Hawaiʻi Island Vision Zero Action Plan

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Complete Streets & Vision Zero Policy Efforts on Hawaii Islana The State of Hawaii adopted the Hawai'i Complete Streets Act (Act 54) in 2009. It required each County to adopt a complete streets policy that results in a balanced, multimodal transportation network, which meets the needs of all users of streets, roads, and highways, including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, seniors, movers of commercial goods, and users of public transportation. The COH responded to Act 54 by adopting Resolution 171-11 on October 19, 2011, supporting the establishment of a Hawaii County Complete Streets Policy. The COH produced a Complete Streets Program White Paper dated October 2015 that provided an overview of how the COH is approaching complete streets. The COH is currently moving forward with establishment of a complete streets program, including an updated Street Design Manual and other program documents. In May 2019, the State Legislature passed HB 757, which calls for HDOT and the County transportation departments to "adopt a Vision Zero policy that seeks to prevent and ultimately eliminate all traffic fatalities through a combination of engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency response strategies that focus on equity." HB 757 clearly articulates the relationship of complete streets and Vision Zero: "The National Complete Streets Coalition endorses a Vision Zero approach in pursuit of the objective to design streets that prevent traffic injuries and fatalities, particularly for the most vulnerable road users. Over one thousand two hundred jurisdictions in the United States have, through an adoption of complete streets policies, committed to design and operate their streets to provide for the needs of all users of the road, regardless of age, ability, income, or mode of transportation. Vision Zero strategies can be easily integrated into existing complete streets programs." Counties across Hawai'i are working to integrate Vision Zero into complete streets initiatives, as described in this report. The Bill also requires the State Highway Safety Council, in collaboration with each of the County traffic or highway safety councils, to develop a Vision Zero Action Plan, and to report findings to the legislature on or before January 1, 2020. A final report must be presented to the legislature in 2021. In February 2019, Hawaii County's Mayor Harry Kim released a proclamation announcing the formation of a Vision Zero Task Force to develop the County's Action Plan. The Task Force was comprised of agencies and organizations with expertise in transportation, enforcement, education, public health, emergency response, equity, transit, biking and walking. The Task Force met quarterly and prepared the action items for Engineering, Enforcement, Encouragement, Education, and Evaluation, that are included in this Action Plan. These 5 "E's" of traffic safety provide the basis for a safe systems approach to reducing traffic fatalities.