| 47 | | - | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that sustainable design concepts for public infrastructure incorporate green vegetation and trees to decrease urban temperatures, reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and capture water to replenish the water table. The effects of climate change have made the implementation of sustainable design concepts more critical, as each passing year has seen increased temperatures and other impacts from climate change. The legislature also finds that studies have determined that people who live in areas that have more trees and green space are less likely to develop acute respiratory symptoms and die of heart disease or respiratory disease. Studies have also found that green vegetation, trees, and properly designed and well-maintained infrastructure can also produce significant improvements to mental health and have positive psychological and quality of life benefits in a community. For example, the Walt Disney Company uses these principles in park design, including painting of infrastructure such as trash cans and streetlights in a standard shade of neutral green to blend into the surrounding environment to improve the quality of the experience for visitors. Similar practices can be done in local communities to produce mental health and quality of life benefits. The legislature further finds that Hawaii is world-renowned for its lush vegetation, and citizens and tourists actively seek out green spaces. Increasing the number of parks and green spaces in the State will increase the quality of life of residents and visitors. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to improve the quality of life in the State by establishing: (1) Objectives and policies for transportation systems, infrastructure, and projects to incorporate green infrastructure; and (2) A green transportation infrastructure task force to examine, evaluate, and develop best practices for the department of transportation to further guide, design, implement, and maintain green transportation infrastructure in transportation systems and projects. SECTION 2. Chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part X to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: "§264- Green transportation infrastructure. (a) Planning for transportation systems, infrastructure, and projects shall incorporate green infrastructure to achieve the following climate and sustainability design objectives: (1) Minimizing stormwater runoff and replenishment of the water table; (2) Reducing the urban heat island effect by providing shade that reduces heat absorption over hardened surfaces; (3) Providing cooler shaded transit for pedestrians, bicycle users, and micro-mobility users; and (4) Encouraging the removal, sequestration, and storage of pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. (b) Planning for transportation systems, infrastructure, and projects shall utilize green infrastructure to achieve life design objectives, including: (1) Creating a visual and sound barrier between vehicles and other modes of pedestrian, bicycle, and multi-modal transit to enhance the quality of transportation; (2) Creating a visual and sound barrier between vehicles and surrounding communities to enhance quality of life; (3) Incorporating live foliage, trees, and green infrastructure to the greatest extent possible to blend transportation infrastructure into the State's natural environment and reflect a state sense of place; (4) Finishing non-travel exterior exposed appurtenances and hardened surfaces not covered in foliage or green infrastructure with a standardized paint scheme to protect against weathering, blend appropriately with the State's natural environment, and enhance a state sense of place; and (5) Requiring the department of transportation and its contractors to adopt uniform best practices when planting, caring for, and maintaining trees and green infrastructure by following ANSI A300 or similar best practice standards appropriate for Hawaii for tree care practices." SECTION 3. Section 264-141, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows: "[[]§264-141[]] Definitions. As used in this part[, "department"]: "Department" means the department of transportation. "Green infrastructure" means the range of measures that use plant, tree, or soil systems with an expected life span of at least twenty years designed to reduce carbon footprints, enhance shade, reduce temperatures, reduce stormwater flow to sewer systems or surface waters, and meet the State's climate and sustainability goals." SECTION 4. Section 264-143, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows: "(a) When planning, designing, and implementing ground transportation infrastructure for each project pursuant to this part, the department shall endeavor to: (1) Assess and maximize total throughput of people across all modes of transportation; (2) Achieve any goals described in the complete streets policy adopted pursuant to section 264-20.5; (3) Reduce vehicle miles traveled; (4) Decrease the percentage of single occupancy vehicles in the State's mode share; (5) Provide equity for all communities and users; (6) Improve safety and achieve any goals described in the vision zero policy adopted pursuant to section 286-7.5; (7) Reduce user cost of transportation; (8) Improve public health; (9) Reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses to meet state renewable portfolio standards established in section 269-92 and zero emissions clean economy by 2045 pursuant to section 225P-5; (10) Reduce [urban] temperatures and provide for cooler transit by incorporating green infrastructure [tree canopy and foliage over hardened surfaces;] pursuant to section 264- ; and (11) Beautify public infrastructure." SECTION 5. (a) There is established the green transportation infrastructure task force to be placed in the department of transportation for administrative purposes. The green transportation infrastructure task force shall examine, evaluate, and develop best practices to guide the design, implementation, and maintenance of green transportation infrastructure pursuant to section 264- , Hawaii Revised Statutes. (b) The task force shall consist of the following members: (1) One member appointed by the president of the senate and one member appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, who shall serve as co-chairpersons of the task force; (2) One representative of the department of transportation highways division; (3) One representative from the department of land and natural resources; (4) One representative of the climate change mitigation and adaptation commission; (5) One representative from the office of planning and sustainable development; (6) One representative from the Hawaii tourism authority; (7) One representative from the University of Hawaii department of urban and regional planning; (8) A certified arborist from the University of Hawaii; and (9) One representative from the office of Hawaiian affairs. (c) The co-chairpersons of the task force shall invite representatives to participate on the task force, and may invite other relevant stakeholders that shall include but not be limited to: (1) Community groups with a focus on reducing urban temperatures in public infrastructure; (2) Organizations with a focus on reducing wastewater in public infrastructure; (3) Organizations with a focus on beautifying the State; and (4) Organizations with experience in painting and finishing in public construction projects. (d) The green transportation infrastructure task force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2024 and 2025. (e) The task force shall dissolve on June 30, 2025. SECTION 6. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on June 30, 3000. |
