HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	51
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

Urging the hawaii department of transportation and the city and county of honolulu to utilize artificial intelligence to mitigate traffic and improve road safety in the state.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii reported a total of 129 traffic fatalities in 2025 equating to a twenty percent increase from the previous year; and

 

     WHEREAS, this alarming figure represents the deadliest year in the State since 2007; and

 

     WHEREAS, it was reported that eighty-two traffic deaths occurred on the island of Oahu alone; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii ranks in the top twenty most congested states in the nation; and

 

     WHEREAS, according to the 2025 Global Traffic Scorecard created by INRIX, the average U.S driver loses forty-nine hours in traffic congestion annually, which is a six hour increase from last year's report; and

 

     WHEREAS, according to the INRIX's report, those hours lost sitting in traffic amount to nearly $894 annually per driver that could otherwise be productive and/or leisure time that has now been wasted behind the wheel; and

 

     WHEREAS, states should continuously seek to upgrade hardware platforms that can better support traffic systems, including venturing into the use of artificial intelligence (AI); and

 

     WHEREAS, AI traffic management systems are developed to integrate with current traffic systems to modernize operations; and

 

     WHEREAS, an AI-powered traffic system uses real-time data to optimize timing, reduce congestion, and improve road safety; and

 

     WHEREAS, other states such as California, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania are leveraging the use of AI to improve road safety and traffic management; and

 

     WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii at Manoa earned a $750,000 award from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the development of an advanced AI system to determine traffic patterns; and

 

     WHEREAS, implementing these new technologies in the State is feasible and can yield successful outcomes; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Hawaii Department of Transportation and the Department of Transportation Services for the City and County of Honolulu is urged to consider implementing new and innovative artificial intelligence technologies into its current infrastructure to mitigate traffic and increase road safety; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Department of Transportation and the Department of Transportation Services for the City and County of Honolulu is requested to submit a report on the use of current traffic technologies and assess the feasibility of integrating artificial intelligence technologies into the current traffic technology infrastructure; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Hawaii Department of Transportation and the Director of the Department of Transportation Services for the City and County of Honolulu.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

 

Report Title: 

Traffic Mitigation; Safety; Artificial Intelligence; DOT; DTS