O'ahu Bike Plan

Summary of O‘ahu Bike Plan October 2008 Workshops

In October 2008, a second round of public workshops was held in the Leeward, Metro Honolulu, and Windward areas of the island to gather input on the projects, programs, and policies under consideration for the O‘ahu Bike Plan. A total of 84 people participated in the productive workshops.

After a Powerpoint presentation overview of the project, workshop participants joined small group discussions. Half the small groups began by discussing projects; the other half discussed programs and policies. After 30 minutes, the facilitators switched groups to present the alternative topic to the group.

In addition to suggesting new routes, the most common responses from the Projects group concerned the following:

Top priorities:

Facilities for UH/Downtown/Waikiki
King/Beretania/Young St.
Nimitz/Ala Moana Blvd.
Connect the parks
Ped/Bike bridge over Ala Wai Canal to connect UHM with Waikiki
Expand shoulders on state highways
Facilities along the Century Ride route (Windward side)
Path around Kawainui Marsh
Improved access to Leeward Community College

Problem Areas:

Transition from end of Kalanianiole Hwy. bike lane to Waialae Ave.
McCully St, and McCully and Kalakaua bridges
University Ave. – H-1 interchange ramp conflicts
Kamehameha Hwy. along Kahana Bay
Kahekili Hwy - H-3 Interchange
Kaneohe Bay Drive

Other Ideas:

Build the easiest type of facility first, then improve (e.g., create a route, later improve to bike lanes)
Prioritize projects based on creating safe and attractive routes
Improve community outreach/education on available bike routes

The following themes emerged from the discussion of Policies and Programs:

Education (for cyclists and for the general public about cycling)
Signage, both on pavement and off, including wayfinding signs
General ways to encourage more cycling
Bicycle parking facilities

After the group discussion on policies and programs, participants were given a scorecard with the policies and programs under consideration and space to write in any other suggestions. They were asked to vote on the top three examples that would help to achieve each objective.

A total of 68 scorecards were completed, and the most popular programs and policies were:

Increased Safety/Social Acceptance	% of votes
Establish City policy to make roads bicycle friendly (e.g. new roads have lanes/routes; repaired roads add lanes/routes when possible)	72
Improve bikeway maintenance (e.g. street sweeping; pothole repair; hazard hotline/online reporting)	51
Regular Public Service Announcements focused on sharing the road & proper etiquette	47
Increased Attractiveness
More bicycle facilities & amenities (showers, lockers, parking) @ popular destinations (e.g., Downtown, Waikiki, UH)	62
Incentives (e.g. discounts @ bike shops; flextime for bicycle commuters; bicycle buddy system)	43
Bicycle access & amenities for transit (bus, boat, rail)	41
Better Connectivity
Establish City policy to make roads bicycle friendly (e.g. new roads have lanes/routes; repaired roads have lanes/routes when possible)	74
Online bicycle trip maps/planning (route finding service; variety of route types)	54
Wayfinding signage	40

Comment sheets were available at the workshops for additional input. Thirty of these comment sheets were filled out and the most common responses concerned the following issues:

More Routes/Corridors Needed
Specific New Facilities/Improvements & Priorities
Need Design Guidelines for Facilities
Programs and Policies to be considered for the Bike Plan

Click here for a complete list of the written comments submitted

Based on public input received at the two rounds of workshops, and ongoing research and consultations, the planning team will now evaluate the projects, programs, and policies under consideration for inclusion in the Draft Plan expected to be released in March 2009.