Meeting outlines city plans to add more bike lanes
KRYSTLE MARCELLUS / KMARCELLUS@STARADVERTISER.COM
Cyclists transitioned onto a sidewalk at the end of the cycle track at the intersection of King Street and South/Alapai streets on Wednesday.
After a year of heightened debate over bike lanes in Honolulu, local transportation officials on Wednesday pitched to the public their latest plans to gradually make the city’s car-saturated urban core more bike-friendly.
Those plans still involve a bike lane along South Street, starting at Ala Moana Boulevard, that would link to the controversial King Street cycle track, perhaps as early as this spring. After getting some resistance to plans for the South Street lane late last year, the city changed the designs to try to better accommodate nearby businesses.
The city also aims to add a bike path along McCully Street by the end of this year that would likely replace parking along that corridor. Eventually, under city transit plans, new bike lanes would appear on other key mauka-makai corridors, such as Piikoi Street and Ward Avenue.
“I think we’re going to see a big change in Honolulu over the next few years,” Mark Garrity, the city’s deputy director for transportation, told some 200 local residents and business owners who attended Wednesday’s public meeting at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center about the upcoming bike lane plans.
Those lanes, Garrity and other officials said, would cap a years-long push by the city to make Oahu, with its headache-inducing traffic congestion and year-round pleasant weather, a better place to get around via bike.
Cyclists represented just 1 percent of all commuters on Oahu in 2014, and it’s hovered there since 2006, the latest U.S. census numbers show. On Wednesday, Mayor Kirk Caldwell said he would consider it a victory if that number climbed to 5 percent.
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Caldwell reiterated his support for the King Street lane, which has spurred polarizing debate among local business owners, drivers and cyclists since its installation a little more than a year ago.
“I want to keep it, but I want more people to be comfortable with it. Change is hard,” Caldwell told the crowd. City transit officials say some 700 cyclists now typically use the King Street lane from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. — even if the lane often looks unused at times. They hope a better grid system will boost those numbers.
Additionally, city officials reported that vehicle drive times along the full length of the King Street cycle track, from South Street to University Avenue, have increased an average 51 seconds since the lane was installed.
The outcry over the King Street cycle track led the Honolulu City Council last year to consider Bill 68, a measure that would have given the Council a lot more say over bike lane plans but would have also slowed the progress of their installation. The bill was later deferred.
Wednesday’s meeting closely resembled a similar public briefing on bike lanes held in September, with city transit officials repeatedly stressing that they want to collect as much public input on their plans as possible.
Many of those who attended encouraged them to forge ahead with the bike lanes. “It’s about time. Anyone who’s tried to search endlessly for parking around town should just get a bike,” Kakaako resident Flora Ling said outside the meeting.
Waikiki resident Kathryn Henski told the audience that she prays every time her daughter, an 18-year-old triathlete, bikes from Kapiolani Park to Makapuu. “By golly, let her come home,” Henski said Wednesday. “Bikes are not represented in this city at all. We need people who are coming here to be comfortable — to exercise but to be able to do it safely.”
Steve Sullivan, a vice president for operations at the Waterfront Plaza complex, reiterated concerns he voiced last year that South Street was not a good road for a bike lane. Nonetheless, on Wednesday he said he appreciated the design changes the city made to those lanes, which should be installed in the coming month.
The South Street route will now be a protected two-way lane where the road is one-way, city officials say. Where car traffic runs both ways on South, the bike lanes will be separated into single lanes running on both sides of the street.
The city’s plans to create a grid network of bike lanes in the urban core also comes as the city prepares for its first major bike-share program, where cyclists can rent bikes at various stations to get around town. That program, Bikeshare Hawaii, is slated to start this summer. Bikeshare Hawaii CEO Lori McCarney said Wednesday that more bike lanes would help the venture succeed.
The process to install those lanes will take time, McCarney added. “It’s not overnight. It’s a building process,” she said.
