Child safety seat clinic Feb. 11
Hawaii Police Department, in partnership with Target, Kona Community Hospital, the state Department of Transportation, and other community organizations, will hold a free child safety seat clinic for families from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 11, in the Kona Target parking lot in Kailua-Kona.
Certified technicians will be on hand to assist families with the proper installation of child safety seats, check for any factory recalls on seats and vehicles, and answer questions.
“With car crashes a leading cause of death for children nationwide, it’s vitally important that parents make sure their child’s safety seat is installed correctly,” said Torey Keltner of HPD’s Traffic Services Section. “This is a great free service for parents to check their child’s safety seat and get answers to any questions they may have. Our kids are worth the effort to check their car seats.”
According to 2019 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the most recent year for available data, an average of two children under the age of 13 were killed and 374 were injured every day in the U.S. while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans. Thirty eight percent of the children who died in 2019 while riding in passenger vehicles were unstrained.
For more information on Saturday’s child safety seat clinic, contact Sandy Tomiyama, volunteer with Partners for Safe Keiki, at (808) 896-1940.
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DOT opens applications for transportation alternatives projects
The state Department of Transportation Highways Division is seeking applications for federal Transportation Alternatives Set-aside funding (FY 2023) for specific activities that enhance the intermodal transportation system.
The funded transportation projects will prioritize safety, comfort, equity, and connectivity to destinations for non-motorized users of our transportation networks, including pedestrians, cyclists, children, seniors, and the transit-dependent.
Eligible projects include non-construction (e.g., programs, studies, Safe Routes to School coordinator position) and construction (e.g., new or improved bicycle routes, sidewalks, bus stops, overlooks, viewing areas, wayfinding, traffic control, storm water mitigation).
Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, and state or local agencies responsible for managing roadways, public land, education, and mass transit. Eligible applicants that do not routinely use federal-aid highway funds must obtain the commitment of a sponsoring transportation agency (e.g., Department of Public Works, mass transit agency) to manage the project per federal regulations.
The TA program covers 80% of the project cost, and the applicant/sponsor is responsible for the remaining 20%. The federal share is paid on a reimbursable basis.
The deadline for applications is April 1. The application and TA Program Handbook are available at https://highways.hidot.hawaii.gov/stories/s/kcrh-vrcf.
For more information, contact Jeyan Thirugnanam, TA Program Coordinator, by phone (808) 587-6336 or email jeyan.thirugnanam@hawaii.gov
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