City, state each pledge $1M to get 1,700 bikes on road

The Bikeshare Hawaii program got a big boost when the state and city pledged $1 million each to help put an estimated 1,700 bicycles on Oahu roads next year.

The announcement was made by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and state Health Director Virginia Pressler at a joint news conference Wednesday.

The $2 million will provide seed money for the nonprofit Bikeshare Hawaii to build a network of low-cost, publicly rentable bicycles at strategic locations — near TheBus and, in the future, rail transit station locations. About 1,700 bicycles will be available at stations around urban Honolulu during the initial period slated to begin sometime next year.

The system is then expected to expand statewide, organizers say.

“This expansion of Honolulu’s bicycling infrastructure will be a game-changer in giving residents and visitors options to avoid traffic, help the environment and have fun,” Caldwell said in a release.

Other program sponsors include Hawaii Pacific University and the Ulupono Initiative.

Visit www.bikesharehawaii.org.