HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

70

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU TO ELIMINATE MID-STREET CROSSWALKS ON MAJOR THOROUGHFARES THAT ARE NOT MONITORED BY A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING LIGHT.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, the right to travel by walking or otherwise is a fundamental human right, the exercise of which in the developed environment of our communities requires responsibly designed public infrastructure; and

 

     WHEREAS, although American society depends heavily on motor vehicle transportation and many transportation systems are focused on cars, pedestrians have the right to safely share public thoroughfares with motorists and other forms of transportation, such as bicycles and transit vehicles; and

 

     WHEREAS, walking is an increasingly popular transportation option and recreational activity that would be greatly enhanced by well-designed, continuous, connected sidewalks with safe crossings; and

 

     WHEREAS, the failure to consider pedestrians in roadway planning has led to less pedestrian access, faster motor traffic, and greater distances between pedestrian destinations which, in turn, have lead to needless injury and death; and

 

     WHEREAS, the failure to promptly and diligently build and maintain urgently-needed pedestrian-friendly crosswalks, high-visibility warning devices, and traffic calming measures has needlessly prolonged dangerous situations for all pedestrians; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2003, Hawaii ranked fifth in the nation in per capita pedestrian deaths and first in the nation in terms of the percentage of all fatal accidents involving pedestrians, holding the dubious distinction of having the highest fatality rate for pedestrians over the age of 65; and

 

     WHEREAS, many pedestrian deaths in Honolulu have occurred at mid-street crossings where no crossing signal and light exist; and

 

     WHEREAS, oftentimes, a crosswalk with a lighted crossing signal or stop light exists just a short distance from the mid-street crossing, and use of this lighted crosswalk may have prevented unnecessary pain and anguish for the pedestrian, the motor vehicle driver, and their families; and

 

     WHEREAS, continued use of these mid-street crosswalks, combined with poor visibility of pedestrians in these crosswalks, is of major concern; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that the City and County of Honolulu is urged to review all mid-street crossings along public roadways under their jurisdiction and eliminate those crosswalks without a pedestrian crossing light deemed unnecessary or unsafe for pedestrians; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu and Director of the Department of Transportation Services for the City and County of Honolulu.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Urges the City and County of Honolulu to review and eliminate any unnecessary or unsafe mid-street crosswalks.