Ohana have been doubling up for years

There’s little surprising information in this week’s U.S. Census report showing that multigenerational families make up more than 11 percent of all Hawaii households — the highest in the nation.

After all, this is the birthplace of the "ohana dwelling," which has been with us for 30 years now.

In 1982, then-Mayor Eileen Anderson coined the term when these add-on units were allowed, during a slow year for single-family home construction. The program went on hiatus for four years starting in 1990 to tighten regulations and crack down on abuse (some developers used the provision to build the second unit and then sell it), but it resumed in 1994.

Lately, instead of jumping through all the regulatory hoops, there’s been more under-the-table rental of rooms. And with times so tough, there’s more unpaid accommodation of friends who otherwise would be on the streets ("couch surfing"). So the homelessness experts say.

Ride on over to public meeting

Bicyclists of Oahu — unite!

That’s the call to arms — legs? — that the Hawaii Bicycling League and others are sounding ahead of tonight’s 7 p.m. public meeting about bike lanes on Waialae Avenue in Kaimuki.

The idea is to convince the city transportation department to proceed already on a proposal to designate and restripe bike lanes in that area. The meeting will be held at Kilauea Gym, at Kilauea and 22nd avenues.