URGING THE COUNTIES TO INTEGRATE THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH INTO ROAD AND TRANSPORTATION DESIGN, ESPECIALLY WHEN REDUCING OR ELIMINATING OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS, TO INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

This Senate Resolution urges Hawaii's counties to apply the Safe System Approach to road and transportation design, particularly when reducing or eliminating off-street parking requirements for new developments. The Safe System Approach is a framework that prioritizes protecting vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists by designing infrastructure that minimizes crash severity and accounts for human error. Key recommendations include improving crosswalk visibility, adding pedestrian refuge islands, installing bicycle lanes, and using rumble strips to enhance safety. The resolution highlights that reduced off-street parking has increased on-street parking, which blocks views of children and forces pedestrians into traffic on narrow streets without sidewalks. This non-binding measure directs county officials to balance housing development goals with investments in pedestrian safety infrastructure.