SB2,SD1,HD1 – Longer Walk Signals
THE SENATE
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HAWAII SILVER LEGISLATURE, 2005
S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII
H.D. 1
S.B. NO.
C.D. 1
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO INCREASING THE LENGTH OF “WALK TIME” FOR PEDESTRIAN
CROSSWALK SIGNAL LIGHTS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE SILVER LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The Silver Legislature finds that older adults
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are at a higher risk of pedestrian safety while crossing
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streets. In Hawaii, statistics indicate that the typical victim
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of a pedestrian traffic collision in Hawaii is a Japanese male,
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65 or older, walking in a business district in the early morning
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or early evening.
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Pedestrian patterns are not always easy to identify, in
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part because they do not cluster near particular intersections.
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Instead, they are often spread across long stretches of highways
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or arterial roads with few stoplights, sidewalks, or other
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pedestrian safeguards. Many accidents also appear to fall along
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main bus routes. Statistics illustrate that many accidents
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among Hawaii’s elderly occur when they attempt to cross the
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street as a bus approaches.
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The length of a flashing indication (hand symbol) is
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calculated based on the length of the crosswalk and the
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nationally recognized average walking speed of pedestrians.
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Hawaii’s elderly have slower than average walking speeds, and
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therefore, need longer time to cross major intersections.
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Hawaii’s older adults should feel safe knowing that they are
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under the protection of a crosswalk timer, and should not have
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to rush to cross the street. Unfortunately, this is not always
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the case.
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