• SB106 (Rhoads): Authorizes pedestrians to act contrary to the statewide traffic code when a reasonably careful pedestrian would determine that there is no immediate danger of a collision with a moving vehicle.

• HB941 (Todd): Authorizes pedestrians to cross roadways in a manner contrary to the statewide traffic code under certain circumstances.

Decriminalizing jaywalking would allow pedestrians to legally cross the street outside of marked crosswalks, or against the traffic signal, so long as they do not pose a threat of collision with vehicles. Pedestrians often have the best judgment in avoiding traffic injuries. Nearly 60 million Americans now live in places where jaywalking has been decriminalized. 

Jaywalking tickets can lead to debt and court records, and unfairly impacts people who rely on walking to get around. Between 2018–2023, on average, more than 5,000 citations were given in Hawaiʻi for jaywalking per year, much higher than other places in the U.S. However, nearly 78 percent of jaywalking citation fees were not collected, making jaywalking enforcement a financial drain. Freedom to Walk encourages the state to shift from enforcement, towards investment in safe, accessible pedestrian infrastructure.

• HB1471 (Grandinetti): Requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Transportation to install traffic actuated signals, including leading pedestrian intervals and accessible pedestrian signals and detectors. Imposes an additional fee of $5 for a certificate of registration for motor vehicles, to be deposited into the Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund.

• SB1124 (Lee): Establishes the retail delivery safety fee of 50 cents to be imposed on a retailer for each transaction involving a non-food item retail delivery in the State. Allows the retailer to transfer the fee to the purchaser. Creates certain exemptions. Requires the Director of Taxation to deposit the collected fees into the Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund. Allows the Director of Taxation to deposit collected fees that cover the administration of the retail delivery safety fee into the state general fund.

• SB1196 (Lee): Establishes a ridesharing fee. Deposits fees collected into the Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund.

In 2022, Hawaiʻi saw a record 117 traffic fatalities and 572 serious injuries on its roads. Many of these collisions occurred near schools, highlighting the need to prioritize the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. SRTS provides healthy transportation options for keiki by developing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure within a one-mile radius of public schools. Despite the importance of this program, it is severely underfunded. Nearly 80 percent of high-priority pedestrian, bicycle, and multimodal projects across the state that are awaiting funding are located near schools. A dedicated, $15 million per year to the SRTS would target this development where it will do the most good. 

These bills may also include other pedestrian safety measures, such as leading pedestrian intervals (LPIs), which give pedestrians and bicyclists a 3–7 second head start to cross the street before vehicles begin moving. LPIs have been found to reduce pedestrian-vehicle collisions by up to 60 percent.