Today is #GivingTuesday! Be a spoke in the wheel of change and help create a cycling paradise for the next generation of riders!
Archives for November 2016
Leeward Bikeway Exploratory Ride to Barbers Point Riding Club – Jan 7th!
Join us on Saturday, January 7th, 2017!
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. In honor of those who lost their lives on December 7th, 1941 the Hawaii Bicycling League is hosting a special bicycle ride and tour with the historic Barber’s Point Riding Club on Saturday, January 7th, 2017. See details and schedule below!
Established in 1985 and incorporated in 1993 the historic Barbers Point Stables have been in existence since at least 1960 are located on the former NAS Barbers Point and within the WWII Revetment District of the former MCAS Ewa. BPRC is a Type III independent private organization that is a non-federal entity, self-governed, and self-sustained by its membership. It operates on Navy land and in accordance with Navy regulations and guidelines.
Horseback riders are enthusiastically welcoming bicycle riders for a tour of the WWII revetment district. Barber’s Point Riding Club is not normally open the the public! Join us to check out the property!
Schedule…
8:30 a.m. Depart from Neal Blaisdell Park – 11 miles off-road route (in the case of rain we will ride on road)
10:30 a.m. Depart from West Loch Community Shoreline Park – 5 miles route (10 miles round trip)
11:30 a.m. Snack, Hydrate, Tour Riding Club – HBL will provide light snacks and refreshments at Barber’s Point Riding Club.
- This is a non-supported no-drop ride.
- Please bring their own flat repair kit, working bicycle, and a helmet.
- HBL will be providing light snacks, Gatorade/water at Barbers Point Riding Club.
- We’ll take the 30 minute tour around 11:30 a.m. when participants have arrived.
- Again, this is a special, one-time HBL event in collaboration with Barbers Point Riding Club. The property is not open to the general public. Bicyclists do not have to HBL members to join.
- Note: Molly’s BBQ & Seafood restaurant is located at Barber’s Point Golf Course club house in case you would like to grab lunch before bicycling back to your vehicle on your own. The ride leaders will depart the from the riding club shortly after the tour ends to lead folks back to their start point/vehicles.
Please click here to sign up!
Please click here to sign up!
Pedestrian Crossing Flags Migrate to Aina Haina
Dr. Vince Au and Christine Langworthy helped HBL install pedestrian crossing flags at a midblock crossing between Waa and Ka’ai on Kalanianaole Highway on November 3, 2016. Dr. Au was a good friend of Dr. Cynthia Soneda, who was killed while crossing as a pedestrian June 19, 2015. Christine is a 30-year Aina Haina resident who has seen too many people injured on the streets, including an elderly woman killed in a crosswalk 10 years ago.
See news coverage by StarAdvertiser (flags wave for safety’s sake) , KITV (Aina Haina community comes together) , and KHON (flags on busy Kalanianaole).
Flags were placed in mid July 2016 at 25 unsignalized intersections in Nanakuli-Waianae after 6 residents were killed in the first 6 months of 2016. Since the flags were placed there have been no reports of pedestrians killed in Waianae-Nanakuli. HPD has also stepped up enforcement against speeding drivers.
We’re making progress! Building the bicycle-friendly community we so need!
We still have a long way to go to make Oahu a cycling paradise, but recently we’ve had some BIG wins in our steady march to towards that vision.
New Complete Streets Program Administrator
In 2012, our City Council passed the Complete Streets ordinance and set out a clear priority that our streets and transportation system should safely accommodate those that walk and bike. Since then, implementation of the Complete Streets ordinance has been a top priority for HBL. So it’s with great joy that we welcome the brand new position. The new Complete Streets Program Administrator comes with the promise of seeing more Complete Streets on the ground and accelerating the work to make Oahu truly bicycle and pedestrian friendly. Click here to see an interview with Mike Packard, the Complete Streets Program Administrator.
Buffered Bike Lanes hit the ground in Kalihi
Oahu has its first buffered bike lanes! Actually they aren’t quite finished, but the spacious lanes have mostly taken shape. The buffered bike lanes that provide a striped buffer area between the bike lane and traffic lane are being installed on a 3-block section of Waiakamilo Street between Hart Street and Dillingham Boulevard as part of the resurfacing of the street. The project is also improving the bike lanes at intersections the length of Waiakamilo Street.
Howard Hughes bringing bike lanes to Kakaako
The Kakaako developer Howard Hughes will soon start construction to install bike lanes on Auahi Street between Queen Street and Kamani Street. The bike lanes will provide an important connection in the growing shopping and residential district and are another piece of our developing bikeway network.
Solution Meeting shapes a Complete Street in Pearl City
In May, HBL organized a Solutions Meeting on Lehua Avenue in Pearl City in response to the death of 86-year-old Cecila Palaraon and two others seriously injured while crossing the street. The meeting brought together the City Department of Transportation Services, Councilmember Brandon Elefante, area residents, and other important stakeholders. The group focused in on the idea of a “road diet” – converting the 4-lane street to 1 lane in each direction, a center left turn lane, and new bike lanes in each direction. The road diet change makes unsignalized crosswalks much safer, reduces speeding, provides a safer place for biking, and generally makes the road safer (studies have found the injury reduction to be 19-47%!). The call didn’t go unheard. The Department of Transportation Service announced it is planning for the road diet change to be implemented as part of the upcoming repaving of Lehua Ave.
Calling All Leeward Bikeway Supporters!
We’ve reached out to friends, family, neighbors, community associations, youth groups and seniors… now we’re going to the Leeward Neighborhood Boards to ask for formal support for the Leeward Bikeway! We’ll be presenting to the Waianae, Ewa, Aiea, Nanakuli, Waipahu, Pearl City, and Kapolei Neighborhood Boards in November and the first week of December.
Neighborhood Board’s are the most local form of government. A strong presence at each meeting will convey an authentic message that the community is standing strong behind the Leeward Bikeway. Come out and join us! Click here to view the full schedule!
All you need to do is show up! Bring your bike if you’d like and if you’re so inclined please feel free to stand up and say a few words about how you’ll use the Leeward Bikeway (walk, bike run, to work, to school, for fun) or why it’s construction and completion can’t wait! Click here to let us know that’ll you’ll be attending a meeting.
