THE SENATE S.B. NO. 3274 THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
THE SENATE S.B. NO. 3274
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII
THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
3274
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the fastest growing contributor to the increasing cost of living in Hawaii is the rising cost of transportation. Due to the high cost of fossil fuels and a lack of cheaper transit options, Hawaii residents already pay among the highest costs to commute per capita anywhere in the country. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that between December 2020 and December 2021, auto-related costs rose an astonishing twenty-three per cent, accelerating a trend of increasing transit costs contributing to a rapidly escalating cost of living. The legislature further finds that because of a lack of safe pedestrian and bicycle commuting infrastructure, many Hawaii households are forced to pay for multiple cars, often one for each member of the family. On average, families spend an additional $13,000 per year per vehicle. Access to safe, cost efficient pedestrian and bicycle commuting infrastructure can reduce the total number of cars a family must own, saving tens of thousands of dollars per year and dramatically reducing living costs. The legislature further finds numerous other states have prioritized the installation of cost efficient pedestrian and bicycle commuting infrastructure. At least twenty other states have established dedicated funding and staff for this purpose. The legislature recently increased overall state funding available to the department of transportation. Additionally, the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide billions of dollars in competitive grant opportunities over the next five years, with ample opportunities to fund cost efficient pedestrian and bicycle commuting infrastructure. However, in recent years, millions of dollars in federal funding for infrastructure available to the department of transportation has gone unspent. Numerous state transportation projects have been constructed or improved without meeting the intent of existing laws requiring complete streets to be built with safe low user cost transit options serving all users. Finally, the department of transportation has not made potential projects a priority to qualify for federal funding. The purpose of this Act is to help reduce the cost of transportation for residents and ensure the department of transportation achieves its statutory mandate of providing safe networks of cost efficient pedestrian and bicycle commuting infrastructure by: (1) Increasing requirements for funding pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure; (2) Providing dedicated staff within the department of transportation to focus on pursuing and maximizing grant applications through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other opportunities; and (3) Establishing a new branch within the department of transportation to plan and implement low user cost pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. SECTION 2. There is established within the department of transportation highways division the multimodal transportation branch which shall focus on: (1) Planning and implementing projects with a primary purpose of establishing safe, protected networks of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure pursuant to part X of chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to help lower the cost of transportation and improve the quality of life for local families; (2) Assist other branches with incorporating safe, protected pedestrian and bicycle capacity to other department of transportation projects that have a different primary purpose; and (3) Applying for and managing federal grant applications through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other future federal grant opportunities. SECTION 3. A minimum of per cent of all funds expended by the department of transportation each biennium shall be for safe, protected pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure pursuant to part X of chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, of which a minimum of per cent shall be expended on projects having a primary focus on safe, protected pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure pursuant to part X of chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, identified by the multimodal transportation branch. SECTION 4. All pedestrian and bicycle facilities shall meet minimum ADA standards and be designed to accommodate unaccompanied users eight years old through eighty years old safely and comfortably. SECTION 5. The department of transportation shall submit a report to the legislature twenty days prior to the convening of each legislative session, accounting for the activities of the multimodal transportation branch, summarizing its overall progress toward state goals, its expected progress toward state goals, the projects it has completed, the status of any projects it is currently working on in which pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is the primary purpose of the project, the status of any project it is currently working on in which pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is not the primary purpose of the project, and any other relevant information the division deems appropriate. SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2023. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the fastest growing contributor to the increasing cost of living in Hawaii is the rising cost of transportation. Due to the high cost of fossil fuels and a lack of cheaper transit options, Hawaii residents already pay among the highest costs to commute per capita anywhere in the country. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that between December 2020 and December 2021, auto-related costs rose an astonishing twenty-three per cent, accelerating a trend of increasing transit costs contributing to a rapidly escalating cost of living.
The legislature further finds that because of a lack of safe pedestrian and bicycle commuting infrastructure, many Hawaii households are forced to pay for multiple cars, often one for each member of the family. On average, families spend an additional $13,000 per year per vehicle. Access to safe, cost efficient pedestrian and bicycle commuting infrastructure can reduce the total number of cars a family must own, saving tens of thousands of dollars per year and dramatically reducing living costs.
The legislature further finds numerous other states have prioritized the installation of cost efficient pedestrian and bicycle commuting infrastructure. At least twenty other states have established dedicated funding and staff for this purpose. The legislature recently increased overall state funding available to the department of transportation. Additionally, the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide billions of dollars in competitive grant opportunities over the next five years, with ample opportunities to fund cost efficient pedestrian and bicycle commuting infrastructure. However, in recent years, millions of dollars in federal funding for infrastructure available to the department of transportation has gone unspent. Numerous state transportation projects have been constructed or improved without meeting the intent of existing laws requiring complete streets to be built with safe low user cost transit options serving all users. Finally, the department of transportation has not made potential projects a priority to qualify for federal funding.
The purpose of this Act is to help reduce the cost of transportation for residents and ensure the department of transportation achieves its statutory mandate of providing safe networks of cost efficient pedestrian and bicycle commuting infrastructure by:
(1) Increasing requirements for funding pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure;
(2) Providing dedicated staff within the department of transportation to focus on pursuing and maximizing grant applications through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other opportunities; and
(3) Establishing a new branch within the department of transportation to plan and implement low user cost pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
SECTION 2. There is established within the department of transportation highways division the multimodal transportation branch which shall focus on:
(1) Planning and implementing projects with a primary purpose of establishing safe, protected networks of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure pursuant to part X of chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to help lower the cost of transportation and improve the quality of life for local families;
(2) Assist other branches with incorporating safe, protected pedestrian and bicycle capacity to other department of transportation projects that have a different primary purpose; and
(3) Applying for and managing federal grant applications through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other future federal grant opportunities.
SECTION 3. A minimum of per cent of all funds expended by the department of transportation each biennium shall be for safe, protected pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure pursuant to part X of chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, of which a minimum of per cent shall be expended on projects having a primary focus on safe, protected pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure pursuant to part X of chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, identified by the multimodal transportation branch.
SECTION 4. All pedestrian and bicycle facilities shall meet minimum ADA standards and be designed to accommodate unaccompanied users eight years old through eighty years old safely and comfortably.
SECTION 5. The department of transportation shall submit a report to the legislature twenty days prior to the convening of each legislative session, accounting for the activities of the multimodal transportation branch, summarizing its overall progress toward state goals, its expected progress toward state goals, the projects it has completed, the status of any projects it is currently working on in which pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is the primary purpose of the project, the status of any project it is currently working on in which pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is not the primary purpose of the project, and any other relevant information the division deems appropriate.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2023.
INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title: Department of Transportation; Multimodal Transportation Branch; Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure Description: Establishes the Multimodal Transportation Branch of the Department of Transportation to increase funding, pursue grants, and work on projects focusing on safe, low user cost pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Effective 1/1/2023. The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
Report Title:
Department of Transportation; Multimodal Transportation Branch; Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure
Description:
Establishes the Multimodal Transportation Branch of the Department of Transportation to increase funding, pursue grants, and work on projects focusing on safe, low user cost pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Effective 1/1/2023.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.