Bicycle rental program suffers from lack of use

Question: Whatever happened to the bike sharing program in Kailua that launched in May 2011?

Answer: The Hawaii B-cycle program, the first of its kind in the state, is still available to users, according to Heidi Hansen-Smith, community programs coordinator of the Department of Health’s Healthy Hawaii Initiative. Hansen-Smith said there has been a lack of use because the program is limited to two stations.

“We’re still hoping to expand,” she said.

One station is at Davis Building, 767 Kailua Road, the site of Cactus restaurant, and the other is at Hahani Plaza, 515 Kailua Road, outside Fatboy’s Pizza. The latter station, across Kailua Road from Kailua District Park, will be moved to a temporary site until a permanent site is selected. The relocation is necessary as D.R. Horton’s local Schuler Division is constructing an upscale condominium project called Ka Malanai, formerly known as Ironwoods.

Utility lines will be placed underneath the bike station. The location of the temporary station site has yet to be determined.

Twelve cruiser-style bikes are available in the program. Each bicycle is equipped with a global positioning system.

Since the program’s inception, there have been concerns raised by some users involving the fee system such as the 24-hour pass. Hansen-Smith said some did not understand how to use the $5 pass and thought they did not have to return the bikes to either station until the end of the 24-hour period.

Hansen-Smith explained the user is required to return the bike to either station within each half-hour within the 24-hour period. The user is charged $2.50 for an additional half-hour if the individual exceeds 30 minutes.

Funding generated from the program is used to maintain the bikes and stations.

Hansen-Smith said they are also looking for a new part-time coordinator. Nguyen Le, founder of Hawaii B-cycle, served as the program’s first coordinator for more than a year before he left the position. The program is headed by Hawaii B-cycle’s parent company, B-cycle LLC, based in Madison, Wis.

Smith said they hope to expand the bike share program to more sites in Kailua as well as other parts of Oahu that include downtown Honolulu, Kalihi, Kakaako and the University of Hawaii. A steering committee was created to work toward expanding the program. The committee is made up of members representing UH, Department of Transportation, Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, Hawaii Community Development Authority and other agencies and organizations.

The program was initiated to promote an active lifestyle, Hansen-Smith said. It encourages motorists to use the bikes to shop and run errands instead of relying on their vehicles.

The program has been successful in parts of the mainland such as Washington, D.C., Denver, Miami Beach, Fla., and Boston.

For more information, go to hawaii.bcycle.com.

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This update was written by Rosemarie Bernardo. Suggest a topic for “Whatever Happened To…” by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4747; or email cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.