honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Ideas sought on city walking, bike policy

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

CYCLING AND WALKING

In November, O'ahu voters approved, by a 171,941-49,649 vote, the following amendment to the city Charter:

"Should a priority of the Department of Transportation Services be to make Hono-lulu a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly city, and should the department's responsibilities include bikeway systems?"

spacer spacer

Advocacy groups interested in making O'ahu more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly want your ideas on how to make it happen.

The push coincides with the implementation of a city Charter amendment approved in November that directs the city to include cycling and walking in its transportation planning.

Organizations including the Sierra Club, AARP and the Hawai'i Bicycle League have created a Web site — www.bikewalkhonolulu.org — that invites residents to offer their ideas on how Honolulu can be more bike- and pedestrian-friendly.

They are urging the public to submit their ideas before Jan. 27. Responses will be condensed and published on the Web site in February.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to improve the quality of life for all O'ahu residents," Kristi Schulenberg, executive director of the Hawai'i Bicycling League, said in a written statement. "We want to cast the net wide and tap into the wealth of local knowledge from folks that walk, bike and drive this island every day."

More than 77 percent of voters supported the Charter amendment to make the roadways safer for bicycles and pedestrians.

"This is clearly an important issue for voters on O'ahu," said Jeff Mikulina, director of the Sierra Club, Hawai'i Chapter, in a press release. "We want to work closely with the city administration to make sure Honolulu goes through the necessary transformation to make it bike- and pedestrian-friendly."

According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Hawai'i has the fourth highest pedestrian fatality rate in the country: 2.65 deaths per 100,000 population. The national average is 1.67.

"Making it safe for our kupuna and keiki to walk and ride their bikes on this island is of critical importance to their long-term health and quality of life," Mikulina said.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.