Committee shifts lead for Hawaii Island bus-stop safety study to Safe Routes to School advisory committee

The House Committee on Education voted to pass SCR 117 SD1 with amendments that assign the Safe Routes to School advisory committee as the lead agency to inventory school bus stops on Hawaii Island and develop strategies to improve safety at those locations.

Megan O'Mora, administrator for student transportation at the Department of Education, told the committee the department will support the advisory committee and provided counts for existing routes and stops on the Big Island: "For the Big Island specifically, we have around 53 active routes for East Hawaii, 72 active routes for West Hawaii, and 600 bus stop locations for those routes for East Hawaii, and around 870 active stops for those routes for West Hawaii," she said. O'Mora also said the department plans a live route audit with contractors in the coming weeks and noted many stops lack formal signage or benches and some are located on private roads.

Committee amendments make the Safe Routes to School advisory committee — not the Department of Education — responsible for leading the study and reporting to the Legislature, with the Department of Education, Department of Transportation and the County of Hawaii serving in support roles. The measure also adds a clause requesting the County of Hawaii consider funding the committee's work.

During questioning, members asked whether the department inspects routes and who the contractor partners are; O'Mora said the department is relying on contractors Roberts Hawaii (West Hawaii) and Ground Transport (East Hawaii) to assist with the audit. Committee members discussed expanding similar work statewide in the future.

The committee adopted the recommendation to pass with amendments. The transcript does not record a full roll-call vote list for this item; the committee chair announced the recommendation was adopted and noted Representative Souza was excused.