000 over five years, from fiscal years 2022 to 2026, to fund regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries using Safe System Approach principles; and

     WHEREAS, in fiscal year 2023, Hawaii was awarded $18,630,400 in grants through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program to fund various projects to improve roadway and pedestrian safety in all four counties; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii was awarded an additional $3,850,000 in grants through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program for fiscal year 2024 for pedestrian and bikeway safety projects in the City and County of Honolulu; and

     WHEREAS, the counties must further prioritize the Safe System Approach to protect pedestrians, especially when off‑street parking requirements are reduced or eliminated; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the counties are urged to integrate the Safe System Approach into road and transportation design, especially when reducing or eliminating off-street parking requirements, to increase pedestrian safety; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of each county; Chairperson of each County Council; and the Director of each county department having jurisdiction over transportation planning.

Report Title:

Counties; Transportation; Road Design; Pedestrian Safety; Safe System Approach; Safe Streets and Roads for All