STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1581

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1509

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred S.B. No. 1509, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) LANES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to improve traffic management by allowing the Director of Transportation (Director) to establish minimum occupancy requirements for vehicles using high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.

 

     The Department of Transportation testified in support of this bill.

 

     HOV lanes were initially established to encourage ridesharing among motorists, thereby reducing congestion on Hawaii's roadways. Hawaii law currently allows vehicles carrying two or more persons to use HOV lanes.  This situation does not allow adjustments to be made to meet traffic demands and traffic volume.  Your Committee finds that providing the Director with the flexibility to adjust the occupancy requirements of HOV lanes will improve traffic management of our roadways.


 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing its effective date to July 1, 2007.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1509, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1509, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair