STAND. COM. REP. NO.  121-10

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2679

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 2679 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HYBRID BICYCLES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to include electric motor bicycles in the definition of "bicycle" for purposes of county vehicular taxes and the statewide traffic code, and specify bicycles that may be transported on public buses.

 

     Several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Transportation and Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu opposed this measure.  The Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu provided comments.

 

     Your Committee finds that bicycles are an excellent alternative mode of transportation that have little or no adverse effects on the environment and help reduce our dependency on petroleum.  In addition, commuting by bicycle can not only improve a bicyclist's quality of life but helps others by taking one car off the road for each bicyclist.

 

     Your Committee has concerns about the definition of "bicycle" as amended in this bill and requests that the Committee on Judiciary consider amending it further.

 

     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. 2679 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair