Gov. Linda Lingle appears to be wavering on her inclination to veto the pedestrian safety legislation.

That's a relief. With any luck, the pressure from the public, appalled by the notion of any delay, will bump Lingle off the fence and back in favor of Senate Bill 1191, which would provide $3 million in highway and roadway improvements geared to protect pedestrians.

SB 1191 is on a list of 33 bills the governor released by Monday's deadline to reserve herself the option to veto them. She has indicated a willingness to listen, and the voters concerned by Hawai'i's abysmal pedestrian safety record ought to raise an alarm on that point.

Surely that outcry will include voices of those who support AARP Hawaii, one of the bill's architects. The senior citizens' advocacy group has rightly pointed out the number of elders among those pedestrians injured or killed at intersections and other locations.

Of the total allotment for a two-year period, $1.2 million will be provided in matching funds to the counties, which are already setting aside their own contributions. For example, Honolulu officials have announced that the state and county combined allotments would exceed $4.4 million.

Imagine what can be done if all counties leverage the funding in a similar way.

The plans include the recalibration of traffic signals to allow slower pedestrians, such as seniors or those with disabilities, more time to cross safely. And traffic countdown timers would be installed, along with better crosswalk markings, safer lighting and increased public education.

The governor favors the intent of the bill but believes money from the state highway fund should be spent on projects that can be leveraged with federal dollars, and that money from the state's general fund already has been budgeted for some improvements.

Lingle has been distressed in past years when the Legislature raided this fund for other projects, enough that she proposed that lawmakers replenish $72.8 million to the highway fund over the biennium. That proposal was shot down, and the $14 million that the Legislature instead raised through a hike in the gasoline flat tax is not enough, administration officials say.

But while it's fine to argue that the financing of this program is not ideal, that's not a good enough reason to delay these essential improvements. If some of the bill's projects duplicate improvements already on the books, the governor can manage that administratively and save any excess for the highway fund.

Each year in this state, an average of 28 pedestrians die when they are struck by a vehicle. And people 65 and older comprise the age group with the highest number of these fatalities.

The governor should authorize spending to counter such statistics by allowing this bill to become law. As much as Hawai'i is tired of new taxes, this at least seems to be responsible spending at a time when the state is unarguably in the midst of a public safety crisis.