114 responses to “Meeting outlines city plans to add more bike lanes”
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So, in order to improve traffic flow, they plan to take away more lanes. What maroons. Expect to see more dangerous situations like the picture at the top of the article shows. I wonder which of the mayor’s friends this is funneling money to.
Mayor will soon furnish a free new bike for every homeless in Honolulu.
Actually looking at that photo, it shows pedestrians and bikes moving past cars stopped in a gridlock condition. (walk signal is counting) Do be careful making assumptions, they can often support your view and not the facts. I think it is wonderful when I see intelligent people passing jammed traffic on their own power. Safely, for once!
Common sense tells you to disregard the light and let the heavier vehicle go past prior to going into the crosswalk. You can be in the right and dead at the same time.
But the rest of us are paying for you freeloaders so there should be a big smile on your face. Then add the fact that few of you follow the rules of the road.
Riiiight. Because cyclists don’t pay taxes. Gasoline and auto registration taxes only pay 15% of the total road infrastructure costs (including sidewalks, roads and bikeways). Cyclists are paying 85% of that cost… it’s about time they get an opportunity to ride SAFELY; auto commuters and pedestrians have always had that right.
The vehicles are not moving and many times the traffic stops in the crosswalk. I would not expect pedestrians or bikes wait for another traffic light cycle to cross when no vehicle is in the way, would you? Again with the assumptions…
That picture made me cringe. That looks like a very dangerous intersection for both cars and bikes. I find it completely crazy that all of this money, frustration and loss of business is for 1% of our population? Someone is in deep with the city administration and making a fortune on our tax paying citizens. Lorry McCarney must have friends in high places, of course she wants more bike lanes paid by the 99% that won’t use it because she is in the bike sharing business. Unreal!
It’s not for 1% of the population, it’s to increase that 1% and get people to start thinking outside “da aina” mentality of car culture. Traffic congestion is getting so bad here that tempers are flaring, people are stressed and the solution is NOT MORE ROADS. We’re so small-minded here and so resistant to change it’s appalling.
Exactly! Have these cl owns driven on King Street since this nightmare was dumped on us? The traffic has gotten exponentially worse! What kills me is that the thing still isn’t being used! Sure there are a few that use it to commute, but for the most part it sits empty throughout the day except for the occasional bicyclist out for a spin, or one or two taking a leisurely cruise going right along side all those people stuck in traffic.
Now they want to extend it?!? They took one of the only streets that had reasonable flow even during rush hour and trashed it, and now they are going to take one of the tightest, most congested roads and take one of the lanes for the casual rider and tourists? What are these guys smoking? Come on guys. Take your head out of the clouds and just look at what you did to King Street.
Definition of insanity; “doing the same thing over and over hoping for a different result”. The first one isn’t working, why build second and third one?
Definition of insanity. Stay in Hawaii.
how about elevated bike paths?
It added exactly 51 seconds to travel time if you were to travel the whole length of King. Did you even read the article? stop exaggerating.
Do you believe everything the city tells you? next you’re going to say the rail is on budget and on time.
Heck, it added at least a couple more minutes from Richards to Alakea alone at pau hana time. Then more seconds fronting McKinley HS. Then more seconds before Kalakaua. Stop being so gullible!
Yes, the anti-cyclists clowns at it again… nooooo way it can be 51 seconds!! It’s all a city conspiracy!!! I drive that route every day and the increase in travel time is negligible – one minute is definitely plausible. The most important thing to note is not only has cycling use DOUBLED, the amount of cyclists using the sidewalks has plummeted. Safety for both cyclists AND pedestrians has increased dramatically. But hey, what is safety to the anti-cyclist crowd… their precious 51 seconds is soooo much more important. What a joke.
51 seconds of delay is a lifetime for a EMS ambulance.
…ward. I believe that the city of Honolulu wants to keep us frustrated.
I don’t see any stop signs at that path for the bikes at every crosswalk for the pedestrians.
No stop signs for cars either… same rules.
Sign on King Street say for cars to yield to the bikes in the path. Like the bikes never have to yield?
Must be the E-cigarette clouds?
