THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	35
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THAT THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU PROHIBIT ELECTRIC SCOOTERS, ELECTRIC BICYCLES, AND ELECTRIC TRIKES ON SIDEWALKS.

 

 

     WHEREAS, electric scooters, electric bicycles, and three-wheeled electric trikes have become widely available for personal transportation and very popular with commercial tour operators and are often ridden on Oahu's sidewalks where they mix with pedestrians and motorists; and

 

     WHEREAS, while electric scooters, electric bicycles, and electric trikes are convenient, affordable, and more environmentally-friendly than automobiles, they are a safety hazard when ridden on sidewalks; and

 

     WHEREAS, electric scooters, electric bicycles, and electric trikes can weigh more than forty pounds and can be upgraded with additional motors that allow the devices to reach speeds of eighteen miles per hour, which is nearly six times faster than the average walking speed of a person; and

 

     WHEREAS, electric scooters, electric bicycles, and electric trikes can seriously injure or kill pedestrians in a collision and operators of these devices are at risk from motorists who do not expect a small, quiet, and fast-moving motorized device to appear in pedestrian rights-of-way; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2003, the Legislature passed Act 180, which defines an "electric personal assistive mobility device" as a self-balancing, two-wheeled, non-tandem-wheeled device, designed to transport only one person, using an electric propulsion system that limits the maximum speed of the device to twelve and one-half miles per hour or less; and

 

     WHEREAS, Act 180 states that unless otherwise prohibited or regulated by a county ordinance, electric personal assistive mobility devices may be operated on sidewalks at a speed no greater than eight miles per hour and on bicycle paths in the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, many electric scooters and electric bicycles are allowed on sidewalks and bike paths as electric personal assistive mobility devices in the absence of county regulations and, although three-wheeled electric trikes do not necessarily fall within this definition, they are frequently used by individuals and tour operators on pedestrian paths; and

 

     WHEREAS, within the past several years, pedestrians and motorists have expressed safety concerns to policymakers about the increasing number of individuals and tour operators riding electric scooters, electric bicycles, and electric trikes on sidewalks and bike paths; and

 

     WHEREAS, because of safety risks to pedestrians, motorists, and operators of electric scooters, electric bicycles, and electric trikes, these devices should be prohibited on sidewalks and bike paths; and

 

     WHEREAS, policymakers must balance the advantages of useful, emerging mobility device technology with public safety, particularly in crowded transportation environments such as Oahu's business districts and urban core; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, that the City and County of Honolulu, Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu Department of Transportation Services, and state Department of Transportation are requested to work with the Honolulu City Council to prohibit the operation of electric scooters, electric bicycles, and electric trikes on sidewalks through county-level ordinances; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations for regulation of electric scooters, electric bicycles, and electric trikes, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2021; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, Chairperson of the Honolulu City Council, Chief of the Honolulu Police Department, and Director of Transportation Services.

Report Title: 

Mopeds; Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices; Electric Scooters; Electric Trikes; Electric Bicycles