By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Phillip Doi, former executive director of the state Office of
Consumer Affairs who has now returned to the private practice
of law, is one of the bicyclists who brave Honolulu's
sometimes hazardous conditions.
Pedaling in Paradise
Beleaguered bikers get a boost as
By Alan Matsuoka
the city moves on a master bikeway plan
Star-BulletinWith 300-plus sunny days a year, urban Honolulu would seem an ideal place for bicycle commuting. Yet the sight of a junior executive pedaling through the rush hour is uncommon -- and the curb-hugging strategies of those who dare are hardly an argument for switching from a Subaru to a Schwinn. "So many people are shocked when they move here," said Eve DeCoursey, executive director of the Hawaii Bicycling League. "They think it's going to be a pedaling paradise, but they're so surprised to find that it's not accommodated at all, or very little."
The city hopes to change that. Last month it awarded a $193,000 contract to the firm of Helber Hastert & Fee to develop a master bikeway plan linking Pearl Harbor to Diamond Head, and the waterfront to Manoa Valley and Punchbowl. The theory: More people will take to two wheels for commuting or short hops to the mall if they have a safe, clearly marked network to ride on.
Said Tom Fee, who's handling the project, "We have every reason to think it's going to be one of the best plans in the country."
To many cyclists, almost anything would be an improvement. The state had just 98 miles of designated bikeways as of December, a dismal figure compared to the estimated 250 miles in bike-friendly Tucson, Ariz.
Even with another 126 miles of improved Maui County road shoulder, the options here are "sadly lacking," said League President Steve Timpson.
The frustration is compounded for city riders, since Oahu's urban corridor is relatively flat and compact, pluses for workers who don't want to appear at the office coffee machine drenched in sweat. But while they admire certain bikeway stretches, they say others abruptly end or can be exercises in dodging rough spots, storm grates and car doors.
"We've got the best weather, we've got the best conditions, the best potential of anywhere I know of in the United States," Timpson said. "It's unfortunate that we have not had the support and the infrastructure there to make it a reality."
By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Doi threads a needle maneuvering through
crowded Honolulu streets.
The consultants have enlisted the Bicycle Federation of America, a respected Washington, D.C.-based group currently helping Buffalo, N.Y., and Philadelphia develop systems. Senior Planner Charlie Denney said a BFA team is expected here next month to start collecting data that will be pumped into computer analytical models to create bikeway plans. How much do we want one?
Among the most important parameters will be the strength of Honolulu's desire. Philadelphia, for instance, aims to be the most bike-friendly city on the East Coast and wants a bike facility within three-quarters of a mile of every home. To gauge sentiments in Hawaii, the consultants plan public workshops and surveys, and will be advised by a panel that includes 17 neighborhood-board representatives. The intent, Fee said, is to give the City Council a blueprint next spring that tells "what we can do for the least cost, to benefit the most people, tomorrow."
Despite its apple-pie appeal, there could be areas of resistance, such as along Kealaolu Avenue in Kahala, where residents are fighting a road widening that bicyclists favor. And some cyclists are skeptical, saying government pays lip service to bicycling issues; in fact, the Council bill calling for the plan passed three years ago but wasn't budgeted. Pockets of resistance
"They kind of farm it out for another study and don't really come to grips with a lot of real transportation issues," groused Frank Smith, owner of Island Triathlon & Bike and a longtime biking advocate.
Much of the doubt stems from Bike Plan Hawaii, the state's master plan that Smith, one of many critics, called a superficial "scandal." Written in 1977 and updated in 1994, it presents a grandiose vision of more than 1,300 miles of bikeways statewide but skims on the mechanics.
Others, though, view it as a useful inventory that must be refined. "It's just the next step," said Thomas Palmatier, the Transportation Services project manager for the city effort.
Councilman Andy Mirikitani, who wrote the bike-plan bill, considers it a first move to a system encompassing Oahu, which now has 66 miles of bikeways. "It's time to stop talking and build a bikeway system once and for all," said Mirikitani, who envisions the possibility of shower facilities at major bus route connections and revenue-generating racing events like the Tour de France.
Whether or not future Greg LeMonds compete here is of lesser concern to Dorian Cuccia than the varying street conditions.
Until moving into town in March, the 42-year-old Cuccia each weekday would mount his $1,500 Tomisini Super Prestige or another of his bikes for an exhilarating two-hour commute from Kailua to his job as a framer at Juniper Arts in Kakaako.
He avoided mishaps, he half-joked, by "being very aware, riding very defensively and going to church every Sunday."
No one is sure how many of Honolulu's roughly 100,000 registered bike owners commute. A national report this month said 5 million Americans pedal to the daily grind, and 20 million more would if there were adequate bike facilities. Cyclists here are certain a good urban system would boost numbers, particularly if combined with education that teaches bike riders to follow the rules of the road, and motorists to accept the bicycle on equal terms. Good system, more riders
"Here's something that can go 20 mph pretty easily under just about anybody's own steam, and Honolulu's citizens go about five or 10 miles to get to work," DeCoursey said.
"This is a real potential solution for a lot of people. It's right there in our face."
Project may get
By Alan Matsuoka
federal money
Star-BulletinBikeways cost money. According to Bike Plan Hawaii, a bike lane (a portion of a road designated by striping or signs) or a bike route (a widened curb lane or paved right shoulder) averages $84,480 a mile. A bike path, which is separated from roads, is priced at $168,960 a mile. Right-of-way purchase costs are not included.
Officials say the money for planning and improvements in Hawaii primarily comes from the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, which covers 80 percent of costs. The landmark legislation was approved by Congress in 1991, shifting the nation's transportation focus away from the interstate highway system and to a more comprehensive approach that includes other modes of transportation.
Since passage, more than $1 billion has been spent on bicycle projects nationwide, compared with the $40 million in the 18 years before the act, the Environmental Working Group said. Hawaii spent $9.5 million.
Congress is debating reauthorization of the legislation, which expires at the end of the fiscal year in September. The Clinton Administration supports keeping provisions for pedestrian, bicycle and other such projects. But highway, oil and automobile lobbyists, dubbed the "Road Gang" by opponents, are against setting aside funds.
Kelly Hill, a policy associate with the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver, said money should be available for Hawaii bikeway construction.
One possibility is that funds will not be reserved, but states will be given block grants to use as they wish.
1. Toronto, Ontario Top bike cities
2. Portland, Ore.
3. Tucson, Ariz.
4. Madison, Wis.
5. Seattle
6. Denver
7. Eugene, Ore.
8. Ottawa, Ontario
9. Phoenix
10. Vancouver, B.C.
The City Department of Transportation Services has formulated a survey to find out bicyclists' concerns and ideas for the proposed bikeway system and to help in prioritizing improvements. For more information on the Bikeway System Master Plan, call the Bikeway Plan Hotline at 545-2055. Here are some sample survey questions: Bike Usage Survey
Please identify the primary and secondary use of your bicycle:
commuting,
The Honolulu Bikeway System
Master Plan Web site
