City weighs more bike lanes in push toward pedal power

Riding a growing interest in bicycling on Oahu, dozens of cycling enthusiasts gathered in Kakaako on Saturday to kick off Bike Month in May and learn about other improvements the city is planning for bicycling.

"I really am trying to figure out ways to leave a smaller footprint," said Donna Ching, of Aina Haina, who went on a "Ride of Dreams," a 2-mile bike ride at the event to look at areas where bike lanes may be installed on South, Auahi and Pensacola streets.

She said she enjoys bicycling because "it reminds me of my childhood," adding, "It’s really freeing."

Mark Garrity, deputy director of the city’s Department of Transportation Services, said more people have been bicycling since the city opened a 2-mile protected bike lane on South King Street in December.

"We know that the number of people bicycling has increased," Garrity said. "The city really wants to encourage that."

He said on Monday city crews will install the first of 13 traffic lights for cyclists Ewa-bound on the bike track near Thomas Square. The bicycle-shaped lights will face Diamond Head and display the signal on the main traffic lights along King Street.

The "traffic heads" will be installed over the next two weeks at lighted intersections, but they will remain covered to avoid confusion since the track is still one-way in the Diamond Head direction. Garrity said the city is planning to unveil the lights on May 15 — "Bike to Work Day" in Honolulu — and open the track in both directions. Lane striping will follow.

"We think it will increase the number of people on it," he said.

He added that bicyclists and drivers need to slow down and pay attention to keep the roadway safe and urged bicyclists to follow traffic rules and to ride carefully.

Data gathered by the city shows the King Street bike lane has opened up sidewalks for pedestrians and increased the number of bicyclists along that stretch, Garrity said.

Every day about 600 bicyclists use South King Street along the bicycle track — a 70 percent increase when compared to this time last year. Also, bicyclists using the sidewalk fell from 66 percent to 14 percent after the bike lane opened.

"People feel a lot more comfortable using this protected bike lane," Garrity said. "At the same time, the speed for cars has not changed."

He said the city is looking at installing a protected bike lane on South Street from Ala Moana Boulevard to King Street, possibly before the end of this year.

"We’re looking at other streets like Piikoi, Pensacola, McCully for some form of protected bike lane or just a regular bike lane," he said, adding, "We want the streets to work for everyone."

Daniel Alexander, advocacy, planning and communication director at the Hawaii Bicycling League, said improvements in Hono­lulu’s cycling facilities could lead to a jump in bicycling like in Washington, D.C., which saw commuters using bicycles double from 2.2 percent to 4.5 percent in about four years.

In Honolulu, 2.4 percent of commuters were bicyclists, according to 2013 Census data.

"If we keep going in the direction that we are," Alexander said, "we’re going to see big gains."

Visit hbl.org for more information on events during Bike Month.