STAND. COM. REP. NO.  288

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 139

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 139 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

The purpose of this bill is to improve the statewide transportation system and help alleviate traffic congestion through a fiscally prudent approach by allowing the State to enter into agreements with private entities to build, operate, own, or finance transportation facilities, including toll roads.

 

The Department of Transportation (DOT), Royal Star Hawaii Transit, and several concerned citizens testified in support of this bill.  The Hawaii Government Employees Association testified in opposition to this measure.  The Hawaii Transportation Association submitted comments on this bill.

 

     As a large majority of the State's highway system was built over 30 years ago, motorists and government officials are concerned with this aging infrastructure.  Of particular concern is the ability to finance the repair and maintenance of the current infrastructure and the building of new roadways when necessary to relieve traffic congestion.

 

Hawaii, especially the island of Oahu, is facing a growing traffic congestion problem which can only get worse with increases in population, registered motor vehicles, and use of the highway system.  This continued stress on Hawaii's transportation system has far outpaced the ability of government agencies to maintain highways at peak performance levels.

 

Compounding the problem is a decline in government funding to fix the highways.  Due to recent wild fluctuations in gasoline prices, people are driving less or buying automobiles with greater fuel efficiency.  This results in a decline in highway fund revenues from gasoline taxes, further reducing the available funding for the repair, maintenance, and building of Hawaii's roadways.

 

     Allowing the State to enter into agreements with private entities to build, operate, own, and finance transportation facilities is one method to rapidly develop safe, convenient, economical, and efficient means of transportation.  However, your Committee finds that roads already built by the State should not be allowed to be tolled.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by restricting the ability of DOT to enter into agreements with private entities to build, operate, own, or finance transportation facilities, including toll highways, to newly constructed facilities.

 

     Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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 H.B. No. 139, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 139, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair