2014 National Planning Excellence Awards: Transportation Planning

Hawaii Department of Transportation's Statewide Pedestrian Master Plan

Hawaii

Hawaii's Statewide Pedestrian Master Plan prioritizes pedestrian safety, mobility, and accessibility, and is the first in the nation to have a statewide, pedestrian-only focus. The plan focuses on four critical transportation elements: improving safety; enhancing mobility and accessibility; improving connectivity; and encouraging priority pedestrian infrastructure. To combat the state's high number of pedestrian fatalities, the plan identifies ways to improve pedestrian safety through engineering, education, enforcement, and evaluation. The Hawaii Pedestrian Toolbox is a key component of the plan and includes guidelines and best practices for the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of pedestrian facilities.

The plan was created through a transparent and inclusive process that included extensive public participation. A Citizen Advisory Committee was created to provide a balanced representation of stakeholder interests including police, health, transit, vehicle, and non-motor advocates. The plan also identified 31 prioritized project locations and has included performance measures to gauge the plan's progress and provide accountability. The Hawaii Statewide Pedestrian Master Plan is one component of Hawaii DOT's overall mission of providing safe and efficient multi-modal transportation system.

Educational awareness is raised during Pedestrian Safety Month; each slipper in the Walk Wise Hawaii display represents a pedestrian fatality between 2001 and 2010.