Two condos have just been finished along South Street and two other developments are underway along South. Traffic is increasing daily along that route. So the city wants to cut two lanes for the 1 percent of the population that rides bikes? This is insanity but not surprising coming out of Cadwell’s bird brain. Anyone else running for mayor has my vote. Stop the insanity.
Why is there not something like this in the central and leeward areas . And only located in town area .. It seems like everything is
only for the city dwellers and the country is out and on there own !!
It will take time, but bike lanes will come your way no matter how much crying you see on this comment section. It is law now that DOT consider “complete streets” whenever there is a major repair or addition to a road on Oahu. It is divine retribution for putting up with the expense and inconvenience of the rail!
McCully is heavily used due to motorists going onto the freeway. Why not Isenberg because not heavily used plus there are 6 lanes? However, glad McCully is chosen because guarantee there will be complaints and incidents.
And the King Street cycle track adds 51 seconds drive time? A month ago we were told 30 seconds. I think someone is lying and fudging the numbers.
I bet his name rhymes with “Baldwell”
No kidding. On Time and On Budget. The increase in bicyclists is tied to the increase in homeless. Most of them have bicycles.
Bald in this article refers to lots of hair, and no brain.
because it’s low profile.
They should have put the king street bike lane on young.
It’s incredibly stupid to take lanes from main roads when we have side roads that can do the same thing for bike lanes without the same problems.
Maybe you need to actually drive down McCully one day and open your eyes… the city currently allows a handful of cars to park along the that street. There is clearly NOT enough room for cars to park and FOUR lanes of traffic to flow by. All the cars that park along that corridor have NO side view mirrors because all the cars passing by have smashed them off since there is no room. People swerve into the middle lane from the right lane because there isn’t enough room to pass the right lane with a car parked in it. While there is clearly not adequate road width for 4 car lanes AND parking on both sides, there is more than enough width to allow a bike lane in BOTH directions as a bike lane (one way) takes up less than half the width of a car stall. It’s ridiculously dangerous TO DRIVE along that route with the dotted and random parking currently in place; I’m clueless as to why the city hasn’t removed those “parking” stalls and installed bike lanes eons ago.
That’s Two lanes gone for driving. One for the bike path and the other for parking.
Maybe you should go to one of the meetings instead of spouting utter nonsense. There are NO car lanes being lost on McCully. They are simply removing the 5 or 6 parked cars that have smashed or missing rear view mirrors along that corridor.
Meetings are hog by the developer to spew out his perspective, and bias.
pj737. Your bias is showing, again. No sense talk to you. An low Iq, one track minded, will always think that he is right all the time.
Buses dislike the narrow lane due to the pathway. Mirrors at risk.
Hawaii ‘ s politicians no more CDL license?
Bike lanes in Honolulu or not, our bike riders have a non compliant attitude about yielding for others around them.
Unfortunately yes, there are inconsiderate bike riders but not nearly as much as motorists and you know that is absolute fact.
no pedestrians and bike riders do whatever they want there is no enforcement on these groups
Wrong. Completely wrong. Both pedestrians and cyclists have been targeted by HPD and ticketed. Many elderly pedestrians have been ticketed for jaywalking or entering a crosswalk late. You can be hyperbolic all you want, but it only makes you look stup!d.
Token enforcement doesnt cut it.
Marcus is your typical arrogant bike rider.
Nalogirl is your typical low educated moke!
Below: Marcus, I am not a moke nor uneducated. It makes no sense to have 990,0000 people pay for 10,000 being able to ride a bike at the cost and frustration of the majority. As others have said, why couldn’t the bike lane be on Young Street?
A general lack of civility extends beyond the bike community. Bikes just happen to be very visible examples.
Yes, I would agree. There are scofflaws on both sides.
Takes time for this building process? The rail was built overnight with only half a route in mind.
Honolulu is car saturated? Bikes will not solve that. Free bus rides will.
I wouldn’t take the bus if they paid “me” to ride it. Where did you come up with such a silly statement?
