Meeting for 3 proposed bikeways set

The city’s “Complete Streets” program is hosting a public meeting Aug. 29 on three new bikeways proposed for portions of South King, Punchbowl and Bishop streets in downtown Honolulu.

The meeting, to be held 6 to 8 p.m. at the YWCA Laniakea, will present the following draft concept designs:

>> On South King Street: An extension of the existing two-way protected bicycle lane along the mauka side of the road, between Alapai and Bishop streets.

>> On Bishop Street: The addition of a two-way protected bike lane along the Diamond Head side of the street from Beretania Street to Nimitz Highway.

>> On Punchbowl Street: The addition of sharrows (shared-lane markings in a travel lane to indicate where people should preferably cycle) between Vineyard Boulevard and South King Street as well as a two-way protected bicycle lane on the Diamond Head side from South King to Pohukaina streets. Also, the addition of a one-way protected bicycle lane and sharrows from Pohukaina Street to Ala Moana Boulevard.

“These bikeway projects create important connections to destinations where thousands of people work and visit every day,” said Mayor Kirk Caldwell in a news release. “As Honolulu grows and becomes denser, it is critical to provide people with safe, affordable alternatives for getting around. This investment in improved multimodal access supports many of our goals as a community, from sustainability and resilience to being a healthy, age-friendly city.”

The designs took public input gathered during more than 24 community meetings, 72 stakeholder meetings and various other outreach platforms that collectively gathered more than 1,600 public comments into account, city officials said. The proposed designs will not reduce the number of on-street parking stalls or result in the removal of loading zones.

Designs for the three streets should be done by the end of this year, with construction set to begin next year.

Those unable to attend the meeting can watch it live on the Complete Streets Facebook page. The designs will be posted online following the Aug. 29 meeting. Public comments are welcome via email to completestreets@honolulu.gov through Oct. 1.