HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

159

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

ENCOURAGING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES, TO FURTHER PROMOTE ITS STATEWIDE GREENBELTS STRATEGY.

 

 

WHEREAS, approximately ninety per cent of personal travel in Hawaii is by private automobiles, which pollutes the air, clogs highways, and wastes energy reserves; and

WHEREAS, current land use planning fosters dependence on personal automobiles by placing homes far from stores and jobs; and

WHEREAS, typical suburban development sprawls over the countryside, destroying Hawaii's natural beauty; and

WHEREAS, the State and the counties need to rethink their land use policies to reduce dependence on the personal automobile and imported oil used for travel; and

WHEREAS, new policies should promote mixed use, pedestrian-oriented communities around transit hubs that blend reasonably priced housing, work, and shopping areas and create neighborhoods that encourage walking and biking; and

WHEREAS, the general public will have the opportunity to participate in public meetings held by the Departments of Transportation and Land and Natural Resources in their efforts to plan the development of a long-term greenbelts strategy; and

WHEREAS, greenbelts are linear open spaces established along either a natural corridor, such as a stream or ridgeline, or corridors established by humans, such as a trail, road, or former railway; and

WHEREAS, a greenbelt strategy should:

(1) Promote non-motorized transportation modes, such as walking, jogging, hiking, bicycling, skating, and horseback riding;

(2) Create integrated ground transportation and recreational systems;

(3) Benefit urban, suburban, and rural habitats;

(4) Create and enhance recreational activities and opportunities;

(5) Enhance visitor attractions and associated business opportunities;

(6) Incorporate, where possible, the use of federal funding available under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act; and

(7) Provide a resource guideline for further acquisition of public, private, and government lands to be utilized for public recreation and non-motorized transit; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Transportation, with the assistance of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, is encouraged to further promote, pursuant to the Hawaii State Planning Act, its statewide greenbelts strategy to promote the identification or development of transportation system management models and alternatives to the automobile while preserving the natural resources and beauty of the State; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in further promoting its greenbelts strategy, the Department of Transportation is encouraged to:

(1) Incorporate existing and proposed non-motorized transportation and recreational master plans for each island;

(2) Assess existing and potential lands for beautification projects, corridors, and linkages to create greenbelts on each island, including existing and former railway lines, trails, creek and river corridors, roadways, and other areas that are underutilized and that could be converted to public recreational use;

(3) Gather information on other greenbelts programs throughout the United States and the world;

(4) Facilitate the coordination of the planning and implementation of greenbelts with federal, state, and county agencies, businesses, and citizens;

(5) Facilitate the coordination of the planning of sustainable communities for the State;

(6) Examine funding strategies from public and private sources to implement various projects;

(7) Propose ways to educate and inform government officials and the public on the many benefits of greenbelts;

(8) Establish further goals and strategies to create greenbelts in Hawaii and set priorities for their implementation; and

(9) Promote the health, safety, and welfare of the community by striving for a balance between motorized and non-motorized transit systems; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in further promoting its greenbelts strategy, the Department of Transportation is encouraged to confer with:

(1) The Office of Planning of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism;

(2) The director of each county's department responsible for transportation management issues;

(3) The director of each county's department responsible for planning issues;

(4) The Department of Urban and Regional Planning of the University of Hawaii;

(5) A citizen advocacy group from each of the islands; and

(6) Bicycle advocacy groups; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is encouraged to provide interested parties with the opportunity to participate in developing the greenbelts strategy by holding public meetings on all islands or, if that is not feasible, by accepting testimony and public input via the state video conferencing center; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is encouraged to develop an action plan with recommendations on the further promotion of its greenbelts strategy, including proposed timetables and budgets; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to submit its greenbelts strategy, action plan for implementation of the greenbelts strategy, and findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, if any, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation, the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the Mayor and the Chairperson of the Council of each county, the director of each county agency having primary responsibility for planning, transportation, or both, the Chairperson of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, and the President of the University of Hawaii.

 

 

Report Title:

Greenbelts strategy; Department of Transportation