Marcus. Your first word is an ,I. That’s suggest that you are showing your bias.
What?
Nani Ka!
These public meetings are overwhelmed by the developer’s master plan for the entire show. Residents have no allocated time on the floor of the agenda.
Were you there and not given the chance to speak?
In one ear and out the other. Meetings for the general public is just for venting out. Developers have the carrot bribe for you know who?
Don’t feed the trolls!
He’s already satiated!
People like you better stay in low class Hawaii. Just your type of non leadership to go along with it.
I hope the cost of creating these bike lanes are being the responsibility of the bikers. Do bikers think it is their rights to have these lanes?? Like I stated before specially designated bike lanes is not warranted. If it is then bikers can only operate in these lanes and cannot operated where there are not any designated lanes. All existing roadways were not designed for bike lanes and creates a hazard and cause more car traffic tie a ups
Boy did you just open a “can of worms”! Then rail riders should pay for the entire rail project!
Public transportation is a responsibility the city has and is paid for by property taxes. Bike lanes are paid by whom and what is wrong with bicyclists cycling on city streets?
Ummmm, maybe because it’s UNSAFE for cyclists??? Sidewalks are much safer but also illegal and dangerous to pedestrians. The city is doing the right thing by ENCOURAGING cycling by making it safer. A higher number of cyclists provides more transportation offerings and allows locals and visitors to enjoy our gorgeous weather AND get some much needed exercise out of it. Bike lanes are sprouting up across the nation in other big cities. It’s called progress. The only reason why we are so behind other states is because we have stone age, simple minded people like yourself stopping progress.
Pj737. The city of Honolulu is also encouraging the homeless to move here, also.
Fat bottom girls you make the rocking world go round….
Sounds like a plan. Who do we talk to, to get that pushed through?
Keep it in the planning stage.
marcus. The last time I used the word, fat, here. I got banned on SA’s website.
That’s because of the source.
The law states that bicycles have a right to use all roads except freeways. So yes, it is our right and the designated bike lanes are for super saturated areas but does not preclude bikes from other areas. Get used to it danji.
You are correct however; one important part of the law that many bicyclists either are not aware of, or choose not to follow is that they are required to stay as close as possible to the right side of the street. The only exception is if it is a one way street, in which case they are allowed to stay as close as possible to either the right or left side of the street.
“. . . stay as close as possible . . .” The law does not say this. It uses the term “practicable” and gives examples of when a bicyclist is not required to ride on the right side of the roadway.
Please read the Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-145 before making erroneous claims.
Iwandcah you are showing your ignorance, please read before you speak….
Bikes should be able to use the freeway. Nice way to control the number of them.
Frankly dude, when I turn left from King onto Ward I don’t look for bicyclists. They travel at their own peril. I ain’t gonna get hurt if they crash into my car. I am watching for pedestrians and other cars. That is enough. Bikers you better be awful careful about coming thru those intersections. Cause if you get hit oh so sorry brah. So sorry for you brah. It’s going to leave a mark! 🙂
Wow, how old are you, and you still never learn how for act? What an ass. If you ever kill someone you can reflect on that for a while in prison.
Well PC, I guess we can all realize from your comment that it’s all about you then. I suggest you continue to live in your own little world, and stay there.
Frankly, PC is a piece of you know what. Karma will take care of him.
Be careful. Losers have just as much rights as everyone else does.
The Mayor feels that the complete removal of 20% of one of the city’s most utilized roads for the daily use of a miniscule number of people justified his misleading figures on the cost of building this “cycle path” note bike lane because it does not conform with the definition. This justifies the Mayor to propose and attempt to remove more public roadways for the limited use of a few, who’s “bike tax” does not contribute to the cost and maintenance of the roadways.
The city is like the human body, when the circulation of blood is impeded or congested, the body is sick and will eventually die.
Gas and registration taxes only cover 15% of the infrastructure and maintenance for roadways incl sidewalks. Cyclists pay 85% and have NO safe commuting offerings like car drivers and pedestrians do. Who do you really think is getting the cruddy end of the deal here?
