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Question: I am interested in biking between town and Kaneohe. What roads are we allowed to bike from town to Kaneohe or Kailua? Is it legal to ride on the Pali and Likelike highways? I am especially interested in the tunnels.
Answer: Yes, bicyclists may use the Pali and Likelike highways, but generally only experienced riders do, partly because the shoulders in the tunnels are so narrow, according to officials from the Hawaii Bicycling League.
Here is information from Daniel Alexander, the nonprofit group’s co-director:
>> On Oahu, bicyclists are prohibited from using a very small number roadways, notably the H1, H2 and H3 freeways, and a short section of Moanalua Road between Waimano Home Road and Kaahumanu Street. Such restrictions always will be posted at the entry points, because Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 291c-142 establishes that bikes are considered vehicles and follow the same regulations except as otherwise noted.
>> While it’s legal to bicycle on Likelike Highway and Pali Highway these are not the most bicycle-friendly routes. Of particular concern are the tunnels, where the shoulder width is minimal to none. Traveling town-bound is more challenging due to the incline while traveling through the tunnels; someone cycling is going at a slower speed and will have more vehicles passing. Many experienced cyclists ride Pali Highway and Likelike Highway but generally in the Windward-bound direction, as the bicyclist is descending and can maintain a fast speed through the tunnels.
>> An alternative route is to travel around Makapuu via Kalanianaole Highway. This is much longer but provides a more bicycle-friendly route.
>> An additional option is to temporarily stow your bike and ride the bus over the Koolau Mountains, then resume bicycling on the other side. Each municipal bus has a rack for two or three bikes.
We also heard back from Chad Taniguchi, HBL’s emeritus director, who commuted by bicycle from Kailua to Honolulu (and back) for years, and loved it. He agreed with Alexander’s advice, except on one point.
“For me, biking down to Kailua through the tunnels is scarier than the other way around because I do not like to ride fast downhill, fearing that if I fall, the car behind or to the side will run over me. Cars tend to drive slower going uphill through the tunnels from Kailua to Honolulu; chances of falling from a bike while pedaling slowly uphill are very small — once a driver sees you going uphill they are respectful and slow down,” he said.
Taniguchi commuted via the Pali, and offered the following pointers for bicyclists in its tunnels:
>> Wear a lot of flashing lights and reflectors, stay in the middle of the right lane so drivers see you (it’s legal to use the full lane when a car and bike do not fit side by side in the same lane), keep an eye on cars behind you with a mirror, and move right or wave at them if they appear to be going too fast or do not see you, OR
>> Walk your bike through the tunnels on the narrow raised sidewalk. It takes about 7 to 10 minutes to walk through both tunnels carrying your bike on your shoulder (to fit on the narrow sidewalk) or pushing the bike in front of you vertically on its rear tire, he said.
Taniguchi said that user- activated flashing lights should be installed inside and outside the tunnels to warn motorists when bicyclists are inside.
Other readers have asked whether the Old Pali Road route has reopened, which allowed bicyclists to avoid the tunnels. The answer to that is no; that route has been closed since last year’s landslides.
The HBL has an Oahu bike map on its website, at hbl.org/oahubikemap/.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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