Honolulu awarded for being bicycle-friendly

The League of American Bicyclists has awarded Honolulu an honorable mention in its Bicycle Friendly Community program.

Honolulu is one of 24 cities and counties that applied for first-time Bicycle Friendly Community designation in the latest round of evaluation. Seven other communities, including Tampa, Fla., and Los Angeles, also received honorable mentions. Five communities received bronze and two received silver. The other levels are gold and platinum.

National reviewers evaluate applicants on the availability of programs to train children and adult riders, inclusion of bicyclists in transportation plans, enforcement of bicyclists' rights and responsibilities by police, sponsorship of programs and events to encourage cycling, and whether they evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts.

The city recently released a sustainability plan that calls for the completion of an islandwide Bikeway Master Plan by 2008. City planners are also integrating bike paths into proposed development around rail transit stations.