OMPO Gathers Diverse Voices in Support of Transportation Safety and Accessibility

Efforts to improve statewide transportation safety and accessibility took center stage in early January, as the Oʻahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OMPO) convened local leaders, community partners, and experts for a three-day Transportation Tour, Forum, and Legislative briefing.

The event began on Wednesday, January 7, with a Transportation Tour that gave participants a firsthand look at how people move around Honolulu and the surrounding areas. The group rode the Skyline, walked portions of Waipahu and Iwilei with Walk Audit expert Mark Fenton, and rode one of the City’s electric buses, part of Honolulu’s transition toward a 100% renewable energy goal by 2035. 

On Thursday, January 8, OMPO, partnering with the Hawaiʻi Department of Health and HIPHI, gathered local leaders, experts, guest speakers, and community-based organizations for a full-day, solutions-focused Transportation Forum at Fuller Hall. More than 150 speakers and participants explored local needs and shared best practices to make our streets and communities safe and accessible for all. 

The Forum focused on ideas and strategies for topics such as active transportation, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, high-capacity transit, transit-oriented development, sustainability, and establishing better connections between housing and transit options. Opening remarks were delivered by Mark Garrity (OMPO), Lola Irvin (Hawaiʻi Department of Health), and Richelle Takara, followed by a moving keynote from Ana Lucaci of Made2Walk, who recounted her own story of being hit by a car while in a crosswalk and the recommendation to walk as a recovery mechanism. This event and subsequent rehabilitation led her to begin advocating for increased pedestrian safety measures and is pursuing a graduate degree in Public Health to connect the ability to walk safely with overall health.

Panel discussions, moderated by local transportation leaders, offered the opportunity to learn from experts, including Bruce Appleyard (San Diego State University), Mark Fenton (Tufts University), Todd Litman (Victoria Transport Policy Institute), and Angie Schmitt, author of Right of Way. Speakers explored practical approaches to reducing traffic injuries, designing safer streets through the implementation of Complete Streets Designs and Vision Zero community outreach, and strengthening connections between land use and transportation systems. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen and City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services Director Roger Morton joined legislative leaders in closing out the day’s discussions.  

On Friday, January 9, OMPO hosted a meeting with legislative officials at the State Capitol to share takeaways from the Transportation Tour and Forum. Discussions centered on potential policies to improve the safety and accessibility of active and mass transportation throughout the state. 

The three-day event created space for learning and forward-looking planning based on the needs of our communities. By bringing together transportation professionals, health advocates, and policymakers, OMPO and its partners gained knowledge about how we can build safer, more connected transportation systems to benefit the lives of residents and visitors in Hawai‘i. 

For more information about HIPHI’s Active Transportation and Built Environment initiatives, please contact Patti Hatzistavrakis at patti@hiphi.org.