King Street parking stalls will be to right of bike path

QUESTION: Regarding the new bicycle lane on King Street: My main concern is the area from Kealamakai Street to Victoria Street, where asphalt barriers look like they will prevent people from parking in the few "premium" spaces in the area. What is the plan for parking once the bike lane is completed? With inadequate parking in the Straub Clinic & Hospital parking garage, many patients are forced to use street parking. Parking spaces on the makai side of King Street are often filled and not as suitable, especially for the handicapped.

QUESTION: My co-workers and I at Straub Hospital are dismayed by the bike lane that’s being put in along King Street. They’re removing parking meters and also one lane available during peak traffic hours. There are black berms protecting the bike lane, but someone exiting the driveways will have an accident if they’re unable to see them. Whose idea was this? Did they ask anybody about this?

ANSWER: The "King Street Cycle Track" pilot project to add an exclusive bike path along King Street, from Alapai Street to Isenberg Street, won’t be taking away a lot of parking spaces, but it is sure to cause some confusion.

That’s because the on-street parking stalls that once were in the far mauka (left) lane of King Street, next to the sidewalk, will be placed to the right of the cycle track — between the bike path and left travel lane.

The parking meters themselves will remain on the sidewalk.

"Only a few parking spaces are being removed between Alapai Street and Kealamakai Street to increase visibility for city buses turning into the Alapai transit station," said Michael Formby, director of the city Department of Transportation Services.

Although the parking meters between Alapai and Kealamakai have been removed, no other metered parking along the bike route will be eliminated, he said.

However, people who park on the mauka side of King Street will have to cross the cycle track to feed the parking meters on the sidewalk.

Once the cycle track is completed, the afternoon parking restrictions will remain the same, he said. The on-street parking on the makai side of King Street will remain as is.

BIKE PATH VERSUS LANE

Although the "cycle track" is often referred to as a bike lane, "it is more akin to a bike path" because it will be physically separated from the travel lanes, Formby said.

The difference in terminology is significant because under state law, mopeds are allowed in bike lanes, while bike paths are restricted to bicycles and pedestrians.

"We are only allowing bicyclists in our cycle track, and we will be going to the Legislature to clarify that a cycle track is not a bike lane," Formby said.

BERMS AND BOLLARDS

The cycle track will be separated from the travel lanes by 6-inch-high asphalt berms and 3-foot buffer zones, designated by plastic bollards (posts).

The berms, bollards and buffer zones will remain as long as the King Street Cycle Track pilot project is in place, Formby said.

The berms will be painted white, and the buffer zones will have reflective delineators/bollards so that the cycle track is easily visible to motorists, he said.

The asphalt berms will have 3-foot gaps, approximately 15 feet apart, to allow access for the handicapped and for water drainage.

"There will also be sections at the beginning of every block where the asphalt curb is omitted," Formby said.

Although they will not be marked for "handicapped users," the areas where the asphalt berms are omitted will allow the handicapped to have easier access to the curb cutouts, he said.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

The city has made several presentations about the cycle track, aimed at getting residents to bicycle more, to three neighborhood boards and twice before the City Council’s Transportation Committee.

"DTS has also presented information on the King Street cycle track at numerous community meetings, town halls, presentations on Complete Streets and at other public venues," Formby said. "DTS continues to work with the public through its public educational campaign."

TUESDAY: Rules of use and other explanations.

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