A pedestrian safety bill named for 19-year-old Nanakuli resident Tehya Mahelona is now on its way to the governor, with lawmakers hoping it will help keep Hawaii students safer on their walks to and from school.
Senate Bill 3234 would steer $2 million to the state's Safe Routes to School program for crossing and intersection upgrades near campuses. Supporters say the cash is meant to help prevent the kind of tragedy that claimed Mahelona's life.
Under the measure, the Department of Transportation could put the money toward all-way crosswalks, raised intersections and other pedestrian improvements. Projects would be prioritized where crash data and pedestrian activity show higher risk. The bill sets aside $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2026-2027, according to LegiScan.
On the Senate floor, state Sen. Samantha DeCorte held up Mahelona’s photo as she urged colleagues to act, saying, "Supporting this bill will not bring her back, but doing nothing guarantees we will be back here again," as reported by Hawaii News Now. State Rep. Darius Kila, Mahelona’s cousin and chair of the House Transportation Committee, told lawmakers the family was deeply affected by the crash and pushed for changes to keep students and other pedestrians safer.
What the money would pay for
The $2 million would flow through the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program, which backs planning, design and construction work aimed at making it safer for kids to walk and bike around schools. The program partners with counties and schools on both infrastructure and non-infrastructure efforts to reduce hazards for students and encourage active travel, according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation.
In practical terms, that could mean upgrades such as more visible crosswalks, traffic-calming designs at busy intersections or other changes that slow drivers down and give pedestrians a fighting chance in areas where data show more close calls.
The crash that prompted action
Lawmakers drafted the measure in response to an October collision in Nanakuli. Police said the multi-vehicle crash happened around 4:50 a.m. on Farrington Highway near Pua Avenue and that speed appeared to be a factor. A 19-year-old pedestrian later died from injuries, according to earlier reporting by Hawaii News Now.
The bill text formally dedicates the act in honor of Tehya Mahelona and notes her death in the legislature’s findings, per LegiScan.
The measure now heads to the governor for review. If it is signed, the Department of Transportation would use Safe Routes to School criteria and crash data to select priority sites and kick off design work. Advocates have described the $2 million as a targeted early step that they hope will translate into safer crossings for keiki and other pedestrians across the state.