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| 47 | + | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that sustainable design concepts for public infrastructure incorporate green vegetation and trees to decrease urban temperatures, reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and capture water to replenish the water table. The effects of climate change have made the implementation of sustainable design concepts more critical, as each passing year has seen increased temperatures and other impacts from climate change. The legislature also finds that studies have determined that people who live in areas that have more trees and green space are less likely to develop acute respiratory symptoms and die of heart disease or respiratory disease. Studies have also found that green vegetation, trees, and properly designed and well-maintained infrastructure can also produce significant improvements to mental health and have positive psychological and quality of life benefits in a community. For example, the Walt Disney Company uses these principles in park design, including painting of infrastructure such as trash cans and streetlights in a standard shade of neutral green to blend into the surrounding environment to improve the qualify of experience for visitors. Similar practices can be done in local communities to produce mental health and quality of life benefits. The legislature further finds that Hawaii is world-renowned for its lush vegetation and citizens and tourists actively seek out green spaces. Increasing the number of parks and green spaces in Honolulu's urban core will increase the quality of life of residents and visitors. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to improve the quality of life in the State by: (1) Establishing objectives and policies for transportation systems, infrastructure, and projects to incorporate green infrastructure; and (2) Establishing a green transportation infrastructure task force to examine, evaluate, and develop best practices for the department of transportation to further guide, design, implement, and maintain green transportation infrastructure in transportation systems and projects. SECTION 2. Chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: "§264- Green transportation infrastructure. (a) Planning for transportation systems, infrastructure, and projects shall incorporate green infrastructure to achieve the following climate and sustainability design objectives: (1) Minimizing stormwater runoff and replenishment of the water table; (2) Reducing the urban heat island effect by providing shade that reduces heat absorption over hardened surfaces; (3) Providing cooler shaded transit for pedestrians, bicycle users, and micro-mobility users; and (4) Encouraging the removal, sequestration, and storage of pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. (b) Planning for transportation systems, infrastructure, and projects shall utilize green infrastructure to achieve life design objectives, including: (1) Creating a visual and sound barrier between vehicles and other modes of pedestrian, bicycle, and multi-modal transit to enhance the quality of transportation; (2) Creating a visual and sound barrier between vehicles and surrounding communities to enhance quality of life; (3) Incorporating live foliage, trees, and green infrastructure to the greatest extent possible to blend transportation infrastructure into the State's natural environment and reflect a state sense of place; (4) Finishing non-travel exterior exposed appurtenances and hardened surfaces not covered in foliage or green infrastructure with a standardized paint scheme to protect against weathering, blend appropriately with the State's natural environment, and enhance a state sense of place; and (5) Requiring the department of transportation and its contractors to adopt uniform best practices when planting, caring for, and maintaining trees and green infrastructure by following ANSI A300 standards for tree care practices. (c) As used in this section, "green infrastructure" means the range of measures that use plant, tree, or soil systems with an expected life span of at least twenty years designed to reduce carbon footprints, enhance shade, reduce temperatures, reduce stormwater flow to sewer systems or surface waters, and meet the State's climate and sustainability goals." SECTION 3. Section 264-143, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows: "(a) When planning, designing, and implementing ground transportation infrastructure for each project pursuant to this part, the department shall endeavor to: (1) Assess and maximize total throughput of people across all modes of transportation; (2) Achieve any goals described in the complete streets policy adopted pursuant to section 264-20.5; (3) Reduce vehicle miles traveled; (4) Decrease the percentage of single occupancy vehicles in the State's mode share; (5) Provide equity for all communities and users; (6) Improve safety and achieve any goals described in the vision zero policy adopted pursuant to section 286-7.5; (7) Reduce user cost of transportation; (8) Improve public health; (9) Reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses to meet state renewable portfolio standards established in section 269-92 and zero emissions clean economy by 2045 pursuant to section 225P-5; (10) Reduce [urban] temperatures and provide for cooler transit by incorporating green infrastructure [tree canopy and foliage over hardened surfaces;] pursuant to section 264- ; and (11) Beautify public infrastructure." SECTION 4. (a) There is established the green transportation infrastructure task force to be placed in the department of transportation for administrative purposes. The green transportation infrastructure task force shall examine, evaluate, and develop best practices to guide the design, implementation, and maintenance of green transportation infrastructure pursuant to section 264- , Hawaii Revised Statutes. (b) The task force shall consist of the following members: (1) One member appointed by the president of the senate and one member appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, who shall serve as co-chairpersons of the task force; (2) One representative of the department of transportation highways division; (3) One representative from the department of land and natural resources; (4) One representative of the climate change mitigation and adaptation commission; (5) One representative from the office of planning and sustainable development; (6) On representative from the Hawaii tourism authority; (7) One representative from the University of Hawaii department of urban and regional planning; and (8) A certified arborist from the University of Hawaii. (c) The chairpersons of the task force shall invite representatives to participate on the task force, and may invite other relevant stakeholders that shall include but not be limited to: (1) Community groups with a focus on reducing urban temperatures in public infrastructure; (2) Organizations with a focus on reducing wastewater in public infrastructure; (3) Organizations with a focus on beautifying the State; and (4) Organizations with experience in painting and finishing in public construction projects. (d) The green transportation infrastructure task force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2024 and 2025. (e) The task force shall dissolve on June 30, 2024. SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________ |
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