Mahalo to the coalition of One Voice for Livable Islands and the numerous people who submitted testified in support of the bill!

PATH - "Governor Linda Lingle signed SB 718, the Hawaii Complete Streets bill, this afternoon, making it Hawaii’s 54th law to pass this year and a cause for celebration among organizations promoting safe mobility options for Hawaii residents.  The landmark bill requires the Department of Transportation and the Counties to establish a policy to reasonably accommodate all users of the road, including pedestrians, cyclists, and people of all ages and abilities.

“May 6th will always be the day complete streets came to Hawaii, cyclists, pedestrians, seniors, students, everybody has hope that the streets will be safe now, that we will all have access and that our air will be cleaner,” said Justin Fanslau, spokesperson for the One Voice for Livable Islands Coalition, an alliance of bicycling and pedestrian advocacy organizations, public health professionals, planners and environmental advocates.

Mobility is an issue for at least one-third of Hawaii's population who either choose not to drive (pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users) or cannot drive (children, seniors and the disabled).  According to Emergency Medical Services Data, in 2008, there were 336 non-fatal traffic related bicycle injuries and 398 non-fatal traffic related pedestrian injuries. According to the National Household Travel Survey, in Hawaii, bicyclists and pedestrians are 11 times more likely die in a traffic related crash than residents who travel by car.

“This law provides the policy backbone we need to build a safe and connected transportation network for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists,” says Laura Dierenfield, executive director of PATH Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii, a co-author of the bill.  “Building streets for people to safely use a bicycle, walk or take the bus will help us all reduce our carbon footprint, conserve energy and foster healthy, active communities.”

What’s Next?

Act 054 calls for the creation of state-wide task force to review design standards and determine new policy needs for implementation of this complete streets policy.  The One Voice Coalition will be working hard over the next several months with the Department of Transportation to develop a working agenda for this task force.  “Hawaii County has already take the lead by revising our long outdated roadway standards over the last two years,” said Dierenfield.  “This law gives us all the opportunity to work together to formally adopt those standards and create the kind of healthy, safe and active communities we seek.”

For more information, contact Laura Dierenfield at 936-4653, email: sharetheroad@pathhawaii.org or Justin Fanslau at 808-348-7653 justin@collectiveinfluence.com

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