Enough already, pj737. Your bias is clear as daylight.
Nice. They create more chaos on our streets, hoping people get sick of it and hop on the rail.
The city claims that there are over 700 cyclists that use the S. King St. bike lane from 6:30 a.m. -6:30 p.m. THAT’S THE BIGGEST CROCK YET AND I CHALLENGE THAT CITY OFFICIAL TO STAND WITH ME ALONG THAT BIKE LANE FOR THAT 12 HRS.. AND SEE IF THERE ARE 700 CYCLISTS USING THAT BIKE LANE. WHAT A SHIBAI!!! BIGGEST LIE YET FROM THE CITY ADMINISTRATION!!!!!!!
That is 700 cyclists using the bike lane over a period of 720 minutes, over about 2 miles of road. And you’re getting all nuts because the times you are out on King Street, you don’t see a steady stream of cyclists. Brah you are showing your (lack of) intelligence.
Marcel, please check the bike commuting rate. According to this census report, bike commuting was 1.8% in 2012. It’s likely higher now. https://www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/acs-25.pdf
@ Bikemom – I appreciate your passion and comments often with substantiating documentation. I think a lot of citizens are upset when 1-2% of commuters get a whole lane (20%) of South King St.? It seems that the whole aim is to construct these bike lanes and then (hope) that the biking population grows based on the availability of bike lanes for them to use.
The other side of the discussion is that why didn’t the City wait for the biking population to at the least get up to “double digits” (10%) of the commuting population BEFORE considering the construction of these dedicated bike lanes. “The needs of the FEW, should not come before the needs of the MANY”.
How do you expect to increase the cycling population to 10% by not providing cyclists a safe place to ride? What you’re missing here is safety. Auto drivers and pedestrians have safe places to do their thing – not cyclists. They are smashed into the transportation mix without any regard for their safety. Bike lanes are proliferating across the nation in smart cities operated by smart officials. We have, BY FAR, the best topography and weather for cycling; it’s a complete shame that the city hasn’t done more to encourage a very healthy, efficient and inexpensive way to commute much sooner. But it’s better late than never. If initially you build a safe environment for the “few”, “many” will follow over time.
Yes we have the best topography and weather for cycling BUT we also have the fewest of roads. With cars and bikes vying for the same space, any wonder why there is so much opposition to bikes? The surprising thing is that there are not more bike/car related accidents. For now, that is.
Thanks for your comments. I see your point. Problem is we’re on an island and land for roads are scarce. As the automobile population continues to grow…..this issue takes away space for the majority auto population in which to drive.
Masami and butinski – do you really think bike lanes in other cities are only being established in specific areas where there is no traffic? C’mon. Most of the new bike lane infrastructure is going in traffic corridors that make Honolulu traffic seem like nothing. The point is to get people out of cars and on to bikes. You can fit many more people in a bike lane than a car lane. That’s common sense. If you can’t widen the lanes (long-standing structures are in the way incl businesses and residents) then you need to remove INEFFICIENT lanes of traffic and replace them with more efficient forms of infrastructure. It’s bizarre that people can have enough common sense to get a job and afford a laptop, internet access and SA membership yet can’t understand you can’t keep packing more cars into the same few lanes. Seriously is it the vog? The sun? Too much salt water in the ears? Anyone know?
…ski. I’ll take riding a bike in the fridge winters in North Dakota than ride a bike along side drivers who want to run over you in sunny Hawaii.
Masami has apparently beveled traveled outside of the US. Probably only Hawaii and Vegas.
Thanks for the insult as you’re smarter than this country bumpkin who has a family, lives in the burbs, and am too old to risk my life riding a bike. Respect goes both ways in a “DIScussion”.
Complete Streets Article 33, Section 14-33.3(c) refers to the complete streets checklist. “As used in this section, complete street checklist means a tool to collect data and information about the status of the roadway and the surrounding area, as well as the details of the transportation facility or project, with the goal of identifying specific elements that can be incorporated to support and balance the needs of all users.
