HONOLULU (KHON2) — Drivers will have to slow down even more the next time they drive through a school zone or park. A newly passed City Council bill on Thursday will lower speed limits in certain areas.
Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news
“In my district alone on Gulick Avenue, outside of Kalihi Waena Elementary School, there were two fifth graders who were hit by cars in the spring semester alone,” stated Honolulu City Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam. “This is happening all around our island.”
Bill 44 was introduced by council members Dos Santos-Tam and Esther Kia’aina. The law will lower speed limits in school zones to 20 mph and 15 mph in parks.
Speed limits around schools could lower to 20 mph under new bill
“If it can lower and protect the safety of our children, then I’m all for it,” stated Jaysha Garcia, a concerned parent. “It’s just going to be if people actually follow the speed limit.”
Lawmakers along with the community hope reduced speed limits will keep drivers more mindful.
“People will always speed, but if they’re in a 20-mile-an-hour zone, hopefully, they’re only going to go a few miles an hour over that,” said Dos Santos-Tam. “Any reduction in speed is going to be a positive thing.”
The bill has been sent to the Mayor who has the final say. Councilmembers hope to see newly installed speed limit signs across the island by the end of 2024.
Find more Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai news here
“It’s not going to be every school. They’re going to take time to roll it out because there are so many schools, but certainly in the areas where students have been hurt in the past, where speeding is a big issue. Let’s start there,” stated Dos Santos-Tam.