City transportation and police officials told the infrastructure committee on Nov. 19 that the city is aligning projects and enforcement to an updated Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the Vision 0 safe‑systems approach amid a surge in traffic deaths.

DTS transportation engineering chief Kelly Akasaki summarized the 11th edition MUTCD (December 2023), which emphasizes vulnerable road users and adds guidance on devices such as rectangular rapid‑flashing beacons (RRFBs) and green bicycle markings. Akasaki said the state adopted the edition and that the city must evaluate older signs and designs to align with the new guidance. He noted states have options for supplemental guidance and that experimental programs exist under the MUTCD framework.

Complete Streets Administrator Renee Espio said the city's Complete Streets ordinance has improved interdepartmental coordination and pointed to planned projects, including a 30‑mile South Shore shared‑use path and a new safe‑routes‑to‑school effort. Vision 0 coordinator Germaine Salim Hagihara reported that Oahu had recorded 74 traffic fatalities in 2025, with pedestrians comprising 30% of the fatalities and half of pedestrian fatalities age 65 or older. She presented evidence that most pedestrian/bike crashes occur at intersections and previewed quick‑build pilots — raised crosswalks, RRFBs and other low‑cost treatments — plus a $3.5 million federal pilot covering 50 high‑injury locations.

Acting Chief Vanek (HPD) said enforcement and outreach are part of the response: the department launched the Safer Roads Together campaign in late August and has been conducting targeted enforcement and education (noting nearly 22,000 speeding citations year‑to‑date and increased arrests for excessive speeding). Vanek emphasized that the top contributing factors remain speeding, impairment and distraction and described programs such as "Take 30" (30 minutes of focused traffic enforcement/engagement per officer shift).

Council members asked technical questions about amending national MUTCD standards, crosswalk policy for multilane roads, the evidence supporting raised crosswalks and RRFBs, and the planning and selection process for the $3.5 million pilot. DTS said the city will use data‑driven prioritization, maintain access to HPD crash reports for engineering analysis, and advised that some experimental local practices (for example, certain speed‑calming features) can be piloted under MUTCD rules or through state supplements.

The committee heard no registered public testimony on these items and moved from briefing to other agenda business.