This checklist is supposed to include data and information that includes traffic volume, street classification and type, an inventory of sidewalk condition, transit facilities, and parking restrictions, and recommendations from any existing neighborhood bicycle, pedestrian, transit, or other plan.
We have a simple question from our business owners and concerned citizens, how many people are going to use the proposed bike lane (how did the city estimate that)? How much is it going to cost? How will the installation of the bike lane impact motorists?
If the city haven’t completed the checklist, they aren’t following the law. And if they have completed it, we will challenge the cost/benefit and whether they are really balancing the needs to all the users.
Masami, stick to your rational and common sense view!! Commom sense is rare and those without it are quite articulate to express themselves because they haven’t got the atama to posses it!
Just tell me why Honolulu needs bike paths? They seem to go wherever they please, with no respect for others around them.
Too many witnesses around. That’s the only reason why we don’t run them bikes over.
Spoken like a true novice! Try being an expert human, someday you might learn to accept other ideas and experience empathy.
And someday you might accept taking both the bad comments along with the good comments.
Ok yes Bikes are great BUT when you do not maintain or IMPROVE the roadways for cars its a DISASTER.
And not everyone can ride a bike, I wish we had some more COMPETENT people in charge of this city, seems we have the least educated and people with NO VISION !!!
Need more compact cars (www.smartusa.com) on the road, cut back on the land boats…….get the price of adult 3 wheel tricycles to drop down to $100.00 or less (Wal-Mart sells them for $270/each).
http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=3%20wheel%20bikes%20for%20adults&typeahead=3%20wheel
give everyone who turns in a personal car to the State or Honolulu C & C a “forever da Bus Pass”.
The auto industry and insurance companies are fighting bike paths tooth and nail…..they lose money with more and more bike paths built.
With falling gas prices, time to raise the gas tax 10 cents/gal in Hawaii. (Utah raised theirs 5 cents/gal since Jan 1, 2016).
Capt Kirk and his crew seem intent on making traffic even worse than now by imposing these silly bike lanes whereas the vast, vast majority of people do not ride bikes and will never
ride bikes. Another example of Agenda 21 which Capt Kirk is a proponent which intends to turn our country into a third world nation, where only the rich and powerful have access
to a 21st century life of luxury while the rest live like peasants/peons similar to the medieval age.
Guys like Capt Kirk have theres already and he does not care about the rest of you peons.
The others who blindly support the Agenda 21 policies are just “useful idiots” who really believe they are saving the planet or think they will be made part of the ruling elite.
These fools are going to be very disappointed.
You’re correct. The “vast majority” are riding in their compensatory 4x4s with their compensatory pit bulls to make up for a real or imagined lack.
Agenda 21 and bike lanes. Thanks for the great laugh. Do you make your own tinfoil hats or do they sell those online?
Oahu is one of the scariest places in which I’ve ever ridden a bicycle. (The very best day to ride the 112 miles around the island is Super Bowl Sunday because the crazies are off the road sitting in their carports and drinking beer.) That said, I thought that King St. was rather a poor choice for a bike lane. It would seem that Young St. could be re-purposed and serve that function much better.
Same said from my coworkers from New York City. Nuts to ride a bike in hostile Hawaii.
I see more bike riders on the side walk and on the road on the opposite side of the bike path everyday.
That lady on the bike in the picture above is not even in the bike path. They do whatever they want, whenever they want. Totally a futile project in action, or inaction?
Ever checked out the green bike path on King Street, lately? It’s full of rough patches that would make any bike rider cringe. Bikes don’t have any shock absorbers like a car does.
Absolutely the most idiotic creation by the city of Honolulu! How are the seniors with limited mobility will benefit from bike paths? Saw two cyclist today on King street bike way during our Doctor’s appointment at Straub Clinic, they gave no indication whatsoever of seeing our vehicle as we exit from the clinic. No pause or awareness of any of the vehicles with right of way! Are they a special breed of people with special privileges?