Bill Text: HI SR33 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Resolution 33 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Safe Routes to School Program; Maximize Use of Federal Funds

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 19-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-25 - Report adopted, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. [SR33 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2014-SR33-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	33
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

requesting the department of transportation to maximize the use of federal funds under the safe routes to school program.

WHEREAS, "Safe Routes to School" is a federally-funded program designed to substantially improve the ability of primary and middle school students to bike and walk to and from school safely; and

WHEREAS, the Safe Routes to Schools program is a Federal-Aid program of the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration, and the program was created by Section 1404 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users Act; and

WHEREAS, the Safe Routes to School program in Hawaii is administered by the Department of Transportation; and

WHEREAS, the purpose of the Safe Routes to School program is also to promote walking and bicycling to and from school, encourage elementary and middle school aged children to be physically active, and prevent childhood obesity; and

WHEREAS, Safe Routes to School program activities remain eligible for funding under the current transportation alternatives program; and

WHEREAS, eligible activities include planning, design, and construction of projects that will substantially improve the ability of students to walk and bike to and from school, including sidewalk improvements, traffic calming and speed reduction improvements, pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements, on‐street bicycle facilities, off‐street bicycle and pedestrian facilities, secure bike parking, and traffic diversion improvements in the vicinity of schools (within approximately two miles); and

WHEREAS, many areas near schools statewide could greatly benefit from such improvements, as existing infrastructure and facilities are inadequate to safely enable or encourage safe walking or biking to and from school; and

WHEREAS, according to the Statewide Pedestrian Master Plan of the Department of Transportation, May 2013, the Hawaii Safe Routes to School program received total funding of $7,200,000 between 2005‐2011; and

WHEREAS, it has come to the attention of this body that the Department of Transportation may not be using federal grants to the maximum extent from the Safe Routes to School program for its own traffic safety projects in school zones; and

WHEREAS, this body is concerned for the safety of children and wants to ensure that projects of the Department of Transportation that are located adjacent to schools include pedestrian safety and traffic calming measures; and

WHEREAS, this body believes that sound public policy by the State includes using and maximizing federal funds whenever possible and therefore finds that the State should use federal funds available to supplement projects of the Department of Transportation that are adjacent to schools to enable students to safely walk and bike to and from school; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2014, that the Department of Transportation is requested to utilize federal funds to supplement projects of the Department of Transportation that are adjacent to schools to enable students to safely walk and bike to and from school; and

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