In the Netherlands there’s a dedicated bike commuter path embedded with solar cells that generate electricity for homes. On U.S. soil the city of Portland, Ore., has more than 300 miles of bikeways and 5,000 publicly installed bike racks.
Here in Honolulu we are simply celebrating the baby step of earning bronze-level status from the League of American Bicyclists.
No funding comes with it, according to city bicycle coordinator Chris Sayers, but it’s a sought-after designation that recognizes cities committed to bicycling.
It’s a big deal, according to Brendon Hanna, events director of the Hawaii Bicycling League.
"Bronze is entry level," Hanna said. "This marks the first municipality in Hawaii to achieve bicycle friendliness."
Every year, the League of American Bicyclists assesses all 50 states through a voluntary application process, using the criteria of what it calls the five E’s: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation.
Honolulu made strides in all five areas, according to the Hawaii Bicycling League:
» Engineering: Honolulu adopted the "Complete Streets" ordinance pushing for more bicycle-friendly streets, which are evident in new bike lanes on Waialae and Kalakaua avenues.
Also, despite recent complaints and controversy, the new King Street Cycle Track, a 2-mile cycling lane along the left side of King Street, was officially unveiled Saturday with a grand-opening celebration. It is considered by the local league as a step toward embracing the national trend of protected bikeways.
» Education: The Hawaii Bicycling League offers BikeEd for fourth-graders, adult workshops and a senior bike program.
» Encouragement: Along with weekly rides, there are events like the Honolulu Century Ride and Bike Month in May.
» Enforcement: Hawaii enacted the Vulnerable Users Law in 2012, which imposes escalating penalties on negligent motorists who seriously injure or kill vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and bicyclists.
» Evaluation: The formal adoption of Honolulu’s Oahu Bike Plan in 2012 will help guide infrastructure changes.
"From our perspective, the City and County of Honolulu is doing a reasonably good job at pushing things forward," Hanna said.
Even with complaints from motorists about the new King Street track, he said the league is trying to emphasize the point that someone who leaves their car in the driveway in favor of biking it "is your friend."
Honolulu ranks 15th among large cities in percentage of bicycle commuters at 1.8 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Portland tops the list with 6.1 percent.
Oahu has 46 miles of bike paths, 52 miles of bike lanes and 36 miles of bike routes. Unfortunately, many of the bike paths don’t connect.
There’s still plenty of room for improvement, and difficult decisions will have to be made in order for bicycling infrastructure to become a priority, according to the Hawaii Bicycling League.
The bronze-level designation is valid for four years. In January, Honolulu will receive a report card that will help point the way to silver status, the next level. After that there’s gold and platinum.
To learn more, visit www.hbl.org and www.honolulu.gov/bicycle.html.
Nina Wu writes about environmental issues. Reach her at nwu@staradvertiser.com and follow her on Twitter @ecotraveler.
