Bill Text: HI HCR219 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging The State Department Of Transportation And County Departments Of Transportation To Seek Greater Federal Funding For Constructing Bike And Pedestrian Paths And Improving Currently Available Bike And Pedestrian Path Infrastructure.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-28 - Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Souki excused (1). [HCR219 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2018-HCR219-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	219
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Urging the state department of transportation and county departments of transportation to seek greater federal funding for constructing bike and pedestrian paths and improving currently available bike and pedestrian path infrastructure.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, providing multimodal transportation options such as biking and walking improves access and mobility and contributes to a range of policy goals related to equity, health, economic development, and the environment; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's year-round, beautiful, and mild weather makes biking and walking convenient and attractive modes of transportation; and

 

     WHEREAS, while many individuals take advantage of Hawaii's mild climate and use biking and walking as healthy alternative modes of transportation, bicyclists and pedestrians face numerous dangers in their commutes including inattentive motorists and inadequate, decaying, or damaged infrastructure such as crumbling sidewalks or an altogether lack of pedestrian or bike paths; and

 

     WHEREAS, lack of adequate pedestrian and bicycle paths, and decaying pedestrian and bike path infrastructure, can result in accidents and injuries occurring from collisions or falls, particularly among Hawaii's kupuna and keiki; and

 

     WHEREAS, unfortunately, Hawaii has a high number of pedestrian and bicyclist accidents involving injury or death each year with twenty-seven pedestrian fatalities occurring statewide in 2017 and thirteen bicyclist fatalities occurring between 2008 and 2012; and

     WHEREAS, although the State Department of Transportation and other agencies and organizations have made efforts to promote pedestrian and bike safety, such as the Walk Wise Hawaii Program, additional efforts such as construction of more pedestrian and bike paths, and improvements to existing pedestrian and bike path infrastructure can also increase pedestrian and bike safety; and

 

     WHEREAS, under previous administrations, improving pedestrian and bicycle safety has been a top priority at the United States Department of Transportation and the federal Department was committed to making walking and bicycling safer and more comfortable transportation options for everyone; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2015, the Federal Highway Administration provided approximately $800,000,000 in federal funds and grants for pedestrian and bicycle projects across the United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, while the Federal Highway Administration has provided millions of dollars each year in funding for various pedestrian and bicycle projects, including funding for constructing new infrastructure and improving existing infrastructure, this funding may not continue; and

 

     WHEREAS, while millions of dollars in federal funding are available for various pedestrian and bicycle projects, including funding for constructing infrastructure and improving existing infrastructure, Hawaii appears to be lagging in receipt of these federal funds and Hawaii should immediately pursue receipt of these federal funds while they remain available; and

 

     WHEREAS, since federal funding for bike and pedestrian infrastructure construction and improvements is available, the State Department of Transportation and the transportation departments of each of the counties of Hawaii should seek greater federal funding for the construction of pedestrian and bike path infrastructure and for improving existing pedestrian and bike path infrastructure throughout the State; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the Senate concurring, that the State Department of Transportation and the transportation departments of each of the counties of Hawaii are urged to immediately seek greater federal funding for the construction of bike and pedestrian path infrastructure and for improvements to existing bike and pedestrian path infrastructure; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the transportation departments of each of the counties of Hawaii, are requested to submit a report of actions taken to secure greater federal funding, and if funding is received, the planned uses of the federal funds, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation and the directors of the transportation departments of each of the counties of Hawaii.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Urging the State Department of Transportation and transportation departments of each of the counties of Hawaii to seek greater federal funding for the construction of bike and pedestrian path infrastructure and for improvements to existing bike and pedestrian path infrastructure.