House won't take up traffic-camera issue
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
Traffic cameras are out of this year's legislative picture — at least as far as the state House is concerned.
Advertiser library photo • Jan. 16, 1997
House Transportation Committee Chairman Joe Souki says a proposal to use automated cameras to catch red-light runners at intersections won't get aired in the House this session.
"We were going to have a hearing today, but I'll think we'll postpone it — for a few years," said House Transportation Committee Chairman Joe Souki.
"We were going to have a hearing today, but I'll think we'll postpone it — for a few years," Souki said Monday, just before his Transportation Committee was scheduled to hear public testimony on the bill.
Souki, D-8th (Wailuku, Waiehu), said the timing isn't right to start debating traffic cameras again. Last year, the start-up of a state traffic camera program (including roving vans to catch speeders) dominated much of the political and public discussion during the legislative session before lawmakers eventually repealed authorization for the cameras.
This year several bills introduced at the Legislature proposed using the cameras only at intersections, where proponents say they could greatly reduce the number of pedestrian and other accidents.
Even that appeared to be too controversial.
"We've got bigger things to work on," Souki said. "We've got budget deficits and tax increases to discuss. It's probably a little too soon to start talking about traffic cameras again. I figured it was better to drop it for now and see what happens in a few years."
The decision caught Souki's counterpart in the Senate off guard.
"I thought at least they'd discuss it," said Sen. Cal Kawamoto, head of the Senate's Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations Committee.
Kawamoto, D-18th (Waipahu, Crestview, Pearl City), said he'd still move forward with the Senate's version of the bill to use the automated cameras at intersections.
"We've got to do something about people running the intersections," he said. "I've gone to churches, neighborhood boards, senior citizens groups and they all like the idea. I'd welcome any suggestions on what else we can do to start decreasing the number of pedestrians being hit by cars."
