HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2708

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 1

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  Chapter 279A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§279A‑    Statewide transportation plan; public involvement.  (a)  In carrying out the statewide transportation planning process, including development of all state transportation projects within the statewide transportation plan, the department of transportation shall develop and use a documented public involvement process that provides opportunities for public review and comment.  At a minimum, the public involvement process shall:

     (1)  Establish early and continuous public involvement opportunities that provide timely information about transportation issues and decision-making processes to individuals, affected public agencies, representatives of public transportation employees, private providers of transportation, pedestrians, bicyclists, representatives of the disabled, providers of freight transportation and shipping services, and other interested parties;

     (2)  Establish policies to provide public access to technical and policy information used in the development of the statewide transportation plan;

     (3)  Provide public notice of public involvement activities and times for public review and comment at key decision points, including a reasonable opportunity to comment on the proposed statewide transportation plan;

     (4)  To the maximum extent practicable, ensure that public meetings are held at convenient and accessible locations and times;

     (5)  To the maximum extent practicable, use visualization techniques to describe the proposed statewide transportation plan and supporting studies;

     (6)  To the maximum extent practicable, make public information available in an electronically accessible format, as appropriate, to afford an opportunity for consideration of public information;

     (7)  Demonstrate consideration of and response to public input during the development of the statewide transportation plan;

     (8)  Include a process for seeking out and considering the needs of persons traditionally underserved by existing transportation systems, such as low-income and minority households; and

     (9)  Provide for the periodic review of the effectiveness of the public involvement process to ensure that the process provides full and open access to all interested parties and revise the process, as appropriate.

     (b)  The department of transportation, in its discretion, shall be responsible for determining whether to adopt any proposed changes to the statewide transportation plan as a result of the public involvement process.  If a proposed change is not adopted, the department of transportation shall make publicly available its reasons for not accepting the proposed change.

     (c)  The director of transportation shall adopt rules in accordance with chapter 91, to effectuate the purposes of this section."

     SECTION 2.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 



 

Report Title:

Statewide Transportation Plan; Public Involvement

 

Description:

Requires the Department of Transportation to establish a public involvement process when developing the statewide transportation plan.  Effective on approval.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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