There’s some exciting news for Honolulu bicyclists.

After several years of work, the city’s Bicycle Master Plan is just about ready to be released.

The comprehensive plan, which would map where new bike lanes would be placed, among other solutions, should be ready for release before the end of the month, says city Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka.

The plan was pretty much done about a year ago, but the city held off on it because Yoshioka wanted to include interim projects that could be started more quickly while longer-term solutions were being budgeted for and worked on.

"I think it’s a much more workable way to do things," he says. "We don’t have to wait for either the ability, funding-wise or physically. You really need to do projects in incremental ways so we can work our way to the ultimate goal."

In the meantime, the Hawaii Bicycling League is holding free bicycle safety classes for adults at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, funded through a grant from the state Department of Transportation.

There are two classes. One is "Commuter Cycling 101," a two-hour course in which people can sharpen their skills through riding exercises in a secured parking area, graduating to public streets around the campus.

The second class, "Walk, Bike, Drive," is a one-hour course that will cover safety and awareness from the perspectives of the triumvirate of traffic users: bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers.

The classes will be taught by project managers and certified instructors John Yeh and Daniel Alexander, both of whom attended UH-Manoa and are deeply involved in the cycling community.

And here’s the best part: Participants will be eligible to win numerous prizes in a drawing, including four bicycles and more than $1,500 in gift certificates from local sponsors.

All UH students attending will receive a free set of bicycle lights.

"The whole reason why we’re doing it at UH is because statistically 15- to 25-year-olds, especially males, have the highest risk of being involved in crashes," says Hawaii Bicycling League Executive Director Chad Taniguchi. "But really, everyone is encouraged to take the class."

The city offers money to the league for classes, but it’s only for fourth-grade students, Yoshioka says.

"I really appreciate the Hawaii Bicycling League taking the initiative to make the classes," Yoshioka says. "We’ve talked about the need for adult-level education."

Visit www.hbl.org/commutercycling101 and www.hbl.org/walkbikedrive for more information and to sign up.

Reach Gene Park at gpark@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @GenePark.