Bikeway plan could
ease traffic headache

Paths for Honolulu
are being designed, but
input is needed

By Lori Tighe
Star-Bulletin

Oahu -- how much do you want a city bikeway system?

The people behind the Bikeway System Master Plan say more public participation is needed if the plan, now being developed, is to someday become a paved reality.

"It could be the best bike plan in the world, but if the public doesn't support it, it could be just another plan that doesn't get implemented," said Shevaun Low, a bikeway planner with the consulting firm of Helber, Hastert & Fee.

Honolulu needs the public's support to "institutionalize bicycling," said Low, whose firm was awarded a city contract to write the plan.

That means creating a biker-friendly environment where drivers respect bicyclists, businesses add bike racks, engineers make roads safe for riders, and the city reduces speed limits.

Only a relatively small number of people have commented on the plan so far.

A total of 250 people came to two bikeway workshops in August and October, Low said. About 100 people sent comments via e-mail, a few called the Bikeway Hotline and some others wrote letters, he said.

Planners hope more will attend the final workshop series next month.

Three main bicycle corridors have been identified for bikeways: mauka, or the mountain route; makai, or the ocean route; and central, which connects the two.

"Now we're getting to the details, such as how you would get from Kapiolani Park to Aloha Tower," Low said.

From the comments that have been gathered, planners will propose short-, medium- and long-range projects at the January workshops. The public can review the ideas and let planners know which are most important to them.

The final plan is expected to be finished by late May.

According to limited response in a Bike Usage Survey:

The top five bicycle destinations are downtown, Hawaii Kai, Ala Moana, Kapiolani Park and the University of Hawaii.

The five worst routes are McCully Street, Ala Moana Boulevard, Kaneohe Bay Drive, Beretania Street and through Waikiki.

The five best routes are the Pearl Harbor Bike Path, Kalanianaole Highway, Hawaii Kai Drive, Diamond Head Road and the Ala Wai.

The top five recommendations for a bicycle-friendly Honolulu are a continuous bikeway network, additional bike parking, education for motorists, education for bicyclists and maintenance of bikeways.

Sixty-nine percent of respondents use a bicycle primarily for recreational purposes, 24 percent for commuting and 7 percent for errands.

Experienced bicyclists have provided most of the comments to planners. But Low said they also want to hear from casual bicyclists who might commute to work if a bikeway system existed.

Increasing the number of bicycling commuters could help improve one of the city's headaches, traffic congestion. Another aspect of a comprehensive bikeway system is bicycle tourism.

Eve DeCoursey, executive director of the Hawaii Bicycling League, said she turns away "many, many, many" cyclists from around the world who want to see Oahu on a bike. She sends them instead to the Big Island and Maui.

"It's a shame," DeCoursey said. "That's how people want to see our island, outdoors and free, not crammed in a bus."

But, she said, "The plan is waking up people to the possibility that, 'Hey, this really could be a bicycle-friendly city if we want.' It's not too late.

"I feel we owe it to Hawaii to not depend on cars to see it."

Pave a path for cyclists

The public is invited to comment on proposed short-, medium- and long-range bikeway projects at three meetings:
Jan. 27 at McCoy Pavilion, Ala Moana Beach Park.
Jan. 28 at the Aiea Library, 99-143 Moanalua Road.
Jan. 29 at Paki Hale, Kapiolani Park.
All meetings run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The public can also e-mail comments to bikeplan@hhf.com, or call the Bikeway Hotline at 545-2055.