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Illegal bicyclists
are elusive

Question: There is a high degree of bicycle traffic on the sidewalk on King Street, between Isenberg Street and University Avenue. Many elderly women walk that area, and there are many bicycles that are going very fast on the sidewalk, barely missing them. It's illegal for bicycles to be on the sidewalk because that's a business district. I would like to have police enforce that and perhaps also have some signs saying no bicycling on the sidewalk. I talk to the bicyclists, but they said police allow them to ride that. Why aren't police doing their job?

Answer: There are no statistics by area, so there is no way to say whether any biker has been cited for riding on the sidewalk in Moiliili, which is a business district.

Under state law a "business district" is defined as an area, contiguous to and including a highway, where there are business or industrial buildings within any 600 feet of that highway. The buildings must "occupy at least 300 feet of frontage on one side or 300 feet collectively on both sides of the highway."

Records show police issued a total of 286 citations in 2002 and 2003 (no figures available for 2004) for illegal riding on sidewalks in business districts, said officer Herb Schreiner, of the Honolulu Police Department's District 7.

The citations were for violations of Section 15-18.7, "Riding on sidewalks," of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, which says, among other things, "(a) No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district," and "(c) Whenever any person is riding a bicycle upon a sidewalk, such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian."

In 2002, 118 citations were issued for violations of Sec. 15-18.7(a) and two for violations of Sec. 15-18.7(c), Schreiner said. In 2003 there were 163 violations for sidewalk riding in a business district and two for failing to yield the right of way.

"This shows enforcement but it doesn't show exactly where," Schreiner said. The problem is that these are the kinds of violations "it's difficult to get a report on," he said, because even if you report a violator, he or she will be long gone before police can probably respond.

Citations are issued only if police witness a violation.

Schreiner said he had sent a memo to officers in the district to keep an eye out for any violators.

Meanwhile, we passed your suggestion about posting signs in the Moiliili area on to the city Department of Customer Services.

Q: What section of the law says you have to park four feet from the apron of a driveway?

A: Sec. 15-14.1(a)(2) of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu -- "Stopping, standing or parking prohibited in specified places / No signs required" -- says no one shall park "in front of a public or private driveway or within four feet of either side of a public or private driveway."

There's no mention of the apron.

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