REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO COORDINATE WITH UTILITY PROVIDERS OPERATING WITHIN STATE HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE PLAN AND SCHEDULE TO ADDRESS DERELICT OR AGING UTILITY POLES AND LINES ALONG FARRINGTON HIGHWAY AND OTHER HIGH-RISK CORRIDORS.

SCR77

THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

77

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO COORDINATE
WITH UTILITY PROVIDERS OPERATING WITHIN STATE HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY TO DEVELOP
A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE PLAN AND SCHEDULE TO ADDRESS DERELICT OR AGING
UTILITY POLES AND LINES ALONG FARRINGTON HIGHWAY AND OTHER HIGH-RISK CORRIDORS
.

����
WHEREAS, public
safety along state highways is of paramount importance, particularly in
coastal, high-wind, and heavily traveled corridors; and

����
WHEREAS, aging,
damaged, or derelict utility poles and overhead lines located within state
highway rights-of-way may pose safety hazards to motorists, pedestrians,
bicyclists, and nearby residents; and

����
WHEREAS, Farrington
Highway serves as a major transportation artery for the Leeward Coast of Oahu
and has experienced incidents involving downed or deteriorated utility
infrastructure, raising concerns regarding resilience, safety, and emergency
access; and

����
WHEREAS, similar
conditions may exist along other high-risk state highway corridors that are
vulnerable to severe weather events, coastal erosion, traffic impacts, or
deferred maintenance; and

����
WHEREAS, the
Department of Transportation plays a critical role in coordinating
infrastructure planning and maintenance activities within those corridors; and

����
WHEREAS, utility
providers operate infrastructure within state highway rights-of-way pursuant to
permits, easements, or other agreements and share responsibility for the
maintenance, repair, and replacement of their infrastructure; and

����
WHEREAS, a
coordinated, data-driven, and phased statewide to address this aging
infrastructure plan could improve public safety, enhance infrastructure
resilience, clarify maintenance responsibilities, and better align capital
improvement schedules among state and private stakeholders; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that the
Department of Transportation is requested to coordinate with utility providers
operating within state highway rights-of-way to develop a comprehensive
statewide plan and schedule to address derelict or aging utility poles and
lines along Farrington Highway and other high-risk corridors; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to:

����
(1)
�
Convene relevant utility providers to conduct
a coordinated assessment of derelict, inactive, or aging infrastructure;

����
(2)
�
Develop a comprehensive removal, repair, or
remediation schedule;

����
(3)
�
Prioritize corridors with elevated wildfire
risk, high traffic volumes, or proximity to residential communities;

����
(4)
�
Establish a standardized notification and
coordination process for unsafe or abandoned infrastructure;

����
(5)
�
Identify funding responsibilities and cost
allocation mechanisms; and

����
(6)
�
Evaluate whether existing statutes or
franchise agreements sufficiently define maintenance and removal obligations
for inactive utility infrastructure within state highway rights-of-way; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to submit a report
detailing identified infrastructure, remediation schedules, responsible
entities, and any statutory or regulatory barriers, including any proposed
legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the
convening of the Regular Session of 2027; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the
Director of Transportation.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

Department
of Transportation; Utility Poles and Lines; Infrastructure; Comprehensive
Statewide Plan