Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee Launches Website

In 2023, the State of Hawai‘i passed Act 244 (Session Laws of Hawaii of 2023) with the express purpose “to prioritize the safety of keiki by fixing and simplifying the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program, re-engaging community stakeholders, and appropriating funds to move priority projects and save lives.” Hawai‘i Public Health Institute has been working with partners around the islands to deliver on both the spirit and technical mandates built into this important piece of legislation. The spirit of this law is to modernize the Safe Routes to School system in Hawai‘i so that we can more effectively and efficiently create conditions that make walking, bicycling, and rolling safe and enjoyable for students, ‘ohana, caregivers, and school staff as they travel to and from school every day.

One of the technical components of this law is where the rubber meets the road, or in this case, where the shoe meets the sidewalk. This component of Act 244 is the creation of a Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee consisting of government and community stakeholders to provide recommendations to the legislature on funding and implementing a modern SRTS program. The advisory committee has been meeting regularly since July 2024 about the following provisions outlined in Act 244:

• Developing a statewide Safe Routes to School plan, including goals, strategies, and metrics to improve safety and active transportation.
• Ensuring the stability of funding for infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects.
• Streamlining the process for communities to apply for and implement projects.
• Reviewing project proposals and selecting priority projects for funding.
• Reporting annually to the governor and legislature.
• Meeting regularly to coordinate efforts.

You can learn more about the committee’s work by visiting its website, which houses meeting minutes, presentations shared with the committee, votes, and information about future meetings.