SB 3234

THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
3234
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII
H.D. 1
C.D. 1
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO TRAFFIC SAFETY.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
���� SECTION 1.� The
legislature finds that Hawaii experienced its deadliest year on the roads since
2007, with one hundred twenty-nine traffic fatalities in 2025, which is a
staggering thirty-two per cent increase from the previous year. �The fatalities included forty motor vehicle
occupants, thirty-nine motorcycle and motor scooter riders, and thirty-eight
pedestrians, with over ninety per cent of these crashes attributed to risky
behaviors such as speeding and impairment.
���� The legislature further finds that among
the lives lost was 19-year-old Tehya Mahelona, who was walking to her job in
Nanakuli when she was fatally struck in a chain-reaction crash caused by
speeding. �A devoted sister and aspiring
pilot, Tehya was known for her independence, compassion, and commitment to
helping others - qualities that defined her as a role model in her family and
community.
���� Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to
direct and appropriate funds for the Department of Transportation to install
pedestrian safety improvements at sites abutting school properties, with
consideration for other sites.
���� SECTION 2.�
This Act shall be in honor of Tehya Mahelona.
���� SECTION 3.� There is appropriated out of the
safe routes to school program special fund established pursuant to section
291C-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the sum of $2,000,000 or so much thereof as
may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the department of transportation
to install pedestrian safety improvements at sites abutting school
properties; provided that the department may consider other sites.
���� The
sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of transportation for the
purposes of this Act.
���� SECTION 4.�
For the installation of pedestrian safety improvements at sites abutting
school properties pursuant to section 3, the following conditions shall apply:
���� (1)� Eligible
pedestrian safety improvements may include all-way crosswalks, raised
intersections, or a combination of both, as well as other measures determined
appropriate by the department of transportation to enhance pedestrian safety;
���� (2)� The
department of transportation shall prioritize installations in areas where
crash data, pedestrian activity, or other traffic safety metrics support
enhanced protections; and
���� (3)� The
department of transportation may utilize nationally recognized design guidance,
including National Association of City Transportation Officials standards and
applicable United States Department of Transportation or Federal Highway
Administration guidance, to ensure the department's engineering discretion in
determining suitability and feasibility at each site.
���� SECTION 5.�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.
Report Title:
DOT; Safe
Routes to School; Pedestrian Safety Improvements; Appropriation
Description:
Appropriates
funds to the Department of Transportation to install pedestrian safety
improvements at sites abutting
school properties, with consideration for other sites.� (CD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.