In an effort to enhance the safety of Oahu's youngest pedestrians, the Honolulu City Council is entertaining a bill that promises to reduce speed limits in school zones across the island. As reported by Hawaii News Now, proposal Bill 44 sets forth the implementation of speed thresholds ranging from 15 to 20 miles per hour in areas frequented by students.
This legislative move shadows Governor Josh Green's declaration of August as “Pedestrian Safety Month” in Hawaii, a state notorious – for its grim record of pedestrian accidents. Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam highlighted the critical difference a mere 5 mph can make when he told Hawaii News Now, “Studies have shown that if you get hit by a car at 25 mph the outcomes are a lot worse than if you get hit by a car at 20 mph and so we know lower speed limits are safer for pedestrians, are safer for bicyclists.” The proposal is due for its initial reading on Wednesday and could be enacted by year's end.
Simultaneously, KHON2 reports that the current 25 mph speed limit in school zones stands to be reduced, a decision motivated by the eight traffic fatalities this year involving pedestrians. Councilmember Esther Kiaana, in her advocacy for the bill, stresses the significance of enacting effective, enforceable speed mitigation to protect the children – the "keiki" – of the community. Backing the notion with data from the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the likelihood of fatality drops substantially from 45 percent to 5 percent when accident speeds are reduced to 20 mph. Kiaana and Dos Santos-Tam are optimistic about the bill's chances, expecting it to be passed before the conclusion of 2024.
Easing the process of speed limit adjustment, state legislature has waived the requirement for an engineering study, which historically has been a time-intensive hurdle, as explained by Dos Santos-Tam in his remarks to KHON2. This change grants the Department of Transportation Services greater latitude in setting speed limits. The bill also seeks to standardize a 20 mph speed for streets that presently lack established limits. While the penalty for speeding in a school zone remains a steep $322, there is room for further discussion. “If we find that people don’t seem to be paying heed then maybe we need to increase the penalties,” Kiaana conveyed to KHON2. The bill’s advancement signifies a move towards safer streets for the young and old alike.
