LIHU‘E — A bill now before the state Legislature would add a $10 surcharge for moving traffic violations and $25 for moving violations committed in a school zone to provide counties the funds to pay for Safe Routes to School
LIHU‘E — A bill now before the state Legislature would add a $10 surcharge for moving traffic violations and $25 for moving violations committed in a school zone to provide counties the funds to pay for Safe Routes to School programs statewide.
“I think the Safe Routes to School bill is an important bill because we all want safe roads and sidewalks in our neighborhoods,” said Rep. Derek Kawakami, D-14th District, who co-introduced House Bill 2626.
“When you kiss your kids goodbye, your main concern is that they get from point A to point B safely. Bar none, nothing trumps the safety of your loved ones,” he said. “Those funds will go to the counties because most of the roads that serve our schools are county roads.”
Get Fit Kaua‘i, a nutrition and physical coalition, first started the Safe Routes to School Walking Bus program at Kapa‘a Elementary School. Every fourth Wednesday of the month, participating children walk to school.
Get Fit Kaua‘i coordinator Bev Brody said that after a year, the success of the initiative led four other elementary schools to join the program — Koloa, Kilauea, Kalaheo and St. Catherine’s.
The program is currently funded by the state Health Department’s Healthy Hawai‘i Initiative, through a tobacco settlement fund, but the funding is going to run out at some point, Brody said.
Brody said the new proposal “is just amazing,” adding that if the bill passes, it would provide sustainable funding that would allow the program to expand and continue operations for many years. All elementary schools on the island have met with Get Fit Kaua‘i to consider implementing the program, she said.
On May 18, the Kaua‘i County Council unanimously passed a Safe Routes to School resolution, acknowledging the importance of the program.
“Through the hard work of various organizations and individuals, initiatives such as the Walking School Bus have raised awareness of the need for the county and the state to partner up in creating a safe zone where keiki and kupuna can walk or bike,” Kawakami said.
Brody and Deputy County Engineer Lyle Tabata have worked closely on the proposal with Kaua‘i’s state lawmakers — including Kawakami’s co-introducers, state Reps. Jimmy Tokioka, D-15th District, and Dee Morikawa, D-16th District.
“This is a good bill, and I hope it makes it through,” Morikawa said.
HB 2626 was originally scheduled to be heard Monday by the House Transportation Committee. But based on testimony from various departments, the bill was deferred until Feb. 13 so that comments from the Department of Transportation could be incorporated, Kawakami said.
Tokioka said if the bill is going to move forward this session, it has to make the first lateral filing deadline and be approved by the committee by Feb. 16.
Prior to joining the state House of Representatives, Kawakami served on the Kaua‘i County Council.
“When we passed our distracted driving law at the county council level, we did something out of the ordinary,” he said. “We doubled the fines if you were caught (speeding or talking on the phone) in a school or construction zone.”
While police departments are under county jurisdiction, revenues from moving violations go to the state’s general funds.
The counties have been asking the Legislature for a portion of uncontested traffic fines to no avail, Kawakami said, adding that this bill might be more “palatable” to lawmakers who are hesitant to give up a source of the state’s revenue.
Kawakami said the option is simple for those who would protest the additional fee.
“Obey the rules of the road that are put in place to keep us safe,” Kawakami said. “The safety of our kids is a top priority.”
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
